Whether you use it for work, school, streaming or simply browsing and posting memes, the internet is an essential part of daily life. But needing internet access doesn’t mean we love our providers. While a few ISPs such as GFiber (4.72/5) and Sonic (4.8/5) earned top marks for customer satisfaction in CNET’s 2026 People’s Picks ISP survey, most fell short, bringing the average score down to 3.9/5.
During our 2026 ISP evaluations, we found two common themes among the lower-scoring ISPs: hidden fees and confusing service agreements. Hidden fees can be disguised as equipment surcharges, installation fees, overage charges, late fees or billing fees. And the most common source of confusion in plan agreements is promotional pricing. ISPs may lure you in with an attractive price for the first year, but it might double after that promotion period is over if you’re not paying attention.
The good news is that not all ISPs do this, and spotting the ones that do has recently gotten easier. That’s thanks to the rollout of FCC-mandated “broadband nutrition labels” that list out each plan’s hidden fees as if they were sugars and trans fats. Spotting and understanding those fees before you sign up for service is the key to negotiating the best price with your ISP. Let’s take a look at all of the hidden fees you should watch out for, and what you can do about them.
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This article was made possible in part by Xfinity. It was written and edited independently without partner oversight.
A template broadband label from the FCC.
FCC
Best ISPs of 2026: Our Top Picks Evaluated for Speed, Value and Price Transparency
Be aware of one-time fees
Let’s say that your internet provider is offering you a $30-per-month promotional rate. On the surface, that seems like a great deal, and it could be. However, you need to understand that most ISPs charge one or two additional fees right at the very start of service.
First, you’ll often encounter an installation fee, which covers the cost of a technician’s visit to your home. This typically ranges from $45 to $100. Fortunately, some providers allow you to self-install, often by mailing you your hardware along with instructions on how to set it up. In some cases, you can pick up your hardware at a store location. Either way, self-installation will cost you a lot less than having a technician do it. With some providers, it means you can avoid that installation fee altogether. If not, installation fees are sometimes waived at the point of sale, so it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Many providers will also tack on a one-time activation fee, which can be anywhere from $10 to $80. It’s basically a charge for setting up your account. That’s exactly as arbitrary as it sounds, so don’t be shy about asking if this fee can be waived. This fee should also always be displayed within the broadband facts label.
Skip those additional monthly fees, if you can
OK, you’ve gotten past the opening fees, and you’re ready to settle into that nice $30 monthly rate.
Not so fast. Some ISPs charge additional monthly fees for using their equipment — usually a modem, router or gateway (a combination of both). This fee can range between $5 and $15 a month. Some providers allow you to skip this charge by using your own equipment, but other ISPs (particularly satellite internet providers) don’t allow you to opt out. So just like that, your $30 rate becomes $45 a month.
A trend we’ve noticed this year is that many ISPs are starting to move away from this additional charge and bundle equipment fees instead. Both AT&T and Verizon Fios — which previously charged equipment fees of $10 and $15 per month, respectively — changed course and removed those fees. Now, both providers include the equipment rental in the flat monthly cost.
Another tack-on you need to evade, if possible, is the paper billing fee. For example, with the $30 promotional rate, it’s assumed you’ll nix paper billing and use automatic payment instead, which requires a credit card on file. However, if you decline (or fail to opt in), you’ll be charged between $5 and $10 monthly. This is a fairly easy fee to avoid, but you still need to know it’s lurking. Otherwise, your $30-a-month rate could jump up to $40.
Avoid late payment fees and other penalties
Another trend in broadband is the elimination of contracts and termination fees, which is terrific news for consumers. It wasn’t long ago that you’d need to sign a term agreement at the start of service with early termination fees for canceling early. Fees like those can run anywhere from $15 to a staggering $400. Fortunately, very few ISPs still use contracts — but some still do. Your best move is to avoid signing one in the first place.
If your $30 monthly rate comes with a data cap, your usage must stay within the specified monthly limit or you’ll incur overage charges. As you can imagine, the cost varies per provider, but generally, you’ll see a ballpark charge of an additional $10 for every 50GB over your data limit. We’ve seen most ISPs do away with data caps in 2026, but a few remain, so be sure to read the fine print.
Of course, just like any other utility or service, you must pay your bills on time to avoid late payment fees. Those can add anywhere from $5 to $35 to your monthly bill.
