Cheap Internet for Seniors

Overview

Cox internet plans start at $49.99 per month for download speeds up to 100 Mbps, making it a middle-of-the-road option in terms of price. The company also has TV, telephone, and home security services. Serving over 6.5 million residences and businesses across 19 states, Cox provides a one-stop shop for your internet and home media needs. The company prides itself on getting you connected quickly, with free next-day delivery available for internet, TV, and voice orders placed before 1 p.m.

» Learn More: Best Cable TV for Seniors

While testing out Cox Internet, we were really impressed with how quick and easy the setup process was. Once we chose our plan online and paid the upfront costs, it took less than 24 hours to get the equipment in the mail and about 20 minutes to have our home internet up and running. What’s more, even if you opt for the “slowest” Cox internet plan (100 Mbps), you still get more than enough speed to stream Netflix and surf the web without interruption on multiple devices.

Plus, Cox offers 24/7 live customer support, so we could connect with an agent via text, live chat, or phone in a few minutes. In one instance, we had trouble setting up our modem and getting a reliable connection. We called Cox and connected with an agent in around 15 minutes. We spoke with a kind and helpful representative who helped us reset the modem and resolve the issue quickly.

Using the Cox online chat feature

Cox is a solid contender if you live in the service area. Offering cheap internet, stellar customer support, no contracts, and a 30-day money-back guarantee, Cox is a budget-friendly option for seniors on a fixed income. Many providers require a long-term contract, so we appreciate Cox’s flexibility.

We also like the Cox mobile app, which offers similar features to other providers on this list, such as AT&T and CenturyLink. We could chat with customer support, manage our account, run a speed test, view our data usage, reset our equipment, and more

Using the Cox mobile app

Ready to learn more about Cox internet plans? Head to our Cox internet review for additional details on this provider.

Pricing

Cox internet starts at $49.99 for the Go Fast plan, featuring download speeds up to 100 Mbps and no contract. Unlike CenturyLink, which has very different prices based on your location, Cox keeps its prices more or less the same, regardless of the area. We’re big fans of this consistency and transparency.

It’s important to consider that Cox charges a one-time $25 activation fee and a monthly equipment rental fee of $5.99. However, you can save $15 if you bundle internet with an eligible Cox mobile phone plan. Or spend just $5 more monthly to bundle your internet plan with the Contour Stream Player. This device works like cable TV, except it uses your internet rather than a traditional cable connection. These options are ideal for seniors who want to bundle their services for convenience and savings.

» Learn About: Cox Cable TV for Seniors

If you want to kick things up a notch, you can opt for the Go Faster plan, which starts at $70 per month and has download speeds of up to 250 Mbps. Unfortunately, the fastest plans can get pretty pricey: 500 Mbps costs $90 per month, and 1 Gbps is a whopping $109.99 per month. While Cox generally offers a good balance between speed and value, you can get higher speeds for lower prices with providers like Xfinity.

Cox also offers the StraightUp prepaid internet plan for $50 per month, with taxes and fees included. This pay-as-you-go plan delivers download speeds up to 100 Mbps. It requires no credit check, deposit, or term agreement. With StraightUp, you’ll also receive a Wi-Fi modem at no cost. We love this affordable option for those on a tight budget or fixed income.

Speed and Reliability

We tested Cox Internet and were happy with both the speeds and the consistency of the connection. For a week, we never had any issues with our internet suddenly dropping out. A member of our team has had Cox for two years and has experienced just one brief internet outage. Talk about reliability!

We went with the Go Fast 100 Mbps plan and tested the speed at varying times throughout the day. On average, we recorded a download speed of 114 Mbps. This shocked us, as we received more speed than our plan advertised! We haven’t seen that with any other cheap internet providers on our list. The connection offered more than enough to connect multiple mobile phones, computers, and streaming devices simultaneously. We could watch Netflix, use FaceTime, and check emails from different devices simultaneously.

