Broadband is expensive. CNET survey found that 63% of Internet users pay more than before

Your internet bill is more expensive – at least for many people, it’s a feeling. This is according to a new CNET survey that found that 63% of U.S. adults paid for their home internet have seen prices rise last year. Last year, they paid an average of $195.

Price increases may not necessarily translate into better services. More than half of people see bills increase and they still experience unreliable connectivity.

The findings are the moment in the broadband industry in the United States. The federal government has invested more than $90 billion in ending this digital divide since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Trump administration expressed impatient with the results. It reportedly hopes to transfer funds from the fiber internet to Starlink, the satellite internet service of Elon Musk, which fears its high-priced label of $120 a month.

“It's impossible without taking on the capacity,” said Sean Gonsalvez, communications director at the Advocate Group's local self-reliance institute.

Customers have taken many steps to deal with higher prices, including downgrade to cheaper plans, changing providers or canceling services altogether. We asked experts about the best advice on how to solve these problems.

Most people saw their internet bills increase last year

Price increases for Internet customers are routine, with 63% of surveys reporting higher bills than the previous year. On average, they paid $195 more than the previous year.

Trey Paul, CNET's advanced broadband editor, is not surprising. “That $195 figure might be amazing at first, but it makes sense when you think many ISPs raise their monthly price to $20 to $50 after the attractive promotional price. Actually, I was a little shocked, and that wasn't higher.”

CNET's analysis of prices found from the country's largest ISP increase, a year later, providers such as Spectrum have risen by as much as $50 per month. These higher prices don't necessarily translate into better performance, with 51% of customers seeing their bill increase still reporting unreliable internet.

In many cases, customers don't even know that the price of their plan is rising until they see the higher the number on the bill. Jonathan Schwantes, a senior policy consultant for Consumer Reports, helped analyze over 22,000 internet bills in 2022.

“Some of the bills we collect are very complex,” he said. “In thousands of cases, it’s hard for people to figure out what they’re paying, what the hidden fees mean, and not even find the price of the internet service.”

Last year, some of the chaos was cleared when the FCC began requiring ISPs to display key information about their plans in the Broadband Nutrition Tags.

As you wander around the internet plan, look for a button that says “Broadband Facts” or “View Broadband Tags”. Legally, each provider needs to show you whether your bill will increase and how much after the introduction rate expires. You will also see any other expenses that will also appear on the bill, such as equipment or installation costs.

One in 5 users experience unreliable Internet services

42% of U.S. adults from the survey said they experienced unreliable internet speeds or connectivity last year, but the level of reliability depends on income.

According to the survey, higher income levels are associated with higher reliability. It shows that 57% of adults earning more than $80,000 a year had no contact problems at all last year, while earning less than $40,000.

Lynnette White, 77, told me that the internet in her high-end building goes out at the same time every day.

“It’s very frustrating and exacerbating because you’re in the middle of something,” she said.

Survey respondents said areas that are often affected by unreliable internet are access to entertainment, working from home (19%), paying bills (18%), staying in touch with family and friends (16%) and keeping up with current affairs and news development (13%) (13%).

Getting access to entertainment sounds like a luxury, but it is an essential lifeline for the internet users I talk to. Phyllis Jackson, a retired administrative assistant in Monroville, Pennsylvania, told me that she sometimes thinks of computers like her best friend.

“I love seeing people talking, and since I live alone, I love hearing sounds. It seems to be more personal,” she said. “At my age and living alone, it really makes me feel frustrated if I can't use an internet computer.”

6% of respondents said that virtual education opportunities have been affected by disruptions in the past year. Amina Fazlullah, head of technical policy advocacy for common sense media, told me that this statistics are particularly concerned about her.

“We know that for a student, if you experience bad service or unreliable service, you may miss that window of opportunity to get that student involved in the resource,” she said. “Once you lose it, it’s hard to start over.”

High costs force users to cancel or downgrade services

These price increases have had a significant impact on Internet users. One in 5 U.S. adults who pay for home internet access must downgrade to cheaper plans because of the high cost or cancel service providers altogether, the survey shows. Only one in 10 people try to negotiate their bills.

“One thing we're focusing on is seeing results from cancelling or downgrading to low-cost programs in particular,” Fazlullah said. “All your day-to-day needs – so much of it runs on the internet and knowing that people are losing access is particularly worrying.”

Karen Kama, a 68-year-old Reading, Pennsylvania, told me that because her fixed income would force her to cancel service altogether even if the price rises small. Earlier this year, her low-income internet plan increased from XFINITY to $10 per month to $15.

“If they rise again, I'll close it,” Kama said.

It is well documented that affordability is the main reason why most people do not have a home internet. According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, 20% of people without a home internet subscription see cost as the main reason, the highest of any answer, more than twice the number of people saying they are not available for service.

Users feel the impact of ACP

The CNET survey also sheds light on the impact of the “Affordable Connection Program End,” a $30 monthly subsidy that helps low-income families pay for the internet shutdown in mid-2024. 12% of respondents said they have seen an increase in bills over the past year after the earnings disappeared.

“The demise of ACP is harmful to many people, and I think that's reflected in these numbers,” said Christopher Ali, a telecommunications professor at Penn State.

By February 2024, when the Federal Communications Commission ended its ACP enrollment rate, 23 million Americans had participated. The program accepts or is below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines or is less than 200% of households, with household incomes of $60,000 last year for families of four.

What should you do if your bill goes up

First, it is important to be aware of your bill. If you have an automatic salary setting, it's easy to lose the price increase. Here are some other strategies:

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 providers to negotiate better deals. Today, you may have to start with an online chat, which usually uses AI. (The following are some tips for using AI directly in negotiations.) Some best practices include researching the available plans in advance, the best deals between May and October, and retrying when you don't get the deal you want.

Downgrade your plan

You probably don't need as much speed as you imagined; for most people, 100Mbps is enough for HD streaming and video calls. To check the speed you are currently getting, you can perform a fast speed test from any connected device. If you have fewer than twelve connected devices at any given time, but you earn more than 200Mbps, you can consider downgrading to a slower plan.

Switch ISP

If negotiations are in a dilemma, you must be willing to get rid of bad ISP relationships. This can be a tough prospect – no one wants to get stuck without the internet while waiting for a new service to start – but it may be one of the most effective ways to save money on your internet bill. That's because most providers offer great deals for new customers, and some will even buy your old contract. To view what is available in your region, enter your address on the FCC's broadband map and see other options available.

Buy your own equipment

Most internet providers charge devices between $10 and $15, but you can buy your own Wi-Fi router for less than $100. This is a pre-investment, but it will usually be paid in the first year and your internet bill will be very cheap. I tried it myself a few years ago and saved $180 a year.

Methodology

CNET commissioned YouGov PLC to conduct the investigation. Unless otherwise stated, all numbers are from YouGov PLC. The sample size was 2,367 adults, of which 2,304 had home internet access, and paid 1,916 for home internet. A field investigation was conducted from March 19 to 21, 2025. The survey was conducted online. These numbers have been weighted and represent all American adults (ages 18+).