
Optimum internet plans
By Joe Supan Last updated: May 25, 2023
Optimum internet comes with many perks like fast speeds and no data caps or contracts, but watch out for price increases and hidden fees.
Speeds up to 300 Mbps starting at:
$40.00/mo.
*Pricing per month for 12 mos. with auto pay, paperless billing and unlimited mobile plan. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 03/14/23.
Call to order: (844) 451-2720

Best Optimum plans for your home
Optimum 300 Mbps
Best for most households; 300 Mbps starting at $40.00/mo.*
Optimum 500 Mbps
Best for work-from-home families; 500 Mbps starting at $60.00/mo.*
Optimum 1 Gig
Best for smart homes and serious gamers; 1,000 Mbps starting at $80.00/mo.*
**Pricing per month for 12 mos. with auto pay, paperless billing and unlimited mobile plan. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 03/14/23.
Optimum provider summary
Optimum’s internet plans can be pricier than average after promotional periods end, but they’re a decent option for households that require a lot of bandwidth. Just be prepared for your bill to increase after 12 months.
We graded Optimum internet on a scale of 1 to 5 across four major categories. To learn more, read about our review methodology.
Optimum internet rating
Allconnect Rating
4.18 / out of 5 stars
This score is based off of the 3 plans Optimum has available
Rating breakdown
Affordability
3.94 / 5
Performance
4.47 / 5
Value
4.67 / 5
Customer satisfaction
3.48 / 5
What we like
No data caps: Optimum has no data caps, so you won’t need to worry about any fees if you go over your data limit.
No contracts: With Optimum no-contract plans you can avoid long-term commitments and early termination fees.
Equipment included: Equipment is included with Optimum’s 300 Mbps, 500 Mbps and Gig plans.
Things to consider
Rate hikes: Optimum’s prices will increase after promotional periods end.
Equipment rental fees: Optimum has various equipment fees that will rack up your monthly bill.
Very little bundle savings: While there are a few bundling options with Optimum, you won’t actually end up saving much compared to purchasing standalone TV service elsewhere.
If you’re shopping for internet service in the greater NYC area, it’s likely that Optimum internet will be an option. In New York, you’ll find Optimum internet service in The Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Poughkeepsie and Yonkers, among other NY cities. Optimum is available to over 12 million people. Coverage also extends to western Connecticut, eastern New Jersey and parts of rural Pennsylvania.
Optimum has both fiber and cable internet plans available, and it’s been rapidly building its fiber network in recent years in order to reach more homes. But no matter what’s available to you, Optimum’s internet plans are known for high speeds and high prices.
The slowest speeds you can get are 300 Mbps — a high starting point compared to other internet providers. But you will pay more for those speeds. While Optimum’s rates are pretty affordable when you first sign up, they increase after 12 months.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Optimum is a bad deal. It has one of our highest scores of any provider for value, which measures how much speed you’re getting for the price. But it’s important to be aware that you’ll be paying a lot more than what you signed up for at some point.
How we scored internet providers
We evaluate broadband providers in four categories: affordability, performance, value and customer satisfaction. Each category contains multiple sub-factors, all of which are weighted differently to impact the provider’s overall score.
For each sub-factor, we score all providers on a continuous scale of one to five, relative to the industry as a whole. Because the average download speed in America is currently 180 Mbps, for example, we assigned all plans with download speeds between 100 and 299 Mbps a score between three and four. Xfinity’s 200 Mbps plan received a 3.50 score for download speed, while Spectrum’s 400 Mbps plan got a 4.16.
We only considered standardized data points in our scoring system. More abstract data like consistency of service and brand reputation is still part of our analysis, but we opted to let our writers address them in the context of each review.
Learn more about our methodologyBest plan: Fiber Internet 1 Gig
Optimum internet plans and pricing
Optimum internet prices and plans are available to you depending on your location. We’ve listed some popular Optimum cable and fiber plans below. Optimum’s fiber network is still expanding, so availability is limited.
