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Astound Broadband home internet service rating

Pros

• Low first-year pricing
• No data caps
• No contracts

Cons

• Availability limited to metro areas
• Sharp price increase after the promotional period
• Confusing equipment fees

Astound Broadband Internet review

On the surface, Astound has a lot to offer prospective customers. It’s not only one of the fastest cable internet providers in the country but also offers some of the most competitively priced starting rates for a cable ISP. Add in the fact that Astound doesn’t enforce contracts, termination fees or data caps and you’re looking at a winning combination — or an appealing one, at least. Astound also tends to have loads of limited-time offers and deals for customers.

I’ll be honest: my eyes glazed over as I sifted through the offerings and service details for the 11 markets covered by Astound Broadband Powered by RCN. Regional pricing differences won’t matter much unless you’re planning to move between Astound Broadband markets. However, be prepared for a significant price hike after the promo period and a few hidden fees on your monthly bill.

The price jump can be significant, and you should be aware of the increase, but it’s not quite what we would term “trap pricing.” That’s mainly because Astound doesn’t tie you into a term agreement, so when you run into that price hike, you’re free to bail or try negotiating with your provider before paying those larger bills. Still, you should be aware of lurking price increases and hidden fees before you sign up. Read our guide on how to protect yourself against pricing traps from ISPs.

Let’s dig in and learn more about Astound Broadband. 

Astound Broadband internet plans and pricing (Texas market)

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Astound offers slightly different plans and pricing across all its markets, so download speeds and prices might differ depending on your location. The plans above reflect the Texas region because they were the closest to what customers might find nationwide.

In most places, Astound offers four main speed tiers and an affordable internet program. All plans are free of long-term contracts and come with unlimited data. Similar to other cable ISPs, Astound hikes its prices after one to two years. Depending on your chosen plan, your price will jump anywhere between $8 and $20 a month in the second or third year. While Astound won’t charge you for equipment, you can expect an additional $16.93 network maintenance fee on your monthly bill.

CNET’s pick for Astound’s best plan is the gigabit tier because it provides plenty of speed for your household and features a very competitive introductory rate. Astound 1000 costs $45 a month in the first year, but competitors like Xfinity and Spectrum offer the same speeds for $75 and $70 monthly, respectively.

Funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program ended in May 2024, leading Astound to reintroduce its affordable program for low-income households. The Internet First plan features two-speed tiers: 50 megabits per second for $10 per month and 150Mbps for $20 with no contracts or data caps and equipment included. You might be eligible for this program if you participate in the Supplement Nutritional Assistance Program, Medicaid, SSI or other federal programs. That’s not all; new customers can get three months of service for free if they are eligible for this program.

Astound previously upgraded its 1,200Mbps plan to 1,500Mbps across all regions. In some places, Astound offers speeds up to 2,000Mbps and 5,000Mbps. Among U.S. internet providers, it is one of the fastest cable broadband providers available nationally. Not too shabby.

What kind of connection does Astound Broadband have?

Astound’s coverage consists mostly of cable connections, per the latest data from the Federal Communications Commission. Its lesser-known fiber and DSL connections are available but only in very select areas. Its cable coverage provides about 2.854% of unit coverage nationwide whereas its fiber and DSL provide 0.435% and 0.022%, respectively.

You might not have much luck finding decent speeds with the DSL plans, but Astound’s fiber internet offerings reach speeds of 5,000Mbps. Select areas including but not limited to Austin, Texas; Chicago; Santa Barbara, California and San Francisco may be eligible for the fiber offerings.

The company introduced Astound 5 Gig in June, featuring symmetrical speeds of up to 5,000 megabits per second. Fiber connections are still growing, but customers in select areas in Maryland, Illinois, Texas, New York City, Pennsylvania, Washington, Oregon and California may have access to Astound’s new multigig offerings.

Here’s where Astound Broadband offers internet service

Residential Communications Network, better known as RCN, has been in business since 1993 and is currently owned by Astound Broadband. Astound also provides services under the Grande Communications and Wave Broadband regional brand.

Astound offers home internet service to Washington, D.C., and to the 11 following states:

Residents in Brownwood, Texas and many other cities in the Lone Star State can enjoy a variety of Astound’s offerings, as this state has the widest service reach of any region.

Astound Broadband additional details

Watch out for those one-time fees

All Astound Broadband markets charge a one-time activation fee of $15, which isn’t unusual among ISPs.

Standard installation will cost you almost $80. New customers in select addresses might be eligible for a 50% discount across all plans, reducing your installation fee to $40.

Equipment included

The modem and the standard Wi-Fi router are now included in your monthly bill. Customers can also choose to add more equipment, but these will incur additional fees.

On the bright side, Astound allows you to skip any equipment fees altogether by using your own devices. You can use your own modem and router if they’re compatible with Astound’s network. As you’re about to see, this may be the easiest way to navigate a web of potential add-ons. 

Additional fees

Although Astound gives you the chance to use your own equipment, it also makes several supplemental items available that could help boost your home networking hardware while bumping up your bill too. 

