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IN AN EARLIER ARTICLE, I detailed how Charter Communications wasn’t so much my internet provider as my extortionist. I thought I’d dealt with it all in an equitable manner. But then, exactly two years after our relationship began, Spectrum abruptly increased the price it charged for internet access by 67%, from $29.99 a month to $49.99. I guess we didn’t have a relationship so much as a contract.
While I didn’t take too kindly to that, after a while—with a Zen-like grace—I accepted it, not so much because I thought it was fair, but because no one else in Kansas City could provide a lower price. All that changed immediately after I returned from a road trip to Cleveland, where I saw an old friend and witnessed the eclipse.
Besides the finances, the only thing in the Flack household that I’m in charge of is the mail. My wife, much like many millennials, thinks mail is from a bygone era of civil political discourse, cursive writing and the landline. If asked about the mail, she replies, “If it’s that important, someone would text me.” Therefore, it is my job to inspect the mailbox each day and place any pertinent correspondence on her desk, and then remind her about it a few days later.
While I was eagerly reviewing all the mail that had built up while I was away, I noticed a postcard from Google Fiber, mentioning that for $30 a month it would provide 100 megabits per second (mbs) of internet connectivity.
Of course, I’d heard of Google Fiber, mostly due to numerous previous mailings and especially a commercial that had played ad nauseam. In it, a man speaks glowingly of how Google Fiber takes playing video games to the next level. I remember thinking that, while fast download speeds could be useful, here was a grown man admitting to playing video games.
Still, this new dirt-cheap Google offer was a game changer, and it didn’t hurt that it came with “FREE high quality Google wifi equipment,” which was far smaller and far sexier than what Spectrum provided.
First, though, I thought maybe I could get the best of both worlds—Google’s $30 pricing without having to go through the hassle of changing providers. So, I called Spectrum and politely asked, “I just received an offer from Google Fiber for $30 a month. Can you beat it so I don’t have to face the hassle of changing providers?”
The Spectrum rep responded, “That sound’s rough.” Though A.J. was a ray of sunshine, and after we joked a little about the internet, its importance and its pricing, she told me there was nothing she could do. She also oddly mentioned, “You need to do what’s best for your family,” which made me wonder if I was changing internet providers or sending my wayward son to military school.
I decided not to take a verbal no for an answer, and went online to chat with Ren about my Google offer. She wasn’t as fun as A.J. and brusquely mentioned that Spectrum provides 500 mbs vs. Google’s 100. I replied that I only needed 100 mbs, as I was a grown man who didn’t play video games. She then asked me what streaming service I used. I replied that I only used Sling Orange with the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) upgrade for a total of $46 a month.
Then she mentioned that she could provide a Spectrum package that included the internet and 150-plus channels for $86 a month. I thought about asking if it included TCM and if she could check her math as my cost to watch TCM via Google would be $10 less, or $76 a month ($30 + $46). Instead, I typed “thank you” and ended the chat by clicking on the “x.”
The next step was to confirm how much internet I needed. Was 100 mbs enough? Internet speed, unlike money and good looks, is only useful up to a point, so I used a calculator from Consumer Reports to determine that I needed exactly 69 mbs.
I subsequently signed up for Google Fiber. The online process was quite seamless, though there was an issue finding the fiber jack that Google had thoughtfully installed before I purchased my home. Google mentioned that if I couldn’t find it, it would send a technician out tomorrow, to which I immediately thought, “I’m obviously not dealing with Spectrum.” I asked the rep to hold off and then asked my wife, who took me by the hand to the jack’s location in the garage.
I set it up so that I’d have a week of overlap between activating Google Fiber and firing Spectrum, as I still had concerns whether 100 mbs would be enough (it was) and whether the jack’s location in the garage of a three-story townhouse was an issue (it wasn’t).
By the way, do you know anybody who’s interested in a gently used Spectrum modem and wi-fi router?
Michael Flack blogs at AfterActionReport.info. He’s a former naval officer and 20-year veteran of the oil and gas industry. Now retired, Mike enjoys traveling, blogging and spreadsheets. Check out his earlier articles.
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It is worth it to also see if T-mobile’s wireless internet is available in your town. The last I heard they were offering it at $40 a month with some pretty good welcome gifts included! May not be good for gaming but I watch a lot of streaming and rarely have a problem. I have heard it is hit and miss in some markets.
Thanks for sharing this. I am in the midst of setting up Excel table to compare different offering packages now, with the current one (internet & TV) being with Verizon Fios for the last 16 years already.