Running a speed test for Cox internet

Service Area

Cox Internet covers 647 service areas across 19 states, including California, Arizona, and Florida. This means that Cox Internet can reach millions of seniors across the country, but its service area is still far smaller than that of Spectrum, AT&T, and Xfinity. The only provider on this list that offers a smaller service area is CenturyLink. However, if you do live in one of the 19 states that Cox serves, the competitive prices and bundling offers are definitely worth considering.

Overview

AT&T offers affordable fiber plans starting at around $55 per month for up to 300 Mbps. And, if you qualify for the low-income plan, AT&T is one of the most affordable internet providers on the market, starting at $30 per month. Offering everything from internet and phone to wireless service and TV, AT&T is a great option for bundling. With service in 21 states and a low-cost internet plan, AT&T has budget-conscious consumers covered.

» You Might Like: AT&T Cell Phone Plans for Seniors 2024

AT&T also knocks it out of the park in customer satisfaction. If you live in the South, West, or North Central regions of the United States, you’re in luck; AT&T is rated No. 1 in customer satisfaction for residential internet service by J.D. Power.1

We can attest to this quality customer service. All the representatives we spoke with were kind and patient, and they helped us resolve any issues. One of our tech team members has been an AT&T customer for years, and they commend the company’s reliable support. In one instance, we needed to switch the account holder’s name on our plan. It was a lengthy process, and the representative we worked with was friendly and made just the right amount of small talk during the hour-long process. It made the switch much less painful!

That said, we occasionally had to wait longer to contact an AT&T agent than we did with Cox or Xfinity; on one occasion, we waited on the phone for nearly 30 minutes just to get our questions answered. However, this wasn’t the norm. We typically are connected with an agent in under five minutes.

We’re also big fans of AT&T’s Smart Home Manager mobile app. You can run a speed test, test your signal strength, troubleshoot connection issues, view the devices using your network, and more. It makes it easy to manage all things internet in one place!

Using the Smart Home Manager app

Pricing

AT&T’s plans offer free installation, no deposit, no contract, and download speeds up to 5 Gbps for qualifying customers. The AT&T Access plan can cost up to $30 monthly for qualifying low-income households. In the past, you could even get this plan for free via the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). However, as of February 2024, the ACP is no longer accepting applications, and the program benefits will officially end in April 2024.2 While we’re disappointed to see this program end, we are glad that AT&T still serves low-income customers through the AT&T Access plan.

If you don’t qualify for AT&T Access, there are other reasonably priced options. AT&T fiber internet costs $55 monthly, with advertised download speeds up to 300 Mbps. You can even get download speeds of up to 1 Gbps for $80 per month. This means you can get more speed per dollar with AT&T than Cox or CenturyLink.

» Dive Deeper: AT&T Internet Review

However, AT&T’s fees are pretty expensive. For example, AT&T charges a $49 activation fee, almost double Cox’s activation fee. Equipment rental fees start at $10 per month. And if you request professional installation, there is a one-time fee of $149. Even if you choose self-installation, you may have to pay a fee of $99 if you require some assistance from AT&T. All of these hidden fees can add up, so it’s important to read the fine print. The upside is that AT&T will reimburse your cancellation fees if you switch from another provider.

Remember that fiber internet is not offered everywhere. While the cost is low and speeds are high, you may not have access to fiber in your area. AT&T also offers bundles with TV and mobile phone service in some areas. The prices, however, are not as favorable as those for bundling with Cox. For example, bundling fiber internet with DIRECTV starts at $124.99 per month, plus taxes and fees.

» Also Check Out: DIRECTV Packages for Seniors

Speed and Reliability

AT&T is pretty fast and reliable. A tech team member has had AT&T’s 50 Mbps internet plan for several years. She lives in a household of four, full of streamers and remote workers, and her connection is always strong. When she performed speed tests, she averaged a download speed of around 46 Mbps. We were impressed with how close AT&T’s advertised speed was to the speeds we actually experienced!

