Choosing an Internet Service Provider: The Ultimate Guide

As claimed by the American Customer Satisfaction index, broadband providers received very low customer satisfaction in 2015. According to the report, the consumers are consistently unsatisfied with the coverage and price of both fixed and wireless internet. This only makes consumers more confused about which internet service provider is the best.

There are so many internet service providers available today. But are they available in your area? This is just one of the questions that you might ask before choosing an ISP.

So how can you find the best internet service provider out there right now? Let's find out.

Options in Your Area

Check out the web to know which internet service providers are available in your area.

Fiber optics and cable providers are usually available in the city. But in more rural areas, internet services are limited.

Internet Speed

This is the most important thing people look for internet service. But before choosing an internet plan, you should first consider your browsing habits. If you are a heavy user, then you should really get a high-speed connection plan. Faster internet speed usually cost more. But if you only browse and do light video streaming, then you can choose cheaper plans which are slower compared to the faster one.

Types of Connection

Most households get faster download speeds compared to upload speeds. This is called asymmetrical connection. Downloading is when you use the internet to receive content like online gaming, video streaming or just by browsing through Facebook. Uploading refers to when you send files over the internet or do a video call. This setup works for households because most people download content more frequently than they upload.

But if you are a business owner, you might want to choose a symmetrical connection. You will get the same speed for download and upload in this type of connection.

Internet Delivery Method

To make it simple, internet service from a cable company most likely provide the most reliable and fastest speeds. It also cost more compared to internet service from a phone company over DSL. Digital subscriber lines are cheaper than cable, but a little slower. Satellite internet services have the widest coverage, but they are slow and expensive.

Plans & Packages

Now that you know the internet speed you need, and which ISP companies the availability of ISPs in your area, you now need to look for the best deal you can get.

Here are some things that you should take into consideration:

Promotions

Promotions are usually available to new customers. ISP companies often give discounts to their new customers for one whole year. But make sure that you can pay for the full price once the promotional period is over.

Bundles

A lot of cable companies have bundles consisting of television, internet and phone service. But think hard before signing up for these bulk deals because internet providers tend to lock in their customers with more services.

If you don't see yourself using a specific service frequently, then don't sign up for a bundle. You might end up paying more than you should.

Customer Service

You must look for excellent and reliable customer service when you are getting any kind of service. The problem is that it is so hard to find an ISP with good customer service.

If you will use the internet service for business, then this is really essential. You can't say when you're going to experience connection problems. Still, it would be great if you know that once you report it to the customer service, they would take action right away.

Negotiation

If you are low in budget, then you might want to negotiate prices and services with your internet provider. Bundles do not usually get high satisfaction rating from the consumers, but they can still pay off. Consumers who attempt to negotiate with the ISP usually get a new promotional rate, extra TV channels and faster internet speed.

Conclusion

You would probably end up having two or three choices of an internet service provider. It is now up to you to compare and search for their different deals and offers. You must also remember that smaller companies tend to have faster and cheaper internet service since they only provide their service to fewer users compared to big companies.

Top 10 Cheap internet and Cheap internet websites

We ranked the best Cheap internet websites so that you can find what you need.

Last updated: 2024-11-04

Rank

Provider

Description & Features

Site

1

★★★★★

364 Data points

Best Cheap Internet Service Providers of 2019 | Plans ...
Best Cheap Internet Service Providers of 2019 | Plans ...
The Best Cheap Internet Service Providers. The best internet service provider is different for everyone. Monthly price is directly linked to speed — and the speed you need depends on a lot of factors, like your online activities and the number of people who will use your internet at any given time.

2

★★★★★

337 Data points

Low Income Internet Service Providers - $5 a month
Low Income Internet Service Providers - $5 a month
Cheap broadband internet plans have been created by public-private partnerships, to bring high-speed, wireless internet access to those on government assistance or who are low-income.

3

★★★★★

312 Data points

Cheap Internet Service: unlimited high-speed internet $5
Cheap Internet Service: unlimited high-speed internet $5
Thanks to many U.S. internet providers, public and private broadband initiatives, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and expanding array of cheap internet plans are available to millions of low-income Americans suffering through a difficult economy.

