Monthly Price

This is the standard monthly price for internet service at the advertised speed.  This does not reflect any discounts that are currently offered; however, it may reflect introductory price.   If it is representative of an introductory price that will be noted along with other important details, such as the amount of time the introductory price applies and what the regular monthly price will be following it.

What's the difference between an introductory price and a promotional price/discount?

An introductory price is one that is offered when a new product or service is being introduced to a market.  A promotion or discount is simply a temporary sale on a current offering.

Additional Charges & Terms

This section of the label provides insight into additional (potentially previously hidden) monthly fees.  This competitor charges $7.00/month for Wi-Fi Service, a one-time fee of either $65.00 or $30.00 depending on how service is set up, and a list of fees if your payment is late and/or has to be reconnected.  Clear and direct information like this will give you a precise understanding into your actual monthly payment – not just the advertised cost. 

Discounts & Bundles

The section of the broadband label provides a link to any current promotions and/or packages that provide your broadband service at a discounted rate.

Speeds Provided with Plan

It’s crucial to understand internet speeds and the terminology surrounding it when looking at this section, as it provides a snapshot of expected download speed, upload speed and latency.  These numbers give clear insight into what you can expect from your internet experience.

Download Speed

The rate at which you can receive information – streaming, receiving an email and browsing the web.

Upload Speed

The rate at which you can upload information- posting to social media, processing payments and sending an email.

As you can see, both speeds are crucial to your overall internet experience.  Our competitor offers a high download speed but a significantly lower upload speed.  This will leave you possibly thinking your internet is just fine when watching a movie, but incredibly frustrated when trying to online shop or get any work done.

What does lantency mean?

Whereas download/upload speed relates to the amount of data that it can download/upload at a given point, latency is the amount of time it takes for information to reach a server and then return to you.  Even a high speed, such as 300M, with a high latency will lag and feel slow, causing a poor user experience for interactive experiences such as gaming and video calling.   A low latency is what provides you with a “real time” experience online.

For more information about Understanding Internet Speeds, read our blog here. 

Data Included with Monthly Price

If an internet provider has monthly data caps, this section will show you what it is, and how much you will be charged for going over.

Network Management Policy

Providers are required to provide links to their network management and privacy policies.

Customer Support

This portion of the label includes specific ways to reach the provider for customer support.