Our speed test while using AT&T internet

Our team also tested out AT&T’s 300 Mbps fiber plan and recorded an average download speed of about 127 Mbps. That means we got a little less than half of the advertised speed for our plan. Considering that the plan costs only $55 per month, these speeds were solid and allowed us to stream in HD on multiple devices without interruption. We also didn’t experience any outages or downtime during our one-week testing period.

Service Area

AT&T fiber internet is available in 22 states. Some states with substantial coverage from AT&T include Texas, Georgia, and Illinois. While AT&T has invested heavily in its fiber network and offers internet to more households than Cox and CenturyLink, it still lags far behind Xfinity and Spectrum in this respect. Xfinity and Spectrum both offer internet in almost twice as many states as AT&T.

Overview

Xfinity, part of media giant Comcast NBCUniversal, is available in 41 states countrywide, giving it one of the largest service areas on this list. The company offers affordable plans starting at $19.99 per month for download speeds up to 150 Mbps in some areas. As a bonus, Xfinity makes it simple to power up your home with internet, cable, phone, and more! The company’s competitive pricing, plan, bundles, and free add-ons are all pros in our book.

We were impressed with almost every facet of Xfinity’s internet offerings, from the affordable plans to the millions of secure hotspots throughout the country. Bundling with Xfinity is also a great deal whether you’re looking for mobile, home security, TV, or even a landline. For seniors who want to bundle TV and internet but don’t want to mess with complicated button layouts, we highly recommend the free Flex 4K streaming TV box, including a voice-controlled remote!

» Also Check Out: Xfinity Cable TV Review

One of our favorite things about Xfinity is the hassle-free order and setup process. We called Xfinity to ask a few questions and sign up for a plan (which you can also do online). The representative we spoke with offered a promotion we hadn’t seen online. Score! Within 30 minutes, we were signed up for a plan and headed to our local Xfinity store to pick up the equipment. Once we got home, we followed the prompts in Xfinity’s mobile app to set up our Wi-Fi password and get online. It was totally headache-free and very fast!

Testing out Xfinity Internet

Xfinity’s downside? While it has some budget-friendly plans, pricing may increase substantially after the introductory period. However, that’s typical with any internet provider. We can happily report that Xfinity offers excellent customer service and 24/7 access to tech support agents via phone or live chat.

Using Xfinity's online chat feature

Pricing

If you’re part of an eligible low-income household, you can get Xfinity’s Internet Essentials plan for as little as $9.95 per month. This plan has download speeds up to 50 Mbps. If that’s not fast enough, you can still upgrade to the 100 Mbps plan for just $29.95 monthly. Either way, it has no credit checks, long-term contracts, or cancellation or equipment rental fees. This program also offers an option to purchase a computer for $149.99 (plus tax).

» Dive Deeper: Xfinity Internet Review

Even if you don’t qualify for Internet Essentials, Xfinity still makes it easy to build the cheap internet plan you want. We loved how easy it was to customize a plan to meet our needs. We simply picked the type of service we liked (we could bundle right from the start) and then chose the download speed and features we wanted. While prices and plan availability can vary a lot more by location with Xfinity than with, say, Cox or AT&T, we still found the offerings in our area very affordable. For context, we were purchasing a plan in Washington state.

When shopping, we could choose from seven internet plans, with prices ranging from $19.99 for a download speed of 150 Mbps to $100 monthly for 2 Gbps. Many of these plans could be bundled with an eligible Xfinity mobile plan to save between $20 and $45 per month on the internet cost.

At no additional charge, internet customers can add the Xfinity Flex 4K streaming service. We love freebies! Xfinity Flex lets you view all your streaming apps in one place, and it comes with an easy-to-use voice remote. We could log in to our favorite apps, like Netflix and Max, and use the voice remote to navigate. This is perfect for those with arthritis or mobility issues that make using remotes difficult.

