When talking to people who are interested in cutting the cord, the issue that continually crops up is how to find affordable internet access. Many ask how to obtain internet access without a cable TV and/or phone bundle. While market competition between internet service providers in the U.S. is extremely low, you can still find deals on high-speed internet only plans without a TV bundle.
Internet Cost Per Month
In order to make cutting the cord worth it, the trick is to keep your internet costs while having adequate speed to stream video without buffering. I recommend trying to keep your internet cost per month below $70 per month. Add a digital TV antenna, and a streaming service and you are on your way to cable-free lifestyles
Ideally, a lower internet cost leaves you with more money to purchase content. Today, I’m going to cover some 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.
If you know of an affordable internet only plan in your area that you use to cut the cord, please let us know in the comments and I’ll add it to the article.
Internet Service Providers In My Area
Verizon Fios Internet
I used Fios for internet service for over a decade. Unfortunately, I recently moved outside of their service area, but they are an amazing ISP I strongly recommend using if they are available in your area. They had a promotion that gave me 50 Mbps of download speed for under $40, which is plenty of bandwidth to cut the cord.
UPDATE: Verizon just doubled the speed offered in their deal. You can now get 100 Mbps for under $39.99. Read my post on this Fios Internet-only service for more information on how I got their promotional pricing. They also offer near gigabit speed in their service area.
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.
Click This Link is for The Latest Fios Deals
You can also check out which Fios deals are available in your area by calling toll free (866)-723-847
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.
Comcast Internet Plans
I recently moved out of Fios’ service area and have been using Xfinity from Comcast for internet service. I got an excellent deal and so far the service has been reliable in both speed and uptime.
I’ve seen broadband pricing for under $30 and 100 Mbps for around $50 in various parts of the country. This link will show you what is available in your area.
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.
For more information check out this article listing the Xfinity internet plans that you don’t have to bundle with TV.
Affordable Internet Only Service Plans
While the ISPs I mention in this post are affordable, they also offer quality internet access. Unfortunately, not every state has a decent provider. I will be sure to cover as many states as possible. As I mentioned earlier, if you know a provider, leave their information in the comments and I’ll get them added to the list. I want to grow this list to give people a reference to the best internet plans available for home users.
Cox Internet Only
Currently, you can check if Cox 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’s perfect for those looking to cut the cord and need an internet service provider.
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.
AT&T Internet Only Service
AT&T is currently offering an internet-only deal that provides 100 Mbps for $50. You can sign up for the promotion here. The page looks like a bundle, but scroll to the bottom and the internet deal is in a box on the left. You can also call 844-566-6257 toll free to get the offer if you give them promo code “U3787“.
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.
Charter 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. Check out their offer on this Charter internet promo page or call 855-846-2526 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 Online
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 100 Mbps for a great price, but also the service is solid.
Google Fiber
Google Fiber is really changing the ISP game. Every city they begin offering high-speed broadband in immediately sparks price competition. While they offer gigabit internet at $70 per month, you can also get a 25 Mbps internet connection for only $15 per month. This easily makes them the best internet service provider for those looking to cut the cord.
If you need a bit more speed than that, they also offer 100 Mbps for only $50. 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.
DSL Extreme
DSL Extreme offers speeds much faster than what you typically see from DSL, that’s because they are using AT&Ts existing U-Verse network to deliver service. They offer speeds up to a gig in some areas which is more than adequate for most cord cutters.
They operate in areas within 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 here for availability.
WOW! Internet
A reader of the blog informed me that WOW! now offers Internet access in Knoxville Tennessee. They offer speeds of 30 Mbps for just $25 and 60 Mbps for just $40 per Mbps. If anyone has any experience with their Internet-only service them please post in the comments. They appear to offer service in parts of South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Kansas, Michigan, Indiana, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio.
Update: A commenter had a bad billing experience with this provider. Can anyone else way in on this in the comments?
Find Internet Providers in Your Area
The options above are ones I have personally found online. What if none of those providers service your location? Luckily, I have partnered with an internet sales solution team that will find available internet in your area. Simply call toll free (855) 432-3254, provide your zip code at the prompt and a sales representative will provide you with available internet offers in your area.
Check Out How To Get Gigabit Internet and a $200 Visa Prepaid Card
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