Broadband is Expensive. CNET Survey Finds 63% of Internet Users Are Paying More Than Before

Higher prices have come for your internet bill—at least it feels that way for many. That’s according to a new CNET survey that found 63 percent of US adults paying for home internet saw their prices increase last year. On average, they paid $195 more last year than they did the year before. Price hikes didn’t necessarily translate to better service, either. More than half of people who saw their bills increase said they still experienced unreliable connectivity. The survey results come at a fraught moment for the broadband industry in the US. The federal government has dedicated more than $90 billion to closing this digital divide since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Trump Administration has expressed impatience with the results. It is reportedly looking to shift funds away from fiber internet and toward Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink, which has some experts concerned about its high $120 monthly price tag.