Consumer Reports studies have shown that you pay less for home internet in areas where there are multiple competitors. The truth is that you still won’t get cheap internet, since there are still hidden charges and contracts that make the monthly bills outrageous.
Make it a point to haggle with your provider. Low-income nonprofits such as Everyone On can find you affordable used computers and broadband subscriptions.
1. Look for bundles
Bundling is one way to cut down on the cost of purchasing internet services. A lot of services have deals when you bundle or additional savings, such as free streaming subscriptions and retailer gift cards. Also beware of extra fees such as installation or equipment rental fees when you sign the check.
Another home internet deal for cheap is data cap-free deals or contracts. When you have high bandwidth consumption it can get expensive if you put a limit each month.
To find the best bundle deals near you, first do a zip code check and find out what they have in store at your location. Next, shop the pricing and features until you finally find one that covers all your bases – some providers like Verizon Fios and T-Mobile bundle home internet with mobile phone at a discount.
2. Go for cable
Cable internet is cheaper and easier to set up in NYC apartments because we already have coaxial cables versus fiber. It is usually very easy to install by Internet providers as ordinary equipment like modem and router replaces an ONT for the purposes of connectivity.
Astound and Mediacom offer cable packages in New York City for as little as $20 per month (they are excellent for low-speed internet connections for a low price) for people who don’t want fast internet, but still don’t care about slow speeds; there is no secret charges or contracts, and they often have offers of auto pay or paperless billing that just make the cheaper plans that much better.
3. Negotiate
Negotiation is the secret of bills savings. There are companies that will upsell you and lock you into contracts, and there are companies who provide incentives to entice customers to come back. If you have good communication and politeness, securing cheaper internet service should not be difficult.
Discover which service providers are in your neighbourhood, then do some research on their plans, costs and welcome packages. This not only helps protect your bargaining rights if negotiations aren’t going well, but also lets your provider know you have options in case of negotiation collapse; and also indicates you are aware of how their service is doing and are a knowledgeable customer (some people even hire bill-negotiation services to get better deals!)
4. Buy your own equipment
Most ISPs in-package modem/router costs, but you could save by getting your own. A best modem/router combo can run you about $120 – your installation will be up and running in eight months and then you can save $10 a month — or more!
Do research into the compatibility of the devices with your service provider before you go out and buy them. Some ISPs put restrictions on the number of devices you can use (eg data caps), so you may want to consider buying your own gear if you’ll be using multiple devices at home.
5. Switch
If the price you are paying is still high with your provider, change companies. You can access high-speed satellite internet for less than cable or DSL with the cheap satellite internet.
Astound Broadband: Astound Broadband has one of the lowest rates we’ve seen on high-speed Internet with 300Mbps download speeds for $20 a month. While they do have an installation and equipment fee that is due each month, this is much less than what you would be paying from any other company for similar plans.
The cheapest switch by TRENDnet gives you the longest PoE+ signal at 200m and is easy to configure. It comes with a lifetime warranty so it is worry-free to use!
