High-Speed Internet Rate Comparison

AT&T; offers four high-speed internet plans. The three less expensive options, DSL Lite, Ultra, and Xtreme, all cost $14.95/month then $25.00/month after one year. These plans offer downstream speeds ranging from 768Kbps to 3.0Mbps, and offer free Wi-Fi. DSL Xtreme 6.0 is the more expensive option, starting at $19.95, then increasing to $43.00 after one year. This plan features downstream speeds up to 6.0Mbps. AT&T; also offers Internet bundling packages with home phone, television and wireless services.

CenturyLink provides four residential plans. The Lowest Price package features 768Kbps at $29.95/month. Next, the Fast package features 1.5Mbps at $39.95, followed by the Faster at 3.0Mbps at $44.95. The Fastest package is the most expensive and costs $49.95 for up to 10Mbps, adequate for downloading movies and streaming videos. CenturyLink offers discounted Internet rates when bundled with television or phone services.

Charter's least expensive and most basic Internet service is the Lite package at $19.99/month for 1.0Mbps. Charter also offers four additional packages, each priced as part of a bundle. These include Express, which offers up to 12Mbps for $29.99, Plus with up to 18Mbps for $39.99 and Max with up to 25Mbps for $54.99. The most expensive option is Ultra60 at $99.99, featuring speeds up to 60Mbps. Availability and location of these services determine the stand-alone pricing for separate packages.

Verizon offers two primary residential options: High-Speed Internet and High-Speed Internet Enhanced. The first plan offers 0.5 to 1Mbps and costs $24.99/month.The Enhanced plan begins at $39.99 and offers 1 to 15Mbps and includes Wi-Fi access. Enhanced speed is determined by availability and service location. Both plans include 10MB of personal web space, nine email accounts and a free wireless router when ordered online. Verizon also offers incentives for bundling with telephone, wireless and television services.