SCao, a spreadsheet huh? Sounds like the makings of a good article. I go with internet and Sling with a side of Amazon Prime and then give the other 1000 channels of BS the go-by. Let me know how it turns out.
I live in the boonies (foothills of the Sierra) and the 90 foot cedars/pines/firs are wonderful to live amongst. However, my internet is 10Mbps (yes, you read that right…10Mbps) for which I pay $191.95/mth and that’s after I paid a guy $100 to climb 60 feet up a tree to install a directional antenna. I’m considering Musk’s system. Does anyone have any yeas/nays to say about Musk?
The short answer: Starlink isn’t perfect but it beats the alternatives here.
Longer answer: Like you we live in a rural area (of Georgia). There is no hard wired internet service available here at any price. DSL and other high speed connections do not exist. Even something like a Mifi from Verizon is punishingly expensive for slow, data-capped service that is not adequate for streaming TV even at reduced quality. There is no fiber optic cable anywhere within miles of us, so it’s satellite or nothing.
We used Hughesnet for several years but their service was too slow for streaming and data-capped besides. In contrast Starlink is very impressive now that it’s finally here. My brother signed up for it when it was first announced in our area and then spent over TWO YEARS on the waiting list before finally getting his system shipped. Mine came a couple of months after my brother’s system, but I didn’t order until after I’d seen his in action, so I wasn’t actually on the waiting list even though I was waiting for availability like he was.
Now that we finally have Starlink we wonder how we lived without it. It’s not perfect, but it’s stupid easy to set up and the equipment just works; no fiddling around with settings (unless you really, really want to). It’s quite literally plug and play simple to use. I wish it would cost less, but unlike everything else, it’s actually available now and it works.
🙂
Will, 😉
It’s worth remembering that there is the introductory price (1-2 years) and the full price that you will pay (plus interim price increases) when your intro offer expires. It should hardly come as a surprise that comparable MBS rate services have very similar prices across most service providers. Unless you are a user who actually needs more than 100MBS (gamer, too many teenagers, too many devices, etc.), paying for a higher rated service is likely to be money wasted. About the only way to reduce your internet service costs is to continually bargain with and/or change service providers every few years, which is its own special form of user hell.
Thanks for the chuckle this morning!
My husband gets an email from USPS and lets me know what’s coming in the mail each morning!
Enjoyed the article Mike. These companies are something. A while back, I was paying about $60 a month for AT&T DSL. After getting dissatisfied with the service, (my son said it was worthless for gaming), I checked with AT&T and found they had fiber in my neighborhood with 300 mbs for the same price. Unbelievable. Did they inform me? No. Incorrigible.
Just FYI: Lots of grown men play video games these days! Everyone needs a hobby.
JAMIE, really?
“…it is my job to inspect the mailbox each day and place any pertinent correspondence on her desk, and then remind her about it a few days later.”
Why don’t you text her when you put the mail on her desk?
hahaha
a lot of seniors (yes, i am 57 and am considered a senior) are clueless when it comes to Internet technology. I sometimes have to explain physical Internet technology to save my fellow seniors a few bucks. (Do you know that as senior, you get discount on Internet connection plan from provider ?)
neyugn, sometimes being a senior can lead to even more economical connectivity, though not with Google Fiber.
We had a similar experience with Xfinity. Xfinity was our only choice if we wanted high speed internet. Internet, TV and phone was running us about $240 per month. Google Fiber came to our neighborhood. I went to the Xfinity store and said, we’re happy with Xfinity except for the price. If you can get your price below $200 we’ll stay with you to avoid the hassle of changing providers…trenching across our yard, learning new system, etc. The Xfinity store refused to lower their price. I called several Xfinity customer service numbers. Same story. So we changed to Google Fiber. When I returned the Xfinity equipment to their store, I was told…oh, since you now have Google Fiber, we can give you all you previously had for about $150. I will never do business with Xfinity again unless I have no other options. Also, Google Fiber was impressive…showed up when they said they would…free equipment…their system works superbly…and the price is just what they advertised. My wife and I are glad we changed.
I hear you! We switched from Spectrum to our local phone company’s fiber internet. Hassle for sure. I think my wife is still upset.
If fiber is available, there’s nothing like it. We’ve used Spectrum, Comcast and Xfinity over the years with mixed results, but now in our new suburban Seattle development we have a county-installed fiber system, and three local Internet providers (all great) who will fight over your business. We’ve got the fastest, most reliable Internet service we’ve ever had.
