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Best prepaid internet deal
What’s the best internet deal?
Frontier Fiber runs its 500Mbps deal year-round, but it’s still one of the best promotions on high-speed internet this holiday shopping season. The Frontier Fiber 500 plan offers symmetrical upload and download speeds of 500 megabits per second starting at $50 a month with autopay. Service includes your router rental and unlimited data at no additional cost.
Many internet providers also offer exceptionally fast speeds, low introductory pricing and favorable service terms like free equipment and unlimited data. Some ISPs, such as Verizon Fios, AT&T Fiber and Astound, may throw in added perks such as free streaming services or gift cards.
Such deals frequently change, but you’ll find a recent roundup of the best internet deals from leading ISPs below. Keep in mind that all providers, pricing and promotions aren’t available in all areas and are subject to change at any time.
Best internet deals for December 2023
Price range $50 – $155 per monthSpeed range 500 – 5,000MbpsConnection FiberKey Info Unlimited data, no contracts, no equipment fee
Frontier Fiber offers a few speed tiers, but the Fiber 500 plan is tough to beat for a one-size-fits-all internet deal. Symmetrical download and upload speeds of up to 500Mbps are more than enough for most households (the average download speed of a typical US home is 415Mbps, according to OpenVault data). Plus, the $50 to $60 price (don’t forget to sign up for autopay) is lower than you’ll find from many other providers for comparable, or even slower, speeds.
Wi-Fi equipment and unlimited data are included at no extra cost. Contracts aren’t required with Frontier Fiber unless you opt to receive a sign-up bonus offer.
Frontier Fiber’s special offers
On all plans, excluding the Fiber 5 Gig speed tier, your included router is an Amazon Eero 6 Plus. Fiber 5 Gig comes with a TP-Link Archer AXE300 6E.
Frontier’s 2 Gig plan, which starts at $100 a month, also comes with a $200 Visa gift card in select areas for a limited time.
Read our Frontier home internet review.
Price range $50 – $120 per monthSpeed range 300 – 2,000MbpsConnection FiberKey Info Unlimited data, no contracts, free equipment with gig service
You’re going to sign up for internet service anyway, so why not get something extra for it? Verizon’s promos frequently change (details on the latest offer below), so if you don’t love this month’s offerings, check back to see what next month presents.
All internet plans currently come with a price guarantee for five years. That’s quite a deal, as many providers hike their rates after just 12 months. Unlimited data and your equipment rental are also included at no extra cost.
Verizon Fios special offers
You’ll get the best bonus when signing up for Verizon Fios 1 Gig: A $200 Amazon gift card or an Amazon Echo Show 10, plus a $100 gift card, a free Disney Plus subscription for six months and 2TB of storage. Verizon Fios 500Mbps and 300Mbps plans come with a $100 or $50 Amazon gift card, respectively, plus an additional $50 gift card.
Customers with eligible 5G mobile plans can also get $25 off each month’s bill.
Read our Verizon Fios review.
Price range $55 – $250 per monthSpeed range 300 – 5,000MbpsConnection FiberKey Info Unlimited data, no contracts, equipment included
With fast, symmetrical speeds, unlimited data, no equipment fees and no contract requirements, AT&T Fiber plans are a great deal on their own. Select areas will have three plans to choose from with max speeds of 300Mbps, 500Mbps or 1Gbps, while many will have two additional multigig options (2 or 5Gbps).
The selection of high-speed, fair-priced plans you get with AT&T Fiber is arguably the best you’ll find from any provider.
AT&T Fiber special offers
AT&T isn’t as creative as Verizon Fios when it comes to rewarding new customers, but it is still more rewarding than most. You can typically expect a gift card from AT&T, and that’s what the provider is currently offering. The exact amount may vary by location — some areas may see a $250 to $300 gift card, depending on where you live and the plan you sign up for — but some sort of a gift card is available with all AT&T Fiber plans.
AT&T Fiber is also running a contract buyout promotion that offers to pay your cancellation fee with another provider in full when you switch.
Finally, customers can get $20 off their monthly bill if they have an eligible AT&T postpaid wireless plan.
Read our AT&T Internet review.
Connection FiberKey Info Unlimited data on some plans, low price increasePrice range $30 – $165 per monthSpeed range 200 – 8,000Mbps
As providers continue to introduce multigig plans, gigabit service is quickly becoming the new standard in fast internet. At $70 per month for symmetrical speeds up to 940Mbps, unlimited data and no added equipment fees, Quantum Fiber’s gig plan is currently one of the best internet deals from any major provider.
To be clear, Quantum Fiber doesn’t have the absolute lowest introductory pricing on gigabit internet. Regional providers Ziply Fiber and Astound Broadband, among others, have lower starting rates. However, gig service from Quantum Fiber doesn’t come with a set price increase after your promo period ends and your Wi-Fi equipment is included at no extra cost, making it one of the best long-term gigabit deals available.
Quantum Fiber special offers
As mentioned above, gig service from Quantum Fiber comes with free Wi-Fi equipment. Installation is also included at no extra cost when you order online.
Read our Quantum Fiber home internet review.
Price range $20 – $120 per monthSpeed range 75 – 2,000MbpsConnection CableKey Info Data caps on some plans, lots of plan options, solid customer satisfaction numbers
It wasn’t long ago that bundling internet and TV services with the same provider came with some serious savings. Now, you’d be lucky to get any discount for bundling internet and TV. Unless you live in an area served by Xfinity, that is.