Common fees from major internet providers
We’ve talked generally about some of the hidden fees you might find in your internet bill. Let’s look more specifically at the providers CNET has reviewed recently.
Overview of internet providers
| Provider | Activation fee | Installation fee | Early termination fee | Monthly equipment fee | Monthly data overage charge |
| Astound Broadband | $15 | $100 | None | $10 for mesh Wi-Fi (optional) | None |
| AT&T Fiber | None | None | None | None | None |
| AT&T Home Internet | None | $99 | None | None | $10–$200 |
| AT&T Internet Air | $35 | None | None | None | None |
| CenturyLink | Varies | $25–$149 | $0 | $15 (optional) | None |
| Comporium | $50 | None | None | $10 for mesh Wi-Fi (optional) | None |
| Cox Communications | $25 | $100 | $10 for each month remaining on your contract | $15 (optional) | $10–$100 |
| EarthLink | None | $15 | Up to $200 | None | None |
| Frontier Fiber | None | None | None | None | None |
| GFiber | None | None | None | None | None |
| Hughesnet | $99 (if you lease equipment) | $200 (if you purchase your own equipment), plus $50 if a pole mount is required | $100–$400 | $15–$20 (or one-time payment of $300–$450) | None |
| Kinetic Fiber | None | None | None | $11 (optional) | None |
| Mediacom | $25 | $75 | $120–$240 | $15 | None |
| Nomad Internet | $10 | None | None | None | None |
| Optimum | None | $100 | None | None | None |
| Quantum Fiber | None | None | None | None | None |
| Rise Broadband | None | $99 | None | $7–$15 (optional) | $15 per 10GB increments on legacy fixed wireless plans |
| Sparklight | $30 | $99 | None | $15–25 (optional) | None |
| Spectrum | $20 | $50 | None | $10 (optional) | None |
| Starlink | None | $0—$99 | None | None | None |
| Starry | None | None | None | None | None |
| T-Mobile 5G Home Internet | $35 | None | None | None | None |
| Verizon 5G Home | None | None | None | None | None |
| Verizon Fios | None | $99 (waived for Fios 1 Gig plan) | None | None | None |
| Viasat | None | Varies by location (often waived with 24-month term commitment) | $15/mo up to $360 | $15 (or one-time payment of $250) | None |
| WOW! | $10 | $99 | None | None | None |
| Xfinity | None | $40–$100 | None for new sign-ups. Legacy customers under old contract rules might face one. | $15–$25 (optional) | $10 per 50GB increment/up to $100 |
| Ziply Fiber | None | None | None | None | None |
To avoid promo price jumps, here’s a look at which ISPs offer long-term price locks or non-promo pricing structures (flat fees):
| Provider | Connection type | Promo / price lock details |
| Xfinity (Comcast) | Cable | 5-year price lock available |
| Kinetic FIber | Fiber | 2–3-year price lock available |
| T-Mobile 5G | 5G Home Internet | 5-year price lock available |
| Verizon 5G | 5G Home Internet | 3-5-year price lock available |
| Verizon Fios | Fiber | 3-5-year price lock available |
| Optimum (Altice) | Cable / Fiber | 5-year price lock available |
| Mediacom | Cable | 2–3-year price lock available |
| Breezeline | Cable | 2-, 3- or 5-year price lock available |
| WOW! | Cable/Fiber | Price for life offer |
Pay attention to provider-specific fees
Too often, internet providers will charge additional fees on top of their advertised monthly rates for things such as “network maintenance” or to offset regulatory costs. These aren’t taxes imposed by the government; they’re extra charges imposed at your provider’s discretion, and the result is a bill that’s bigger than you expected at the end of the month.
There are over 2,000 ISPs nationwide, so we can’t provide a comprehensive list of junk fees like these. However, here are some examples we’ve spotted in fine print to give you an idea of what to look for.
- Astound Broadband, which offers very competitive promo rates, imposes an additional monthly charge called a Network Access and Maintenance Fee. The cost varies by region and runs as high as $22 per month “to defray the cost of operating our network.” Astound notes that this charge is not a tax nor a government-mandated fee.