Mike Gaynes, Google Fiber seems to be working out fine, though I haven’t noticed any increased speed.
My Xfinity is $50. A fiber provider has almost reached my neighborhood and I’ll see how prices compare. One thing that would hold me back is Xfinity routers all let me log in and share their WiFi. So as I’m driving around or just in another neighborhood I’ll be able to get e’mail or browse the web. (my cell data is pay-as-you-go)
Spectrum prices go up for two reasons: simple across-the-board increases or some or all of your promotions expiring (your bill shows the expiration dates).
Not much you can do about the former, but if it’s the latter, you can call and tell the robot you want to cancel. You’ll be routed to a “customer retention” rep. They can usually provide new promotions which are similar to, and sometimes better than, the previous ones.
Andrew Forsythe, when I canceled Spectrum, I was given the hard sell which included asking me to pay more for a bundled internet + cable package. Then about two weeks later I received a mailer from Spectrum touting $29.99 internet.
Yep, since you had cancelled, I’m guessing you got a “new customer” offer. These are always better than anything they offer existing customers—yet another reason to be irritated with Spectrum.
That works great for my DirecTV too.
My internet experience with Xfinity is that the speed you get is a lot less than claimed. I was on a 1gb service but was measuring less than 100mbs. After a price increase I lowered my stated speed to 500 mbs. My speed is roughly the same. I do video calls and streaming TV and have no visible issues. I use Speedtest to test real speeds.
The magic words in their stated speeds are, “up to” XYZ mbs. I’ve had good luck with Xfinity, achieving very close to and even higher speeds than stated. My sister, however, was fortunate to get high single digit speed on a good day when she should be a lot closer to 100.
Key thing to remember is that your speed is only going to be as good as the slowest link in the chain. Her router only had 2.4 ghz which is slower (but a stronger signal) than 5 ghz. Your router should be located closest to your main area in the house where it’s used most (ideally). She had ancient coax cable and junk connectors, etc. In short, I was told by Xfinity that you should be getting at least 50% of what you signed up for. If not, a service call should be placed and the tech should start at the box on the street and check the speed/connections at every point in the chain up to your modem or modem/router combined unit. There can be many issues that they have the tools to check for and fix. And yes, 100 mbs is more than enough for most folks.
Check your Spectrum contract. You may need to return the modem and router if you didn’t purchase them outright.
I just checked and google fiber is scheduled to come to my area in sometime in 2025. But looking at the google fiber page, the cost entry point is listed at $70 month for a 1gb connection. No mention of a 100mb connection option. Do you know if your $30 month connection is a promotional price for a limited time? Right now I’m using T-Mobile 5G Home Internet which is $40 a month with the $10 autopay discount. It’s fine for my limited needs, but there’s been some periods when it was pretty marginal. I’m hoping those were growing pains and relegated to the past, but time will tell.
OldITGuy, my offer is NOT for a limited time. I’m not sure how Google decides who to include in this type of offer.
Nice! When they come to my area I’ll take a hard look at what they’re offering. $30 month is a great deal for fiber.
I’ve had Google fiber for about 8 or 9 years. The first year the cost was $25 a month for 12 months to cover the installation. The next 6 years were FREE. After that it was $30 and to this day I still only pay $30.30 (yes they added 30 cents about a year ago). I use it a lot and do streaming almost daily. It’s definitely a bargain for me.
I’d advise you try a Roku* express device($29) in an open HDMI port on your tv if you have wi-fi.
It’s another free platform of tv options.
evan rayers, in additional to Sling, my Samsung tv comes with a hundred or so free channels. I also have an old fashioned tv antennae to get broadcast channels.
Mike, Excellent article. Thanks for sharing your fiber journey. I actually enjoy switching cable tiers and speeds every year or two. Comcast in Houston keeps getting faster each year. I aim for a lower tier and a faster speed at a reasonable price.
You know you’re getting old when you read “favoring fiber” and immediately think about Metamucil!
In our new subdivision we are stuck with only 1 provider and after our 6 month promotional offer ends the price will nearly triple. I can’t wait for other providers to get in here.
DAN SMITH, this is my first switch and hopefully my last, as I’m hopeful Google will keep me at $30 for a while.
I would love 100 Mb for $30. Not available in coastal NJ.
Symmetric 100 Mb/sec is more than enough for most people. And unlike the way cable companies run their networks, you’ll actually see that bandwidth 7×24, no matter what your neighbors are doing. Pretty sweet. Even sweeter for $30.
If the world would just pull fiber faster I’d short the stock of every cable provider.