Don’t Settle for Less. CNET survey: 63% US adults pay more for unreliable internet service
If you feel like you are paying more each year for internet, you’re certainly not the only one. According to CNET’s latest survey, 63% US adults who pay for home internet experienced a price increase in the past year. In average, the cost of home internet increased by $195 last year. Price increases didn’t always translate into better service. More than half the people who had their bills increased said that they still experienced unreliable internet connectivity.
This story is a part of CNET’s coverage on how the United States is working to make broadband access universal.
The survey results are released at a critical time for the US broadband industry. Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, the federal government has spent more than $90 Billion to close this digital divide. However, the Trump Administration is not satisfied with the results. The Trump Administration is said to be looking at shifting funds from fiber internet towards Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink. However, some experts are concerned by its $120 monthly cost.
“If it’s not affordable, it’s not accessible,” said Sean Gonsalvez, a director of communication with the advocacy group The Institute for Local Self-Reliance.Customers have taken a number of steps to deal with higher prices, including downgrading to a cheaper plan, switching providers or canceling service altogether. Experts shared their advice on how best to deal with these issues. 63% of US adults paying for home internet said their prices increased last year
Respondents who cited price increases paid an average of $195 more than the year before
More than half of respondents with price increases still experienced unreliable connectivity
Because of cost, one in five US adults who pay for home internet have had to downgrade, switch internet service providers (ISPs) or cancel service
- Most people saw their internet bill increase last year
- Price increases are routine for internet customers, with 63% of surveyed US adults reporting higher bills than the previous year. They paid an average of $195 more last year than they did the previous one.
- Trey, CNET’s senior broadband editor does not find this surprising. It may seem surprising at first, but it’s not when you realize that many ISPs will increase their monthly rates by as much as $50 or even $20 after the promotional price. It’s a bit surprising that it wasn’t even higher. “
- CNET’s analysis of the price increases by the largest ISPs found that monthly price increases could reach $50 for providers like Spectrum, after a year. These higher prices did not translate into better performance. 51% of customers with increased bills still reported unreliable internet. In many cases, customers are unaware that their plans’ prices have increased until they receive their bill. Jonathan Schwantes, senior policy counsel at Consumer Reports, helped lead an analysis of more than 22,000 internet bills in 2022.
Cole Kan/CNET
“Some of the bills we collected are incredibly complicated,” he said. In thousands of cases it’s too difficult for people to understand what they are paying for, the hidden fees or even to locate the price of internet service. “
Last year, the Federal Communications Commission required ISPs display key information about their plans on “broadband nutritional labels. When you are shopping for internet plans, search for buttons that say “Broadband Labels” or “Broadband Facts.” Legally, each provider must tell you how much your bill will rise after the introductory period expires. You’ll also see any other fees that will show up on your bill, such as charges for equipment or installation.
2 in 5 users experience unreliable internet service
42% of US adults from this survey said they experienced unreliable internet speeds or connectivity last year, but the level of reliability differs based on income. According to the survey, higher income levels are associated with better reliability. It showed 57% of adults with annual incomes above $80,000 had no connection issues at all last year, compared with 45% with incomes below $40,000.
I enjoy hearing voices and seeing people talk. I am a single woman, so I prefer to be alone. “It seems more personal,” said she. At my age, and since I live alone, not having access to an internet computer would be very depressing. “
6% said that disruptions to their internet access had a negative impact on virtual education in the last year. Amina Fazlullah is the head of Common Sense Media’s tech policy advocacy. She told me that this statistic was especially worrying to her. She said:
“We know that if students experience unreliable or poor service, they’ll miss the window of opportunity to engage them in this resource.” Once you lose it, it is very difficult to get it back. High costs forced users to downgrade or cancel service
These price increases had a significant impact on internet users. One in five US adults paying for home internet have been forced to switch to a lower-cost plan or cancel the service because of high prices. Only one out of 10 people have attempted to negotiate their bill. Fazlullah: “We’re worried about the results, especially when it comes to the need to downgrade or cancel a plan. “Your daily needs are so dependent on the internet. It’s a concern to know that some people will lose access. Karen Kama, an elderly woman in Reading, Pennsylvania told me she was on a fixed-income and that even a small increase in price would force her to cancel all services. Her low-income internet package from Xfinity was increased to $15 a monthly plan in early this year.
Kamar said, “If they increase again, I will just shut that off.” It’s no secret that affordability is a major reason why most people do not have home internet. According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, 20% of people who don’t have a home internet subscription cited cost as the main reason — the highest of any answer and more than twice the number who said service isn’t available.
Users feel the impact of the ACP’s end
CNET’s survey also sheds light on the impact of the Affordable Connectivity Program’s end, a $30 monthly subsidy that helped low-income households pay for internet that shut down in mid-2024. After the ACP ended, 12% of respondents reported that their bills had increased in the last year.
“The demise of ACP was detrimental to so many and I think that this is reflected in these numbers,” said Christopher Ali, professor of telecommunications at Penn State University.
By the time the Federal Communications Commission ended ACP enrollments in February 2024, 23 million Americans had enrolled. The program was open to households earning up to 200% or less of the federal poverty guidelines. That’s $60,000 for a four-person family last year. What you can do when your bill increases
Always pay attention to the billing. It’s easy to miss price increases if you set up auto-pay. Here are a few other tactics:
Negotiate with your ISP
Many of us have done this song and dance before: Our internet promotion runs out at the end of the year, so we contact our provider to negotiate a better deal. You’ll likely have to begin with an online chat that uses AI. Here are some tips on how to use AI in your negotiation. Some best practices include researching the available plans beforehand, calling between May and October for the best deals and trying again later if you don’t get the deal you were hoping for.
Downgrade your plan
You might not need as much speed as you think you do; for most people, 100Mbps is plenty for HD streaming and video calls. You can check your current speed by running a speed test on any device connected. You might want to consider a slower plan if you only have 12 devices connected at a time but are getting 200Mbps. If negotiations fail, you may have to switch ISPs. It can be an intimidating prospect, as no one wants their internet service to be interrupted while they wait for the new one to start. However, it is one of most effective ways to reduce your internet bill. Most providers will offer great deals to new customers, and some even purchase your old contract. To see what’s available in your area, enter your address on the FCC’s broadband map and see what other options are available to you.
Buy your own equipment
Most internet providers charge between $10 and $15 in equipment fees but you can buy your own Wi-Fi router for less than $100. You’ll have to make an initial investment, but your internet bill should be much cheaper after the first year. This is something I did myself and saved $180 per year.
Methodology
CNET commissioned YouGov Plc to conduct the survey. YouGov Plc is responsible for all figures, except where otherwise noted. The total sample size is 2,367 adults, of whom 2,304 have access to home internet and 1,916 pay monthly for home internet. Fieldwork took place March 19-21, 2020. The survey was conducted online. The data has been weighted to be representative of US adults (18+).