Optimum plan | Download speed | Upload speed | Starting price* | Connection type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Optimum 300 | 300 Mbps | 20 Mbps | $40.00/mo. | Cable |
Optimum 500 | 500 Mbps | 20 Mbps | $60.00/mo. | Cable |
Optimum 1 Gig | 940 Mbps | 35 Mbps | $80.00/mo. | Cable |
Optimum Fiber 300 | 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | $40.00/mo. | Fiber |
Optimum Fiber 500 | 500 Mbps | 500 Mbps | $60.00/mo. | Fiber |
Optimum Fiber 1 Gig | 940 Mbps | 940 Mbps | $80.00/mo. | Fiber |
Optimum Fiber 2 Gig | 2,000 Mbps | 2,000 Mbps | $100.00/mo. | Fiber |
Optimum Fiber 5 Gig | 5,000 Mbps | 5,000 Mbps | $180.00/mo. | Fiber |
**Pricing per month for 12 mos. with auto pay, paperless billing and unlimited mobile plan. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 03/14/23.
Optimum fiber vs. optimum cable internet
Optimum’s fiber plans are only available to around 1.3 million homes in the U.S. However, Altice, Optimum’s parent company, is steadily growing their fiber capability with service rollouts. Generally, it’s always a good idea to go with fiber over cable, as it’s less prone to traffic congestion.
That said, Optimum’s 500 and 940 Mbps plans are well above what most households need — 500 Mbps would be enough to stream Netflix in 4K on 20 TVs at the same time. If you need to work from home or video conference, pay special attention to the slower upload speeds on the non-fiber plans since Optimum’s fiber plans have symmetrical download and upload speeds.
Optimum speed averages
In general, what you pay for is what you get with Optimum. According to the FCC’s most recent Fixed Broadband Report, Optimum customers on average received around 114% of the speeds that they were advertised. In other words, Optimum actually over-delivers on speed.
That doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to get faster-than-advertised speeds all the time — things like router placement, time of day and the number of connected devices can all impact internet speed — but it’s still a mark in Optimum’s favor.
Discounted internet for low-income students, seniors and veterans
In addition to the plans listed above, there is also a discounted option called Optimum Advantage Internet for select groups. This plan costs just $14.99/mo. and gets you up to 50 Mbps speeds, free installation, free equipment and no data caps or contracts. Here’s who qualifies for Optimum Advantage Internet:
- Affordable Connectivity Program: Optimum participates in this federal government program, providing free 300 Mbps internet access to qualified individuals. Learn more here.
- Households with students: Your household must qualify for or participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Optimum Advantage Internet is also open to New York City residents attending a New York City public school.
- Seniors: You must be 65 years or older and eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
- Veterans: You must be a veteran and receive state or federal public assistance.
- Discounted laptop: In addition to the discounted internet, Optimum Advantage customers can also purchase a refurbished Chromebook laptop for just $149.
Shop Optimum plans
Optimum delivers high-speed internet, TV and home phone with customizable plans.

Optimum equipment, installation, data caps and contracts
Like all internet providers, the price that’s advertised to you is usually quite a bit lower than what you’ll actually pay each month. We combed through the fine print to find all of the fees you can expect to see with your Optimum Wi-Fi plan.
Optimum equipment
Optimum charges $13.50/mo. for equipment: $10 for the modem/router and $3.50 for a “network maintenance fee.” This includes their Altice Gateway device, plus Optimum Wi-Fi service.
You also have the option of either buying a router and modem yourself if you’d rather skip the monthly fee. There are other benefits to going this route, too. Some of the most common complaints from customers are about their Optimum Wi-Fi equipment not performing as promised. In many cases, investing in better equipment can drastically improve the speeds you get.
Free Wi-Fi extender
In some areas, Optimum is throwing in a free Wi-Fi extender with some plans. This device can be placed in another area of your home so that your Wi-Fi connection reaches every corner of the house. You’ll get one included for free, but you can also add extras for $3/mo. each for extra coverage.
Installation fee
Optimum charges a $59 one-time fee for standard installation on most plans, but it is increased to $99 on some internet and TV bundles. Self-installation is always free, though.
No data caps
There are no data caps on any Optimum internet plans, so you won’t have to worry about cutting back your streaming or gaming habits.
Contracts
Optimum doesn’t require contracts on any of its plans. If you want to switch service or move, you can do it at any time without incurring any early termination fees.
What’s the final price for Optimum internet?
Expect to pay at least around $19/mo. more than what’s advertised or Optimum internet plans. Equipment fees cost $13.50/mo. on every plan, and taxes typically add another $5/mo., too (but you’ll have to pay that with any internet plan). Additionally, after Optimum’s 24-month promotional rates, your bill will increase between $75 and $95/mo. If you have Optimum’s Internet 500 plan, you can expect to pay around $64/mo. in the first 24 months and then around $149/mo. after that.

