If you’ve been following the news recently, you’ve probably seen all the headlines about inflation. From groceries to gas, it feels like everything’s getting more expensive these days. But is this true when it comes to home internet prices?
CableTV.com dug into our internet plan database and crunched the numbers to discover the full story. Here’s what we found out about internet costs.
Is home internet getting more expensive than ever? Here’s what we found out.
At CableTV.com, we’ve been covering home internet, cable TV, and streaming services since 2007. For this piece, we charted the prices of 71 internet plans across 24 major internet service providers (ISPs) since 2020.
One fact was clear, no matter how you sliced it: Home internet is getting more affordable for subscribers. As shocking as it may seem, average internet prices have actually gone down by nearly $15 per month since 2020.
Average home internet plan price (2020–2024)
| Year | Average internet plan monthly price* |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $67.03 |
| 2021 | $63.16 |
| 2022 | $57.91 |
| 2023 | $57.25 |
| 2024 | $52.86 |
*Excluding premium satellite internet plans.
We’d attribute this trend to several factors:
- In the past few years, increased competition has also massively reduced pricing. 5G home internet providers like Verizon and T-Mobile have become viable alternatives for former cable internet customers in terms of performance and price. As a result, the best ISPs have adjusted their pricing to keep customers around.
- The downward pricing trajectory for gigabit and midrange internet plans, alongside increasing home internet demands, has made plans more affordable across the board. For example, Xfinity’s 300 Mbps plan had a starting monthly price of $64.99 in 2020. By comparison, Xfinity’s 400 Mbps plan costs only $40.00 per month today.
Breaking down price trends across internet providers
Average internet prices have gone down across the board, but not every internet provider is built equally. Let’s highlight what kind of prices you can expect depending on the type of internet providers that are in your area.
Fiber internet
The best internet performance comes from fiber internet providers, but these days, you don’t have to pay out the nose for fiber plans.
For each provider, we tracked the prices for the same budget, midrange, and premium internet plans over time. Typically, we defined each tier as an ISP’s 100 Mbps, 300 Mbps, and 1 Gbps plan. If an ISP’s plans changed or didn’t fall within these tiers, we defaulted to how the provider had each plan priced at the time.
The cost of median and budget fiber plans has dropped over time, although premium plan pricing has remained remarkably consistent. Still, it’s great to see that fiber internet’s getting more affordable for home internet customers.
5G home internet
5G home internet has been an increasingly popular middle ground for customers who prefer value over performance, and its pricing history reflects this position.
T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon’s 5G services all launched within the past few years, so their pricing hasn’t experienced any dramatic changes. All three providers also provide price guarantees, which offer more bill stability for shoppers.
Cable internet
Cable internet remains the most widely available internet type for most shoppers and offers the cheapest introductory pricing. Additionally, this increased competition has also resulted in the biggest downward price swing for internet prices
From budget to premium plans, cable ISPs saw the biggest price drops across the board, falling nearly $30 per month. While broadband internet competition can be mixed between states, pressure from fiber and 5G home internet providers has helped apply downward pressure on pricing.
Satellite internet
For customers who live in rural areas without cable internet service, satellite internet has traditionally been a last-resort option. As a result, satellite internet prices continue to be much higher than competing options, but they’re not immune to the same downward pressure experienced by cable and fiber ISPs.
Satellite internet’s infrastructure requirements ensure that it’ll remain pricier than traditional internet options. But thanks to performance upgrades from providers like Starlink, Viasat, and Hughesnet, satellite internet customers can get an increasingly better internet experience.