Using Xfinity's voice remote

All plans charge a one-time $15 activation fee and equipment rental fees ranging from $15 to $25 per month. Regardless of what you choose, Xfinity’s plans offer excellent value. Xfinity is also a great option for older adults who want to bundle internet, mobile, TV, home phone, or home security services. Remember that the plan prices outlined above apply to the first year or two of service; prices may increase substantially after the specified time frame.

» Learn About: Best Home Security Systems for Seniors

Prefer to prepay? No worries! Xfinity offers a prepaid internet plan with no annual contract, deposit, or hidden fees. For $45, you’ll receive 30 days of internet coverage with download speeds up to 50 Mbps. There is a one-time modem charge of $35.

Speed and Reliability

For this review, we tested out Xfinity’s 150 Mbps plan. While we never had trouble streaming or working from multiple devices, we weren’t thrilled with our speed test results. On average, we recorded a download speed of about 65 Mbps. That’s only about one-third of the advertised speed for the plan. Still, our speeds and connection were pretty consistent. We were also happy to report no outages or downtimes during our testing period.

Running a speed test using Xfinity internet

Service Area

Along with Spectrum, Xfinity has one of the largest networks on this list! It’s available in 41 states plus the District of Columbia. Some states with the biggest Xfinity footprints include Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. Unlike AT&T, Xfinity offers cable internet in most areas of its network. As a whole, cable internet tends to be slower and a little less reliable than fiber internet, though this wasn’t our experience when testing out Xfinity.

Overview

Spectrum’s prices start at $49.99 per month for a download speed of up to 300 Mbps, with even better prices for low-income customers. The provider has far-reaching coverage, offering service to more than 110 million customers in 42 states. Customers can bank on reliable internet access at an affordable price. And when it comes to affordable internet, Spectrum has great deals for low-income households — just $19.99 per month for Spectrum Internet Assist.

» Helpful Resource: The 5 Best Budgeting Apps for Seniors

Before the ACP ran out of funds, Spectrum Internet Assist was free for eligible households. Still, $19.99 is pretty reasonable for a basic 30 Mbps internet plan, though you could pay the same price for Xfinity’s 150 Mbps plan in some areas.

What we really liked about Spectrum is the free modem and antivirus software included with every plan. This helped reduce the additional fees that typically come with internet service. That said, we weren’t impressed with the customer service. Spectrum now offers 24/7 live customer service via phone and chat, but it took us around 30 minutes to get a human on the line in some instances. We had better luck with the chat feature in the mobile app, which is perfect for quick communication. We also love Spectrum’s notifications regarding service outages through the company’s mobile app. It offers outage alerts and an expected timeline for when service will be restored, though we found that outages are very rare.

Chatting with Spectrum Support

Spectrum offers the widest coverage out of the providers listed here. Customers can save without sacrificing reliability with bundling discounts, free antivirus software, and a free modem. Even though Spectrum’s customer support can be a little frustrating to get in touch with, we still consider it one of the best affordable internet providers on the market.

Pricing

Through Spectrum Internet Assist, eligible low-income households can receive discounted internet for $19.99 per month with download speeds up to 30 Mbps, antivirus software, and a modem — all at no additional charge.

The next cheapest internet plan for older adults who don’t qualify for Internet Assist is Spectrum Internet, which costs $49.99 for the first 12 months, with download speeds up to 300 Mbps. The next step up is Internet Ultra, which costs $69.99 monthly for 24 months and has download speeds up to 500 Mbps. Lastly, you can get the 1 Gbps plan for $79.99 monthly for 24 months, which is about the same price as AT&T’s 1 Gbps plan. Keep in mind that these are all introductory rates with AutoPay. Prices and speeds can vary by location, and rates will rise after the introductory periods.

» Related Reading: 2024 Spectrum Internet Review

Unlike every other provider on this list, Spectrum doesn’t charge rental fees for equipment, though most of the plans still come with a $30 activation fee. In general, the prices and fees were pretty reasonable at Spectrum, especially compared to all of the fees tacked on by AT&T. Even if you ignore the equipment fees, Spectrum’s 300 Mbps plan is still at least $5 cheaper per month than the comparable plan from AT&T.