4

★★★★

289 Data points

Broadband Internet | Mobile Broadband - Dial-Up | NetZero
Broadband Internet | Mobile Broadband - Dial-Up | NetZero
NetZero, recognized as the pioneer of free internet access in the late 90s, has been providing high quality, low cost internet services for over 20 years.

5

★★★★

267 Data points

Cheap Internet Providers in 2019 | Base Plans at $29.99/mo.
Cheap Internet Providers in 2019 | Base Plans at $29.99/mo.
Cheap Internet Providers | Base Plans at $29.99/month How to Find the Cheapest Internet Plan That Meets Your Needs for Browsing, Streaming, and General Household Use.

6

★★★★

248 Data points

Compare Internet Providers by Zip Code | Plans Starting at ...
Compare Internet Providers by Zip Code | Plans Starting at ...
Monthly costs for internet service is likely one of the main things you’ll want to consider when choosing an ISP and plan. If you’re looking for the cheapest internet service, there are a few high-speed internet service providers with plans starting at $30 or less.Starting prices for the cheapest plans from other internet providers typically range from 30 to 50 dollars per month.

7

★★★★

229 Data points

Free Wireless Internet & Phone Service. Cheap Internet ...
Free Wireless Internet & Phone Service. Cheap Internet ...
Get free internet or free cell phone service. Service plans start at $0.00/month. Find cheap mobile wifi hotspots, smart phones, SIM-only service, tablets, and more!

8

★★★

212 Data points

Tips for Getting Cheap Internet Service - The Simple Dollar
Tips for Getting Cheap Internet Service - The Simple Dollar
Internet access has become such an important fixture in our lives that, in most American households, it’s considered a required monthly utility, along the lines of the electric or phone bill. And as more people cut the cord to cable TV, cable companies are looking to their internet subscribers ...

9

★★★

197 Data points

Best Cheap Internet Plans Under $50/Month | WhistleOut
Best Cheap Internet Plans Under $50/Month | WhistleOut
Best Cheap Cable Internet Plan. The best cheap cable internet plan is Spectrum's 100Mbps plan for just $44.99/month (for the first 12 months). As suggested by the plan's name, you'll get max download speeds of up to 100Mbps and unlimited data, so you can stream TV shows and movies to your heart's desire.

10

★★★

182 Data points

Best Internet Deals | Find Cheap Internet Deals In Your Zip
Best Internet Deals | Find Cheap Internet Deals In Your Zip
Find current offers from internet service providers near you Home internet special offers for May 2019. Featured home internet provider deals* AT&T internet Rewards Card – Receive a $100 Reward Card with select plans; CenturyLink Price for Life – Pay the same internet price for as long as you have the plan; Frontier FiOS Rewards Card – Receive a $100 Reward Card when you sign a two-year ...

Cheap internet videos considered

We analyzed 3,512 hours of the most informative Cheap internet videos. These videos stood out the most:

Local Cheap internet near you

Spectrum

43 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10010

Natural Wireless

23A Poplar St, East Rutherford, NJ 07073

RCN

33-16 Woodside Ave, Long Island City, NY 11101

NYCOM, Verizon Wireless Authorized Retailer

66-68 Fresh Pond Rd, Ridgewood, NY 11385

Your Wireless

277 Canal St, New York, NY 10013

Verizon Wireless

105 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Optimum Store

11020 Flatlands Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11207

Verizon

859 Broadway, New York, NY 10003

Gold Coast Broadband

285 Grand St, Jersey City, NJ 07302

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This comparison site is made up of our own opinions and views. The ranking is determined at our discretion and is not to be used for accuracy purposes. We can provide this service at no charges thanks to a combination of referral fees and advertising income we receive from various publishers and service providers. These payments may affect our rankings and the score we assign to websites, products, and vendors. Our ratings do not imply endorsement of any kind. This website's information, rankings, and vendor list is subject to change without notice at any time.