Cheap Internet Compare the cheapest internet in Phoenix

Data Usage for Popular Online Activities

Here's a quick overview of how much data certain online activities use up. This is based on if you're only using the internet for one of these activities regularly, so if you're doing more than one of these or you're sharing your connection with multiple people in your household, then opt for a higher data allowance. 

For example, if you only use your home internet for emailing, then you should be fine with 50GB per month. If you use your internet for both emailing and YouTube, and your spouse also shares the connection, you should probably look at either the 500GB or unlimited data plans.

What Internet Speed Do I Need?

When choosing the best cheap internet plan for your home, you not only need to decide how much data you need, but what upload and download speeds you need. To figure this out, you'll need to consider a few things, including:

• What you mainly use the internet for at home
• How many people/devices will be using the internet at the same time

Use the table below as a guide to help you decide what internet speeds you will need.

Main Use for Internet

If you only need the internet for the basics, such as sending emails and browsing the web, then you'll likely only need the basic internet speeds—a cheap internet plan with a 10Mbps download speed should be all you need. On the other end of the spectrum, if you stream high definition movies and TV shows regularly, are an avid online gamer, or just want to make sure your speeds are reliable to work from home, you will probably want to pick a plan with download speeds of at least 40Mbps. 

Number of People Sharing

The more people and devices that are sharing your home internet connection will result in lags in connection and speeds, so you'll want to pick a plan with faster speeds if there are a lot of you in the household. 

How Do I Keep My Costs Down?

A cheap internet plan in Phoenix may become not-so-cheap if you don't read the fine print properly. There are other things to consider when you're trying to keep your costs down, including:

• Installation fees
• Cancellation fees
• Price increases

Installation Fees

Not all internet service providers will charge you an installation fee, but unfortunately many do. In fact, the cheapest plans in Phoenix require an installation payment, even though you install the modem and router yourself. It may seem kind of messed up, but that's just the way it is. The good thing is, installation is a one-time only payment, unless you change providers or plans (in some cases). 

It's also important to note that cable internet has the cheapest installation fees by far with satellite internet installation costs reaching over $400! Be sure to take this into account when you sign up for a cheap internet plan.

Cancellation Fees

In Phoenix, all satellite internet plans lock you into a 24-month contract, while the other plans—cable, DSL and fiber—don't tend to do this. You may not think it's an issue since it's not like you want to be switching ISPs constantly, but think about this. What if you sign up for a 24-month plan, then after a month find your internet service is patchy and unreliable? If you want to cancel your plan, you'll need to pay early termination fees which can get up to around $400 or more! Be sure to think about this before signing up for a cheap internet plan that locks you into a contract.

Price Increases

There are a number of internet plans that have a special introductory rate either for a few months or up to a year. After this time, your monthly fee increases either by a little or a lot—in some cases your monthly payment could double! At WhistleOut, we do our best to make these price increases as clear as possible. Under the regular price of the plan, you'll see smaller text telling you whether or not the price increases and by how much.

Mobile Internet

If you tend to move house a lot, whether within Phoenix or to another state or city, then a mobile internet plan could be for you. Plans start at just $15/month and you can still get fast speeds of up to 90Mbps. Mobile internet plans aren't good for those who use a lot of data at home. If you need more than, say 10GB of data, then it's best to choose a fixed internet option like cable or fiber. 

Mobile internet plans are only cheap if you only need a small amount of data each month. If you choose a mobile internet plan with a high data allowance, then the plan will no longer be cheap.

Fiber, Cable and Satellite: What's the Difference?

It can be confusing picking an internet plan that fits your needs if you don't know the difference between the types of connections you can choose from. Here are some general guidelines to make it easier for you. 

Which Options is Best for My Home?

When deciding between cable, DSL, fiber and satellite internet, you'll need to consider what it takes to install your internet connection in your home, especially if you're renting. 

Cable

Cable is generally the easiest option when it comes to installation. All you need to do is connect your modem to the wall jack in your home and power outlet and there you have it. Connecting the modem to a router for WiFi access is also very simple. The modem and router also usually don't take up too much space and can be left on the floor or on a shelf. 

Fiber

Fiber internet requires an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) which is bigger than your standard cable modem and may need to be mounted to a wall. This may be a problem if you need to repair the wall when you move out of your Phoenix home. Fiber internet also has hardly any availability in the city so this may not even be an option for you.

Satellite

Satellite internet might be the most difficult option when it comes to installing equipment in an apartment or rental home. As you might imagine, satellite internet requires a satellite dish to be installed on the outside of your home as it requires a clear view of the satellite in space. In Phoenix you're allowed to install a satellite dish in your private space as long as it is less than 1 meter (3.3 feet) in diameter. 

If you don't have your own outdoor space, like a balcony or patio, it's illegal to install the dish in a common area like the roof or exterior wall that you don't personally own or rent. If you're a renter, your landlord may also impose additional guidelines for you to follow, so this is probably your most difficult option.

Do I Need to Buy a Modem?

Internet providers in Phoenix offer a variety of options when it comes to modems. They will either provide a modem to you for free, require you to bring your own modem (or give you the option to), or let you buy or rent a modem from them. Check your internet plan details carefully so you know whether you need to buy your own modem or not.

If you are bringing your own modem, make sure it's compatible with your internet service provider first.

Do I Need a Router?

If you want to access your internet connection wirelessly while you are at home (and who doesn't?), then yes, you'll need a router. Most internet service providers will let you rent a modem/router combo for a monthly fee, so that's probably the easiest option if you don't want the hassle of buying your own router—they'll just add the cost to your bill. You'll need to return the equipment if you cancel your internet plan. 

If you don't want to pay rent for your router, you can always buy your own and save some money in the long run. 

When choosing a router, make sure you buy one that is compatible with the types of speeds you will get on your internet plan. There's no point in getting an internet plan with speeds of up to 50Mbps if your router can only handle 11Mbps speeds. 

On the flip side, your wireless router can only go as fast as your internet service. So if you have a super fast modem that allows speeds of up to 100Mbps, but you've picked a cheap internet plan that only allows speeds of up to 50Mbps, then 50Mbps is all you're going to get.

 Internet Providers in Phoenix

There are a number of internet service providers to choose from in Phoenix as well as a number of different types of service to choose from. Here is an overview of the internet options you have in the city.

Can I Bundle Internet with TV?

Select internet service providers in Phoenix, including Cox and Mediacom, offer bundling packages if you're also interested in TV and/or having a landline. Bundling is a great way to save money because the rates are much cheaper than buying all two or three services separately. In some cases ISPs may even offer faster internet speeds when you bundle compared to if you just bought an internet plan.