Allconnect Rating
3.55 / 5
Optimum home internet compared to other providers
Optimum might not be the only internet option in your area. In the four states that Optimum has service — New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut — there are several other providers available. Here’s how it compares to some of its biggest competition:
Provider | Allconnect score | Starting prices | Download speeds | Upload speeds |
---|---|---|---|---|
Optimum | 3.61/5 | $40.00–80.00/mo. | 300–5,000 Mbps | 20–5,000 Mbps |
Verizon | 4.01/5 | $49.99–89.99/mo. | 300–940 Mbps | 300–880 Mbps |
Frontier DSL | 3.15/5 | $49.99/mo. | Varies | N/A |
Frontier Fiber | 3.78/5 | $49.99–154.99/mo. | 500–5,000 Mbps | 500–5,000 Mbps |
*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 03/14/23.
If you can get fiber optic service from Verizon Fios in your area, it’s a better service for most people. Optimum vs. Frontier is a toss-up: Optimum’s plans are more affordable, but Frontier has higher 2022 customer satisfaction ratings. Frontier’s customer service ratings have surpassed Optimum, at 61/100 to Optimum’s 59/100. For comparison, Verizon had the highest customer satisfaction scores of any provider we reviewed.
Speeds from all three providers max out at 940 Mbps, but you won’t have to deal with the same price hikes from Frontier and Verizon. Frontier only raises prices by $10/mo. in the second year, while Verizon’s price doesn’t increase at all. By the time you get to year two, you’ll pay $140/mo. for Optimum’s gig plan, compared to $80/mo. with Verizon and $90/mo. with Frontier.
Optimum is known for being slightly more reliable, especially when it comes to providing fast internet service. If you are a current Optimum customer, you can check your internet speeds through Allconnect to determine if you are getting the speeds you paid for. If you’re thinking about other internet options, check to see which ISPs are available at your address.
Bundle Optimum internet with cable TV
There are four Optimum TV packages that you can add to your internet service, but you won’t save very much compared to purchasing standalone TV service somewhere else. While these bundles are usually pretty affordable in the first year, you can expect to pay quite a bit more in year two, although it’s unclear exactly how much. Optimum simply says, “As of 13th mo. service will be billed at regular rate and is subject to change.”
Optimum also offers Optimum Complete, a bundling plan that combines your internet and mobile phone plans.
Learn more about Optimum TVOptimum Stream device
Optimum offers a streaming device called Optimum Stream for $10/mo. It works like a Roku or Amazon Fire TV — just plug it into your TV and you’ll immediately have access to thousands of streaming apps like Netflix and HBO Max (although you’ll still have to subscribe to them separately). The remote is also built-in with Google Assistant, so you can use your voice to search for shows and movies.
Optimum internet customer satisfaction
Although Optimum normally ranks right in the middle in customer satisfaction compared to other providers, in 2022 its ranking dropped. The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) gave Optimum a 59/100, which is 1 point lower than its score in 2021.
Consumer Reports readers also had a negative view on Optimum. It received just a 54/100 overall score, which was ahead of only Frontier and Suddenlink, which is run by the same parent company as Optimum, Altice. Complaints with the company generally center around missed appointments with technicians, unexpected charges and frustrating customer service experiences.
Optimum internet and Wi-Fi FAQs
Optimum’s plans start at $40/mo. with its most expensive fiber plan being $180/mo.
Yes. Optimum offers multiple internet-only plans with speeds up to 940 Mbps in select areas.
Yes. Optimum internet provides unlimited high-speed Wi-Fi internet with no data caps. Plus, Optimum ranks very well in customer satisfaction.
Yes. If you choose to buy your own modem in order to save on costs, make sure that it is compatible with Optimum’s service and download speeds. You don’t want your modem to be the reason why your internet is slow. Also, be aware that you will not receive the same customer service you would receive if you rented your modem from Optimum.
Altice’s internet for low-income customers is called Altice Advantage Internet. Qualifying customers can get internet with speeds up to 30 Mbps, a free smart router, a free modem, discounted installation and more. Check eligibility.
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Written by:
Joe SupanPrincipal Writer, Broadband Content
Joe Supan is a principal writer for Allconnect and CNET. He has helped build the proprietary metrics used on Allconnect’s review pages, utilizing thousands of data points to help readers navigate these complex… Read more
Edited by:
Robin LaytonEditor, Broadband Content
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