Part 4: Internet for Less

Internet access has become an indispensable tool for so many people and businesses, so when cutting costs Internet access is probably one of the last things on the list to be chopped. With so many technological advances and blindingly fast Internet connection speeds it would seem costs for Internet access should be dropping just as fast. Well, costs may not be dropping quite as fast as we would like but there are some cases where you can save quite a bit of money on your Internet connection.

A few years ago if you wanted high-speed Internet access you basically had two choices Comcast cable or Verizon DSL. If you did not need the fastest Internet connection you probably went with DSL and were able to pay less than $100 or even $50 per month in some cases. For the fastest Internet connection you were left with Comcast and you had to pay the high price which in some cases was several hundred dollars.

One of the best factors keeping cost in control is competition. In the past few years Verizon has been putting pressure on Comcast with their FiOS Internet service. Verizon's FiOS Internet service leverages fiber optic technology to bring you blazing fast Internet speeds that in many cases blow away Comcast's offerings.

If you have had the same Internet connection for a few years you may be able to get your provider to reduce your monthly subscription rate. For example we have found instances where Comcast was charging $100 or more per month for an Internet access package that has since been cut to around $50 per month. This is not always the case but as competition between providers heats up we will hopefully see monthly pricing decrease further.

Simple things you can try to lower your monthly Internet access cost:

1.) Educate yourself -- How much are you being charged by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and how much bandwidth (download and upload speeds) are they providing?

2.) Call your ISP and ask if they have any similar but cheaper packages available.

3.) If your ISP is not willing to lower your monthly cost call their competition and get a quote. If you can get a lower cost in writing you will have more leverage to negotiate with your current provider.