This is a comprehensive guide to finding affordable internet plans in your area without having to bundle Internet access with an expensive cable plan. This article will not only cover how to find Internet-Only providers in your area but also why Internet Access just got a lot cheaper in the US.
How To Get Affordable Internet
Today, people want to stream TV and movies instead of having an expensive cable TV package. To make that affordable, we recommend trying to keep your internet cost per month below $60.
Many home internet providers will offer a great introductory offer on home internet access only to see that price skyrocket in price once the promotional discounts evaporate (along with your bank account.) In our recent article comparing the costs of cable TV and streaming TV, we saw an internet deal from Xfinity that gave you fast internet access for $35 for two years. However, the price discounts steadily disappear, and you are paying $92 per month in your 4th year!
And it’s not just Xfinity; many home internet providers try these promotion tricks. The only provider I’ve had that hasn’t done this was Verizon Fios. The price they quote is the one you get unless they raise the base rate of the service once the price guarantee expires. Unfortunately, I moved out of their service area and had to deal with the promotional pricing dance with my current provider.
Once you are a customer and your promotional price expires, you can call them and complain, yell, and even cry. But they usually won’t offer you that promotional pricing again. At least not from the front-line representative. However, if you actually cancel, most ISPs provide the promotional rate. You can’t threaten to cancel; you actually have to cancel, set a turnoff date for service, and then hang up the phone.
Then you wait. Usually, a day or so before the turnoff date, you will miraculously get a phone call from your provider offering you a promotional deal. This practice is becoming more and more common, especially since wireless internet services like T-Mobile’s Home Internet have become a viable solution for streaming. Before, when the cable provider thought they were the only game in town, they would never call you back with an offer, but that has changed since they have had to be a little more competitive.
And if they don’t call back, and you don’t have another provider you can go with, just call them to have the service back on and tell them you changed your mind. However, if you are looking for more affordable internet providers, I’ve listed several options around the country for you to try.
Home Internet Providers
Below are internet-only plans in the U.S. that deliver affordable home internet service. I’ll also cover the states where each of these providers operates.
Xfinity Internet Service
Xfinity has fast, reliable internet on the Xfinity 10g Network with WiFi equipment included for $35/mo for 2 years with no term contract. This link will show you what is available in your area. We’ve also put together a step by step guide to saving money when ordering Xfinity internet plans online.
Comcast Availability: The Xfinity service area is within the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
Verizon Fios Internet-Only Plans
Fios is a fantastic ISP, and we strongly recommend using them if they are available in your area. They offer an unbelievably priced 300 Mbps for $49.99, and that isn’t part of a promotion. In other words, there won’t be a surprise price hike the following year. They also offer near gigabit speed in their service area. Furthermore, Fios is one of the few remaining internet providers with no monthly data caps. Read my review of Fios Internet-only plans for more information on their internet service.
Verizon Fios is currently available in and around the areas of New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, and Washington D.C. You can check for the promo pricing availability here.
If you live in Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, or Sacramento, Verizon just unveiled their 5G Home Wireless Internet Service. Speeds and pricing are comparable to Fios and beat most internet service offerings from other ISPs. Check for availability in your area.
AT&T Home Internet
AT&T is currently offering an internet-only deal that provides 300 Mbps for as low as $55. Prices vary around the country, but you can check for deals here.
AT&T internet service is available in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Check for availability in your area.
Cox Internet-Only
Currently, you can check if Cox’s internet is available in your area and get special pricing through this offer page. The prices typically run less than $1 per Mbps, so it is perfect for those looking to cut the cord and need an internet service provider. For more information on their service, see our article on Cox Intenet Plans.
Cox offers internet-only service in Arizona, California, Virginia, Louisiana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Kansas, Rhode Island, Florida, Nebraska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, District of Columbia, Idaho, Massachusetts, and North Carolina.