Speed and Reliability

We opted for the 500 Mbps plan. Similar to Xfinity, we didn’t receive anywhere near these advertised speeds during our testing experience. On average, we recorded a download speed of 243 Mbps, about half of the advertised speed for our plan. It was still more than enough speed to stream, surf the web, game, and connect several devices, but we would have liked to see speeds closer to what was advertised. Fortunately, we didn’t experience any outages during our test, so at least we can say that Spectrum offers reliable service.

Our Spectrum speed test

Service Area

Spectrum offers the largest coverage area of any provider on this list, though Xfinity comes in a close second. Spectrum is available in 42 states, with substantial coverage in states like South Carolina, North Carolina, and Michigan. It offers both cable and fiber in many areas. While it has fiber internet in far more locations than Xfinity, Spectrum’s fiber network is small compared to AT&T’s network.

Overview

CenturyLink’s prices start at around $55 monthly for speeds up to 100 Mbps. While this is still fairly affordable, you could receive three times the speed for the same price with AT&T’s starter fiber plan.

CenturyLink is part of Lumen, a multinational technology company. Available in 16 states, CenturyLink offers high-speed internet, phone, and TV services. Tech-savvy customers can avoid costly installation fees by using CenturyLink’s free self-installation kit. Plus, budget planning is a breeze, as there are no promotional periods with impending price hikes.

What you see is what you get with CenturyLink’s transparent pricing. Tech-savvy seniors can avoid additional fees with self-installation and paperless billing. While CenturyLink offers fiber internet and download speeds up to 940 Mbps, these options are not available in all areas. Before choosing CenturyLink (or any other provider), confirm the speeds and prices for your ZIP code. We will say that CenturyLink’s customer service is lacking. Representatives are available Monday through Friday only and can take more than an hour to connect.

» Learn More: CenturyLink Internet Review

We’re big fans of CenturyLink’s online portal and mobile app. It makes it easy to manage your plan in one place. Using the portal, we could run a speed test, share the Wi-Fi password, restart the modem, and view or pay our bill.

Viewing our CenturyLink account

Pricing

CenturyLink’s internet plans start at $55 monthly (or $50 in select locations). There are no promotional rates that expire after a few months, which we really appreciate; customers don’t have to worry about busting their budget or future price hikes. One downside to CenturyLink is that it doesn’t offer many plan options. When we chose a plan, we could only pick between the Simply Unlimited Internet plan (100 Mbps) for $55 per month and the Fiber Internet plan (940 Mbps) for $75 per month. We would have liked to see more options in between, as well as cheaper plans with slower speeds, like the 50 Mbps plan from AT&T.

In addition to its traditional internet plans, CenturyLink’s prepaid internet offers the simplicity of month-to-month pricing, no long-term contract, and no required credit check or deposit. Like the postpaid plans, CenturyLink’s prepaid prices can vary by location.

Speed and Reliability

During testing, we found that CenturyLink’s 100 Mbps plan offered a reliable, fast connection. We recorded an average download speed of about 85 Mbps. At this speed, we could check emails, hop on a Zoom call, play online games, watch YouTube videos, and surf the web on multiple devices. One of our tech experts has had CenturyLink for four years, and they’ve had only a few short outages in that period. We experienced one brief outage while testing CenturyLink, which is something we can’t say about any other provider. Thankfully, it lasted for only about 10 minutes, after which time our internet was back on track!

Running a speed test with CenturyLink

Service Area

CenturyLink offers the smallest service area on this list. That said, it is available to millions of customers across 16 states, including Minnesota, Oregon, and Nevada. Like AT&T, CenturyLink has invested heavily in fiber internet infrastructure, helping to bring faster internet to more people, particularly those who live in the Pacific Northwest. We can attest to this, as our tech team tested out CenturyLink in Washington state.