Our Service Electric internet review
Service Electric is a cable internet provider with coverage in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Customers gave Service Electric great ratings in our annual customer satisfaction survey, especially in the categories of speed and reliability—not too surprising for a cable internet provider. Cable internet is one of the fastest and most reliable internet connections you can get, second only to fiber internet.
Perks of choosing Service Electric include unlimited data and good bundling discounts, which are two rarities amongst cable ISPs.
Service Electric’s main weak point is the pricing: its plans are expensive, offering less speed for the money compared to major cable ISPs like Spectrum or Xfinity. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get really fast speeds—you’ll just have to pay more for them.
Pros
- Fast and reliable cable internet
- No data caps
- Good bundling discounts
Cons
- Expensive
- No self-install option
Jump to: Plans and pricing | Speed and data caps | Fees | Installation, equipment, and contracts | Customer ratings | Service Electric vs. Astound | Bottom line | Faq
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Compare Service Electric internet plans and pricing
Note: Service Electric’s plan pricing varies for different areas. We sampled pricing in the Lehigh Valley area for this review. Enter your address on the Service Electric website to find out what pricing applies to you.
Package | Price | Speed | View on Service Electric site |
---|---|---|---|
Express | $47.95 /mo.* | Up to 50Mbps | Shop Plans |
Express Plus | $57.95mo.* | Up to 150Mbps | Shop Plans |
Premier | $94.95/mo.* | Up to 200Mbps | Shop Plans |
Premier Plus | $94.95/mo.* | Up to 300Mbps | Shop Plans |
Supreme | $110.95/mo.* | Up to 400Mbps | Shop Plans |
Supreme Plus | $125.95/mo.* | Up to 500Mbps | Shop Plans |
Maximum | $146.95/mo.* | Up to 1Gbps | Shop Plans |
* Plus network access fee and taxes. Prices vary based on location. Pricing above is for the Lehigh Valley area.
Service Electric speeds: What’s best for you?
Service Electric has a good selection of speeds, especially in the low and mid tiers. Overall, the Supreme plan is the best choice for most customers, providing 300Mbps download speed. That’s enough for three-to-four people to use the internet at the same time without any trouble.
If you’re on a budget, the Express Plus plan offers a decent value with 150Mbps for $57.95 per month. This plan is a good option for a two-person household or those with modest internet needs.
Pro-tip: Service Electric’s plans are all on the pricier side, so you’ll want to prioritize getting the right speed to prevent overpaying. Use our How much internet speed do I need tool to estimate your bandwidth needs.
Service Electric data caps
Service Electric internet plans come with unlimited data. You can download, stream, and surf all you want without worrying about running out or paying overage fees.
Our favorite plan: For most customers, the Supreme plan is the best balance of speed and price, offering 300Mbps for $110.95 per month (Lehigh Valley area pricing).
Service Electric internet fees
Cost | |
---|---|
Equipment Fee | Varies per area and selected equipment |
Installation Fee | Varies per area (free for online orders) |
Late fee | Check your contract |
If you order your services online, Service Electric offers a free installation. This perk offers solid savings, considering professional cable internet installations usually cost around $100.
Service Electric’s installation and rental fees may vary depending on your address and the equipment you select. Unfortunately, general rates are not available on its website, so you’ll need to review the details of your plan when you sign up for service to get the specifics.
Service Electric internet installation, equipment, and contracts
Service Electric internet has more limited installation options than some ISPs. Your installation and equipment costs will differ depending on where you live and what you choose.
Service Electric installation and equipment
Service Electric offers a free installation if you order your services online.
Its internet plans usually require a professional installation, meaning you can’t use a self-install kit. On the plus side, professional installations with a broadband technician are more thorough and complete than a self-installation.
Service Electric also offers the option to rent internet equipment (modem/router/gateway) or use your own. However, if you use your own equipment, Service Electric does not guarantee the functionality or provide technical support.
Service Electric internet contracts
Service Electric does not provide any contract term agreement information on its website. Review your contract to know how long your term agreement is and what early termination fees apply if you cancel your contract early. Also, look out for promotional periods, so an unexpected price hike does not catch you off guard.
Service Electric customer ratings
Speed Rating | Price Rating | Reliability Rating | Customer Service Rating | Overall Rating | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Service Electric customer satisfaction rating | 3.8/5 | 3.0/5 | 3.8/5 | 3.7/5 | 3.8/5 |
Average rating* | 3.9/5 | 3.4/5 | 3.7/5 | 3.6/5 | 3.7 |
*Based on our annual customer satisfaction survey
Service Electric received good ratings in our annual customer satisfaction survey, especially with reliability and speed. The brand suffered a little bit in the category of price satisfaction, which makes sense given this ISP’s prices are a little high for the speeds offered.
Note: We didn’t include Service Electric in our annual customer satisfaction report, but we did receive ratings from Service Electric customers.
Service Electric vs. Astound (formerly RCN)
Speed | Price | Order online | |
---|---|---|---|
100Mbps–1,200Mbps | $25.00–$65.00/mo | ||
50–1,000Mbps | $47.95–$146.95/mo.* (based on Lehigh Valley area sample) ** | Shop Plans |
One of Service Electric’s prime competitors is Astound, formerly known as RCN. Simply put, Astound internet plans offer more value than Service Electric with many of the same perks.
For example, Astound’s 300Mbps internet plan is only $35.00 per month (Lehigh Valley pricing) and requires no contract. One caveat is that the $35.00 is technically a promotional price, but it’s good for two years. To get those same 300Mbps speeds with Service Electric will run you $110.95 per month—a massive $75.95 difference!
On top of that, Astound comes with the same unlimited data and free installation perks, and it’s also cable internet just like Service Electric. To us, it seems Astound is by far the better choice for its value alone.
Is Service Electric internet right for you?
Service Electric’s cable internet is fast and reliable, as evidenced by the brand’s good performance in our annual customer satisfaction survey (Service Electric is not in our annual report, but we did receive responses from Service Electric customers). Its offerings are further enhanced with unlimited data and a free installation if you order online. The biggest downside is the pricing, so you may find better value from other ISP options like Astound.
Shop Service Electric InternetFAQ
What are Service Electric’s internet prices?
What kind of internet is Service Electric?
Can you install Service Electric internet by yourself?
Methodology
Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees. We also keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we rely on our personal experiences testing these services.