This is paid content. It was written and produced in collaboration with the sponsor. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Internet prices can be confusing and sometimes include hidden fees. By bundling services with a trusted provider, you may be able to save money. The cost of Wi-Fi is increasingly a necessary expense. And since consumers have a growing number of home internet options, they also have the ability to shop around for the best and most affordable internet available to them. Many internet service providers (ISPs) also bundle similar services, offering savings on things like Mobile phone service, Wi-Fi and cable TV. Spectrum One is one of these packages, and it's a great choice if you want to save money while also having both fast home internet and friction-free mobile phone service. Here's what to know about internet cost per month and how to bring down your bill by bundling together multiple network services. The average cost of internet in the United States is $74.99 per month, according to a November 2022 Consumer Reports (CR) analysis of more than 22,000 home internet bills, which included households with Wi-Fi. CR found that more than half of US households pay between $60 and $90 each month for their home internet service.  Many factors go into your internet cost per month, including speed, data usage, promotions and additional services such as mobile phone or cable TV.  Let's take a closer look at the factors that affect internet prices, and why you might consider bundling home internet with mobile phone services. Cable, satellite, fiber optic cable, DSL—these are all different types of home internet connections and services, each with their own sets of pros and cons. Generally speaking, cable and DSL internet services, such as Spectrum Internet, are more affordable than satellite or fiber optic cable. Also consider bundling mobile service as part of your connectivity needs. While this may add to your bill at first, when you consider the savings associated with canceling your separate mobile provider, you'll come out paying less overall. Some ISPs, like Spectrum, bundle mobile with home internet, making it easier to save money on your overall connectivity bill to help with the cost.  For example, the company's Spectrum One package integrates home internet with Unlimited Spectrum Mobile™ and Advanced WiFi, giving you wireless connectivity at home and on the go, not to mention the savings that go along with bundling these services. With Spectrum, you can get up to 10 Spectrum Mobile lines, including smartphones, tablets and smartwatches, for even greater value. Upload and download speeds impact performance as well as price. Some ISPs slow down or throttle data during busy periods, but some – like Spectrum – don't. And most download speeds don't actually match what's advertised. In fact, many premium plans promise 940–1200Mbps but only deliver an average of 360–373Mbps, according to CR. Top tier speeds have improved by more than 127% since 2015, per The Broadband Association, and the price per Mbps has dropped 98% between 2000 and 2020, according to an analysis by the NCTA using data from the FCC Urban Rate Survey. As far as home internet goes, Spectrum offers three different speed tiers. Its starting internet plan comes with a download speed of 300Mbps, which is an excellent starting speed for basic family needs. Spectrum also has plans with download speeds of 500Mbps and 1Gbps. Comparatively, other cable internet providers' plans start at speeds of 100Mbps or less, which could impact performance across your connected devices. Beyond actual speed, you'll also want to consider how much data you get. Some ISPs cap monthly data, throttling speeds once you hit the threshold. Look for unlimited data options when possible. Spectrum Internet is a provider that doesn't cap data. According to CR, the average cost for unlimited data is an additional $49.99 per month, whereas Spectrum's introductory package is $49.99 for Home Internet, Advanced Wi-Fi and Unlimited Mobile for the first 12 months. Because Spectrum's home internet plans don't have any data caps, you can upload and download as much as you want without paying additional fees. Spectrum Mobile also offers unlimited data plans, and all of its mobile plans offer access to nationwide 5G at no additional cost, plus unlimited talk and text. Though there are more than 2,800 ISPs in the US to date, they're not all available nationwide. In fact, almost none are available in every single location.  The more rural your location, the fewer providers you'll likely have to choose from—and that could mean you'll also have to pay more. Consumers in markets with at least three ISPs pay $5 less per month than people in locations with just one or two providers to choose from.  Use an ISP availability search tool to see what you're working with. Spectrum, for example, is the second-largest cable ISP, with high availability in some of the nation's leading markets, including New York City, Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas and Los Angeles. Spectrum customers also get free access to its nationwide network of Wi-Fi hotspots.  Not in a metro area? Not a problem—Spectrum was recently named the #1 provider of internet in rural areas, and rural broadband access is rapidly growing thanks to the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, a nationwide initiative from the FCC. Discounts and promotions are commonplace when it comes to home internet. You'll often find introductory offers for first-time customers or bundled offers for multiple types of services in one monthly fee. Typically, you can find discounts worth $10–$50 per month, according to CR. To find special pricing, check the provider's website or do a Google search. For example, a search on "Spectrum deals" or "Spectrum promotions" will likely lead you to the Spectrum One bundle, which combines home internet with mobile phone service and Spectrum Advanced WiFi for a low monthly fee of just $49.99 per month for 12 months. This includes access to broadband speeds up to 1Gbps via 800,000 miles of hybrid-fiber network, tens of millions of Wi-Fi access points and 5G unlimited mobile service. Free mobile service is included for a full year. Home internet service requires a modem and a router if you want Wi-Fi. You may also need additional equipment, depending on your internet setup.  In the past, ISPs sometimes charged customers who used their own purchased equipment. That practice has since been outlawed, so some ISPs will have you either purchase your hardware outright or pay an ongoing rental fee. It's typically better to get the hardware from the ISP to keep up with updates.  Spectrum's internet plans, which offer Advanced WiFi, include a modem at no additional cost. According to the CR analysis, internet customers typically pay anywhere from $2.49 to $9.95 per month in additional service fees. Sometimes these fees are associated with the bundle, in other cases they're strictly associated with the home internet service.  There may also be installation and setup fees or early cancellation if you terminate your contract before the end of its term.   With Spectrum, there are no added fees or contracts. A subscription to Spectrum One also gets you Spectrum Advanced WiFi and an Unlimited mobile line with free access to nationwide 5G. The average US household pays about $75 per month for internet, according to CR. Rural areas with less competition are likely to pay more than households in more populated areas with more ISP options. Yes, bundling your internet and cable can often garner cost savings. You may also consider bundling your home internet with your mobile phone service. For example, Spectrum One offers Spectrum Internet® with speeds from up to 300Mbps, Advanced WiFi, and a free Unlimited Mobile line for 12 months for just $49.99 per month. Yes, you can get Wi-Fi without a provider by connecting to public hotspots with a Wi-Fi-enabled device. If you have mobile phone and data service, you can also use your device as a hotspot in your home for Wi-Fi access from other devices. However, this can create security risks. Spectrum One includes Spectrum's Security Shield at no extra cost. Spectrum offers some of the fastest and most reliable internet speeds in the US—as well as some of the best internet prices. Choose from three high-speed tiers with no data caps and no contracts and no modem fees. With Spectrum One for just $49.99 per month for 12 months with Auto Pay, you can get home internet—with no data caps or contracts—Spectrum Advanced WiFi, and an Unlimited mobile line with nationwide 5G access.