For example, Astound allows you to add enhanced Whole-Home Wi-Fi to your home for an additional $5 a month via the Eero Max 7 mesh Wi-Fi system. Customers on the 1,000Mbps and higher plans get the Whole-Home Wi-Fi for free for the first 24 months.

What isn’t quite so common is an add-on monthly fee that Astound calls a Network Access and Maintenance fee. This is an additional charge of $16.93 per month. 

Astound also taps on the shoulders of online gamers by offering a chance to upgrade to a gaming router. Customers can opt to rent the Netgear Nighthawk XR1000 for $13 per month. You can also buy it for an upfront cost of $185.

Yes, all of these options will ultimately increase your bill — and if you plan on using your equipment for longer than a year or two, it probably makes more sense to buy them outright rather than rent them. Still, these add-ons might provide significant value to your service, especially if you can foresee using them for those initial 24 months when your broadband bill is at its lowest.

You might also find it helpful to try a mesh network out in your home to see if it makes a meaningful difference. If it does, you could consider purchasing one for yourself outright. If not, you’re out only a single month’s rental fee.

Astound vs. the competition: Its competitive pricing is hard to beat

The monthly prices you see in our chart at the top are representative of what you’ll find across most Astound markets, but I do want to point out some of the differences as well. Overall, across all Astound markets and plans, you will see an average cost of 6 cents per Mbps for your promo pricing. That is right at the top among all cable ISPs we’ve reviewed, including Xfinity (8 cents), WideOpenWest (7 cents), Optimum (6 cents), Spectrum (8 cents), Sparklight (15 cents) and Cox (15 cents). 

For example, Astound customers in New York City will see some extremely competitive pricing for that area. New Yorkers can sign up for a promo rate of $55 per month for 1,500Mbps. That’s an impressively affordable 4 cents per Mbps on introductory pricing for our friends in the Northeast. That’s more affordable than the gigabit service at $90 per month from Verizon Fios.

Though Astound’s introductory pricing is competitive, those rates will eventually increase. Like any ISP, Astound reserves the right to increase monthly rates and the residential rates compiled for 2024 reflect incredibly high monthly fees.

The image above is the 2025 residential rate card for Texas. However, these rate cards may not indicate what your standard pricing will look like after a year or two, but they are good guidelines for what your bill may come down to in a few years. The faster plans have a price that increases to more than $60 a month after one to two years, which is staggering compared with the average price jumps of cable competitors like Xfinity (average increase of $26 to $41 after 12 months), Cox (average increase of $20 to $50 after 12 months) and Spectrum (average increase of $30 after 12 months). An increase of $60 or more in the monthly cost of your home internet service is an extremely tough pill to swallow, especially if you’re trying to keep your budget buttoned down.

When we asked Astound about that massive jump, its spokesperson said, “It’s important to note that promotions do not increase to the standard retail rates published on the rate card … [which are] generally the maximum price that one may pay, and what is published for consumers to reference.

“Additionally, customers are provided advanced notice that the promotion is coming to an end, along with their new monthly rate,” they said. “This information is included in their billing statement the month before the promotion ends.” 

Either way, you’re not tied down to Astound with a term agreement, so as you approach the end of your promo period, you can see what terms Astound offers or try researching other ISPs in your area. For example, Verizon Fios may be an option for customers in the Washington, D.C., area, and Chicagoans may choose to switch to Xfinity. In each case, make sure to do your homework. If Verizon’s DSL service is the only other option for you, Astound will still be cheaper, and those considering a jump to Xfinity will need to be aware that to receive the best rates, you’ll need to sign up for a term contract, which isn’t required of Astound customers.

Perks and promos

Astound typically has a variety of intriguing deals to sway your attention. For instance, if you sign up now, you can receive a gift card for $100 to $200. And you may even receive a higher reward if you bundle with an eligible Astound mobile plan. It has a handful of limited-time offers, including 50% off your installation fee across all plans in some regions. In addition to this, most markets also offer one month of free internet service, but it’ll depend on your location.

Solid customer satisfaction

Astound doesn’t appear on either the J.D. Power US Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study or the latest ISP report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index. We’ve used these two industry benchmarks to track how broadband providers measure up with American consumers. This has become especially important as more and more of us lean on our home internet for work and school, not just binge-watching Netflix. 

At PCMag’s 2024 Readers’ Choice awards, Astound did very well. (PC Mag is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) It scored 8.1 in overall customer satisfaction, ranking it among the top 10 internet providers. It also scored well above the average industry score of 7.6. 

What’s the bottom line on Astound Broadband?

Astound Broadband is near the top of the class for cable internet providers. It gives you many options to customize your service, and its promo pricing is second to none. Yes, that significant change in monthly price after your introductory period is substantial, but to an extent, that’s mitigated by the lack of contracts binding you to those hefty charges. With no early termination fees looming, the power is in your hands to try to negotiate with Astound or seek services elsewhere after your first year. 

Astound Broadband home internet FAQs