- AT&T has an additional monthly charge called a State Cost Recovery Charge that applies to Nevada, Ohio and Texas customers. The fee varies by location and is “collected by AT&T from its customers to recover costs AT&T pays in taxes and required payments levied by state governments. These charges are not taxes or surcharges which the government requires AT&T to collect from its customers.”
- CenturyLink has an Internet Cost Recovery Fee (or Broadband Cost Recovery Fee, in some areas). This $4 monthly fee ($2 in Washington state) “helps defray costs associated with building and maintaining CenturyLink’s High-Speed Internet broadband network, as well as the costs of expanding network capacity to support the continued increase in customers’ average broadband consumption.”
- Optimum has an additional monthly charge of $6 for what it calls a Network Enhancement Fee. Listed deep in the fine print under “Other Services and Charges” with no actual description, Optimum says that the fee “applies to all customers with Internet service. Select offers excluded.”
- Rise Broadband places a Carrier Recovery Cost fee of $7 per month on top of your regular monthly rate. Rise offers no description of the fee’s purpose.
- Sparklight also includes a $25 deposit fee, which must be paid before installation. You can get that fee credited to your account after six months of service with on-time payments. If you cancel before six months of service, you can get a refund after returning your equipment. Sparklight doesn’t offer a waiver for the deposit fee.
Summary of hidden internet fees to watch out for
| Examples | Average cost | What you can do | |
| One-time fees | Fees imposed once, typically at the start of service, including installation and activation fees | Typically up to $100 for professional installation and $10—$50 for activation | Look for promos that waive the startup fees, or ask your provider to waive them to entice you into signing up. You can also consider self-installation options, which are often free of charge. |
| Additional monthly fees | Recurring fees on top of your monthly rate, such as equipment rental and paper billing fees | Typically around $15 per month for equipment rental and $5—$10 per month for paper billing | See if you can skip the equipment rental fee by using your own router. To avoid a paper billing fee, enroll in autopay. |
| Late payment fees and other penalties | Penalizing charges for things such as late payments, data overages, early termination of your contract or failure to return equipment | Varies; late payment fees typically range from $5 to $25, with extra costs for reactivating a line that’s been disconnected. On a data cap, overage charges usually cost $10—$15 per block of data used, which can add up fast. Though rare, early termination fees can cost $10 per month remaining on your contract, and failing to return your equipment can cost you hundreds. | Enroll in autopay and keep your credit card info up to date with your provider to avoid late payment fees. If under a data cap, use your provider’s app to track and ration your total data usage and avoid overages. Avoid contracts altogether. |
| Provider-specific fees | Additional monthly fees imposed at the provider’s discretion to help cover the costs of network maintenance and regulatory compliance. These are not taxes or government-mandated charges. | Varies by provider, but fees like these typically range from $2 to $20 per month. | These fees usually can’t be waived. You’ll need to check the fine print to spot them. |
What can you do to avoid hidden internet fees?
Now that you know what to look out for, make sure you carefully examine your internet plan for surprising fees or additional charges. All ISPs must offer FCC-mandated broadband labels before the point of sale that break down the true costs of each plan, so be sure to look for them as you shop for service. If anything seems confusing, ask your provider to clarify. Try negotiating for a better deal or checking to see if your provider will waive a fee or two. Our broadband options are growing, and more choices mean more leverage for consumers.
Internet provider hidden fees FAQs
How much should you expect to pay for internet service every month?
According to CNET’s most recent analysis, the average monthly cost for home internet in the US was $73. That said, most providers offer entry-level plans for less than that, including plans that meet the FCC’s definition of “broadband” speeds (downloads of at least 100Mbps and uploads of at least 20Mbps). Many providers also offer discounted internet plans to qualifying low-income customers.
What’s the cheapest internet available?
The answer to that question depends on where you live and the internet connection types available in your area. Fiber and cable providers often offer entry-level plans for as low as $30—$50 per month, with ISPs such as Kinetic and Breezeline offering baseline speeds for as little as $25 per month. However, you’ll need to pay attention to the fine print, as hidden fees can often lead to bills that are higher than you expect.
Should I expect my monthly internet price to increase after 12 months?
That’s a common practice, certainly. Internet providers often lure you in with a low price for the first year before hitting you with a steep increase in year two. However, new competition from 5G internet and upstarts such as Starlink has pushed the industry to evolve, leading a growing number of ISPs to move away from contracts. Some now even offer multiyear price-lock guarantees.
