What Do You Actually Pay for Optimum Internet?

Optimum offers good starting prices on cable and fiber internet. Those prices are good for a year, but go up by about $15 per year in your second and third years of service.

The cheapest cable or fiber internet plan, for example, starts at $40 per month for 300Mbps, but in year two, it’s $55 per month. By year three, you’ll pay $70 per month.

In addition to regular monthly pricing, you’ll be on the hook for taxes and fees and may have to pay to borrow internet equipment. However, the company has dropped early termination fees and that sneaky “network enhancement fee.”

Optimum offers solid internet service, but its pricing can be confusing. Let’s get into it.

Your first bill from Optimum will be higher than future bills for a few reasons. First, you will be charged a prorated rate for a partial month of service. If you signed up on the 10th but your bill date is on the 22nd, for example, you would be charged for the 11 days of your first month plus the full rate for the next month.

Second, you could see an installation fee of $100 if you had a pro come by to help. You can often get out of that fee by ordering online, though.

In addition to the service fee and one-time fees, you may see a fee for rental of an extra mesh extender or fees for protection and support services, if you signed up for them during checkout.

Your monthly Optimum bill

Every month, your Optimum bill will include service charges plus a few dollars in taxes and fees. Here’s a list of what that may include:

• Regulatory Recovery fee
• Universal Service Fund (USF) fee
• State and local sales tax
• Gross receipts taxes / State and local utility taxes
• State communications services tax
• Local communications services tax

Scheduled price increases

In your first year with Optimum internet, you’ll pay the advertised promotional price. In year two, your monthly bill could increase by up to $15 per month, according to broadband nutrition labels published by Optimum. In year three, you could see another $15 monthly increase.

Your price will stabilize when it reaches the “prevailing prices” published by Optimum. Here’s a look at how prices change over time.

What to expect on cable internet plans

What to expect on fiber internet plans

Does Optimum charge for Wi-Fi equipment rental?

Optimum doesn’t charge new internet customers for using its Wi-Fi gateways. You also get one mesh extender for free, but any subsequent extenders cost $3 per month. Prices could change in the future, though: On its official pricing page, Optimum says both its DOCSIS modem and wireless gateway are worth $12 per month.

If you add an optional Optimum Stream player, which combines all your streaming apps in one 4K device, you’ll be charged an extra $12 per month.

Billing for other Optimum services

In addition to selling internet, Optimum offers home phone, live TV, and mobile phone service. With each, there are some extra fees you can expect on top of your service charges. Most vary based on your exact address, but some are the same for everyone.

Additional fees on TV bills from Optimum:

• TV broadcast fee ($9.99/mo.)
• Regional Sports Network fee ($10.47/mo.)
• Cable box fees ($13.00/mo.)
• Additional outlet premium service fee ($1.50–$5.00/mo.)
• Network enhancement fee ($6.00/mo.)
• Franchise fee
• State and local sales tax
• Gross receipts taxes / State and local utility Taxes
• State communications services tax
• Local communications services tax

Additional fees on voice and mobile bills from Optimum:

• State and local 911 tax
• Federal excise tax
• State and local sales tax
• Gross receipts taxes / State and local utility taxes
• State communications services tax
• Local communications services tax

Optimum internet plans and prices

Whether you’re shopping for a bundle with Optimum or need just internet service, you have multiple speed options. And for that first year, prices are some of the lowest we’ve seen industry-wide.

Let’s take a look.

How to save money on Optimum internet

Optimum internet prices start low, and you may qualify for promotions such as free gift cards or free access to the Max streaming service for a limited time.

You can also save by bundling internet with mobile phone service. Depending on how much data you need, the mobile plan price is $15–$55 per month. The more lines you get, the cheaper each line is.

Optimum raised prices for new customers in 2020 and cut prevailing rates in 2024. It also changes prices on certain plans in some regions occasionally, and sometimes changes plan offerings. In October of 2024, for example, it stopped offering cable customers a 500Mbps option.

Fees can also change. The company used to charge a Network Enhancement Fee on internet services, for example, but no longer lists the fee on its broadband nutrition labels.

If a prevailing price change is in your future, look for a notice on the second page of your monthly bill.

How Optimum compares

Optimum has faster speeds and more options than 5G home internet providers such as Verizon, AT&T Air, and T-Mobile, but you’ll enjoy included equipment and minimal fees from any of the four companies. We like 5G home internet for smaller households with limited access to fully wired connections, but services from Optimum are a class above.

If your choice is between Optimum and a DSL provider such as CenturyLink or Frontier, we think you’ll be happier with Optimum. Its service is faster and more reliable, and monthly prices are not dramatically different.

If you’re in a fiber internet neighborhood, lucky you! Verizon Fios, AT&T Fiber, and Optimum are close competitors in price and speed, but Verizon and AT&T customers seem to be happier with their service long-term.

If you have a choice between Optimum and another cable internet provider like Spectrum, we used to be all in for Spectrum for its long-term pricing and higher customer satisfaction scores. However, that’s changing. In January of 2024, Optimum changed its post-promotion pricing policy and now hikes prices only $30 per month after two years.

We still have some doubts related to Optimum’s low satisfaction scores, but its long-term prices are no longer a big concern.

How Optimum promo prices compare

Read more about how Optimum stacks up:

• Optimum vs. T-Mobile
• Optimum vs. Verizon
• CenturyLink vs. Optimum
• Spectrum vs. Optimum

Our take on Optimum internet billing

No one likes paying more than they expect, but Optimum’s $30 monthly price increases over two years aren’t totally out of line. You could call them price hikes, but you could also flip the switch and call them price discounts that let customers give the service a try at a low price.

Whatever perspective you adopt, it’s nice that Optimum doesn’t require contracts and that its prices are reasonable, even after promos expire.

It’s also true that most internet companies still find ways to charge more than customers expect—and Optimum isn’t the worst offender. We like that it lets customers know how their rates will change in the year or two after the sign up, and we applaud its clear explanation of extra fees and taxes.

Learn more about Optimum in our expert library

• Optimum Plans and Prices
• Expert Review of Spectrum Internet
• Optimum Internet Speed Test
• Is Bundling Optimum Mobile and Internet Worth It?
• How To Get Low-Income Internet through Optimum
• Mbps vs. Gbps
• Cable vs. Fiber

FAQ about Optimum billing

Disclaimers

Cable internet plans

Fiber internet plans

How Optimum Compares