Xfinity offers a discount for each bundled service. With internet, TV, home phone, mobile data and home security plans available in some areas, that could add up to $50 or more in monthly savings.
Xfinity Internet special offers
Depending on your location and the plan you choose, Xfinity may include your equipment rental and unlimited data at no extra cost.
Read our Xfinity Internet review.
Price range $50 – $70 per month (50% off for eligible 5G mobile customers)Speed range 85 – 1,000MbpsConnection Fixed wirelessKey Info Unlimited data, no contracts, free equipment, 50% discount for qualifying Verizon mobile customers
5G home internet service is still relatively new as a household broadband offering. Still, providers like T-Mobile Home Internet, Verizon 5G Home Internet and now AT&T are keeping prices competitive considering the speed potential of a 5G network. So far, Verizon has the best deals on 5G home internet with two plans, ranging from 50Mbps to 300Mbps starting at $50 a month, or speeds of 85Mbps to 1,000Mbps starting at $70.
Both plans include unlimited data, no equipment fees and a price guarantee. The lower-priced 5G Home plan comes with a two-year price guarantee, while your 5G Home Plus plan rate is good for three years.
Verizon 5G Home Internet special offers
If you’re a Verizon wireless customer with an eligible plan, Verizon will lower the $50 and $70 starting prices to $35 and $45, respectively.
Read our Verizon 5G Home Internet review.
Price range $50 per monthSpeed range 100MbpsConnection CableKey Info 1.25TB monthly data allowance, no contracts, no equipment fee
For those who prefer internet service on their terms with no hassles or hidden fees, there’s Cox StraightUp Internet. Starting at $50 per month, the service comes with download speeds up to 100Mbps, free equipment, free installation and a three-year price guarantee. Additionally, no contract or credit check is required.
For a prepaid plan, Cox StraightUp Internet is a fairly good deal, but the relatively slow speeds keep it from being a great deal. Speeds of 100Mbps for $50 per month equate to a cost per Mbps of 50 cents, which is high compared to most internet plans. On the other hand, the convenience of a prepaid service, along with no data cap, free equipment and a three-year price guarantee goes a long way to make up for the high cost per Mbps.
Cox Internet special offers
There are currently no limited-time promotions available to new Cox customers.
Read our Cox home internet review.
Other internet deals for December 2023
Internet deals and promos vary by ISP, and providers vary by location, so any number of deals could be available at your address. Here are some other noteworthy deals in addition to the ones listed above that you may want to consider.
Astound Broadband: Free service, gift cards, free installation. Astound’s internet offers vary by location and are a bit all over the place. New York City customers, for example, can get two free months of service and a $100 gift card when signing up for the provider’s fastest plan. In other areas where Astound service is available, promotional offers (including a free year of Max) and plan details will vary.
Kinetic by Windstream: Up to $200 in gift cards. Windstream by Kinetic is giving away gift cards in the amount of $100 or $200 to new customers in select areas.
Optimum: Visa gift card. New Optimum customers can receive a gift card ranging from $100 to $200, depending on your area and chosen speed tier. Additional savings are available when you bundle with Optimum Mobile Unlimited.
T-Mobile Home Internet: Savings for eligible T-Mobile cellular customers, additional perks. Qualifying T-Mobile customers can get $20 off their 5G home internet service, bringing the cost down to $30 per month for speeds ranging from 72Mbps to 245Mbps. Home internet customers also can participate in T-Mobile Tuesdays, the company’s weekly discount and perks campaign.
WOW Internet: Up to $300 in gift cards. WideOpenWest incentivizes customers to opt for faster speed tiers. Starting with the Internet 200 plan, you can get a gift card ranging from $50 to $300, depending on your chosen plan.
Ziply Fiber: Free month and installation. New Ziply Fiber customers can get free installation and a free month of service when they sign up for any plan.
Best internet deals FAQs
What’s the best internet deal?
A low cost-per-Mbps plan will often be the best internet deal.
For example, Frontier Fiber 500 includes max download and upload speeds of 500Mbps, starting at $50 monthly for a cost per Mbps of 10 cents. Compare that to a similarly priced plan or one even cheaper from another provider — such as the Cox Essential plan, which has a lower starting price at $40 a month, but significantly lower download (100Mbps) and upload (just 5Mbps) speeds — and you’ll find a much higher cost per Mbps (40 cents for Cox Essential). Frontier Fiber 500 is a much better internet deal.
If you have the luxury of facing similar pricing and speed options from multiple providers, look for special promotions, equipment costs, contract requirements and other service factors to determine which provider has the best deal.
Can I get a deal on internet without a contract?
Yes. Many providers, including AT&T, Frontier, Google Fiber, Spectrum and Verizon Fios offer their best internet deals and incentives without making you sign a contract. Other providers, such as Cox and Xfinity, may require you to sign a contract to get the lowest price.
What internet deals are available to students and seniors?
Most major providers have a discount internet program available to qualifying low-income households, including those with students and seniors. Plans are typically in the $20 to $30 range and often come with broadband speeds of 50Mbps or higher. Additionally, the Affordable Connectivity Program is a federal program that grants eligible households $30 per month to apply to their internet costs.
Can I get a better deal from my current ISP?
Special offers such as introductory pricing and sign-up bonuses are typically reserved for new customers. That said, it may be possible to negotiate with your provider for a lower price or faster speeds. Your chances of scoring a better deal are higher if you aren’t locked in a contract. Also, research other providers and offers available in your area before you call. The threat of switching internet providers is often enough for your current provider to offer you a better deal.