CenturyLink
CenturyLink offers speeds up to 1 gigabyte in parts of its service area. Check for availability in your area by calling (844) 981-0109. They also have bundled DSL lines to get up to 100 Mbps based on location. CenturyLink offers internet service in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Windstream
Windstream Kinetic offers gigabit speeds for under $40 for one year. Windstream is available in Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas. Call (844) 981-0193 for information on availability in your area.
Spectrum Internet-Only
Charter offers plenty of speed to cut the cord with their Spectrum Internet-only plan. They offer up to over 100 Mbps for under $50 per month in parts of the country. Call (833) 589-0058 to take advantage of the offer.
Charter Availability: Charter’s service area is within the states of Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Optimum
Few cable companies offer affordable internet-only services. However, residents of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and a few in Pennsylvania can subscribe to Optimum Online Internet service. Not only can you get 300 Mbps for a great price, but also the service is solid.
Google Fiber
Google Fiber attempted to change the ISP game but has offered less competitive pricing more recently. They offer gigabit internet at $70 per month. While this was impressive when Google Fiber started, it would be much better for them, to offer a slower speed at a more competitive price. They used to offer 25 Mbps for $15 per month, but have since discontinued that plan.
As of this article, they currently offer internet in Atlanta, Georgia; Austin, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina; the Kansas City metro area in Missouri and Kansas; Nashville, Tennessee; and Provo, Utah, and they just started rolling out in Salt Lake City.
WOW! Internet
A reader of the blog informed me that WOW! now offers internet access in Knoxville, Tennessee. They offer speeds of 100 Mbps for just $30 per month. They offer internet service in parts of South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Kansas, Michigan, Indiana, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio. You can check here for availability.
Other Internet-Only Providers in U.S.
Sparklight – Formerly Cable ONE, Sparklight has internet-only plans available in many parts of the country. However, they are sparsely distributed. The bulk of their service area is in Idaho, Mississippi, Texas, and Arizona.
Astound Broadband – Available in Texas, Illinois, Indiana, California, Oregon, Washington, and parts of the North East.
Armstrong – Mainly available in Ohio and Pennsylvania with scattered availability in the surrounding states
Blue Ridge Communications – Available in Pennsylvania
Vyve Broadband – Mainly available in Oklahoma and Kansas with scattered available in parts of the South.
Service Electric Cablevision – Available in Pennsylvania
Shentel – Available in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania
Cablelynx Broadband – Available in parts of Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma.
Zito Media – Coverage in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Missouri with scattered coverage in other parts of the United States
MaxxSouth Broadband – Available in Mississippi
DigiMaxx – Available in Illinois
BendBroadband – Availability in Oregon
Ritter Communications – Available in Tennessee and Arkansas
LUS Fiber – Available in Louisiana
Gearheart Broadband – Mainly available in Kentucky
CAS Cable – Available in West Virginia
How Internet Access Is More Affordable
Over the past two years, more and more Americans have realized that it’s more affordable to purchase an Internet-only plan and stream content than subscribe to a cable TV and internet bundle. Recently some companies have made moves to make purchasing internet access from them more enticing. For example, Verizon Fios has eliminated promotional pricing. Now their existing customers will pay the same low price as new customers. However, the biggest reason Internet access just got more affordable is due to the new private-sector commitments just announced by The White House.
Earlier in the year, the Biden Administration announced the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) which provides up to $30/ month off internet access to families that make less than 200% of the federal poverty level ($55,000 for a family of four) or one member of the household is enrolled in one of the following programs
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps
- Medicaid
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
- Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
- Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, including at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision schools
- Federal Pell Grant (received in the current award year)
- Lifeline
- Certain Tribal assistance programs
In this new announcement, the administration has commitments from over 20 ISPs to either increase speeds or cut prices, making sure they all offer ACP-eligible households 100 Megabits per second (where possible) for no more than $30/month. This means tens of millions of US households can get high-speed internet at no cost. The administration has launched a new GetInternet web page to see if you qualify for ACP and find a participating provider.
