Don’t get too comfy with your internet bill - when the promo ends, the price goes up

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The most important price increase to be aware of is the one after your promotional period ends. Nearly all internet providers offer promotional rates for their new customers. This means the listed price for internet service is the promotional rate and not the regular rate. However, most providers don’t advertise their regular rates. As a result, you can go on a goose chase to find out how much you will be paying for internet service each month after that promotional period ends.

Allconnect, however, has made it easy for you by breaking down all of the major ISP price increases. If you do not see your provider on the list, still keep in mind these two things when buying internet:

Unless your provider specifically says your plan is Price for Life, expect your bill to increase sometime between 3 to 24 months into your service.
If your provider increases its prices once, expect them to do it again in the future.

So, which providers increase their prices after the promotional period and by how much? Find out below:

Provider	Price increase	Length of promotional period	Internet service	Details
AT&T	$15- $20/mo.	12 months	Fiber, DSL, fixed wireless	DSL increases by $15/mo. Fiber and fixed wireless increase by $20/mo.
Cox	$15 – $50/mo.	12 months	Cable	The more expensive the package, the more expensive the price increase.
HughesNet	$10/mo.	6 months	Satellite	Prices increase after 6 months even though the contract is 24-months.
Kinetic by Windstream	$8 – $18/mo.	12 months	Fiber, DSL	The lowest price increase on the list.
Mediacom	$10 – $60/mo.	12 months	Cable	The more expensive the package, the more expensive the price increase.
Sparklight	$10 – $60/mo.	6 – 12 months	Cable	All plans increase after the first 12 months except for Sparklight’s cheapest plan (100 mbps), which increases by $15/mo. after the first 6 months.
Spectrum	$21/mo.	12 months	Cable	After 12 months of service, your bill will increase by $21/mo. for internet-only and by $25/mo. for bundles.*
Suddenlink	Up to $60/mo.	12 months	Cable	The more expensive the package, the more expensive the price increase.
Viasat	$20 – $50/mo.	3 months	Satellite	The more expensive the package, the more expensive the price increase.
Xfinity	Up to $45/mo.	12 – 24 months	Cable, fiber	Most plans increase by $30/mo. after the first year.

*Source: Reviews.com

How do I know which provider will increase their prices the most for the plan I want?

Expert tip: Pay attention to which ISPs increase all of their plans by the same amount and which ISPs increase their more expensive plans at higher rates than their cheaper plans.

Overall, the providers that increase prices the most after a promotional period are Mediacom, Suddenlink and Sparklight, with an increase of up to $60/mo. However, this $60/mo. increase is only for these providers’ most expensive packages. When it comes to their cheapest plans, prices increase by as low as $10/mo.

The providers that increase their plans the most for low-tier packages, therefore, are AT&T, Spectrum and Xfinity because they increase their rates by the same amount for nearly all of their plans ($20 – $30/mo.).

This means that if you are looking for a cheap internet package, your price increase will be lower with Mediacom, Suddenlink and Sparklight after the first 12 months than it will be with AT&T, Spectrum or Xfinity. And if you are looking for a high-tier package, your price increase will be higher with Mediacom, Suddenlink and Sparklight after the first 12 months than it will be with AT&T, Spectrum or Xfinity.

How about Verizon and Optimum?

Two of the biggest providers, Verizon and Optimum, are particularly secretive about their price increases. However, just because they don’t list what their rates are after the first 12 months, doesn’t mean they don’t increase them. Based on what customers have reported, expect at least a $15/mo. price increase after the first year.

Written by:

Ari Howard

Associate Writer, Broadband & Wireless Content

Ari Howard is an associate writer for the Allconnect team. She researches and writes about broadband news and studies, particularly relating to internet access, digital safety, broadband-related technology and t… Read more