9 Best Bundles for TV & Internet for Seniors, Students, & More

This guide will compare and cover the best TV and internet bundles for seniors, students, and other use cases or groups.

I appreciate getting the most value out of my entertainment and internet packages. I compiled the best bundles for those who want to get both services.

Different areas I’ll cover include:

1. Best overall
2. Best internet & TV bundles for seniors
3. For RV owners
4. College students
5. Smart TV owners
6. Anyone living in rural areas
7. Cheapest television & internet bundles
8. Bundles that also give you access to cellular plans
9. Triple Play bundles (landline, internet, & TV)

Read on and find a bundle.

Best TV & Internet Bundles Compared

Compare all the best TV and internet bundles before diving further:

Bundle	* Price	Channels	Internet Speed	Internet Type	Best For
DirecTV Choice Package + AT&T Fiber	$124.99/mo.	185+	300/300 Mbps	Fiber	Best overall
Verizon Your Fios + 300 Mbps	$119.99/mo.	125+	300/300 Mbps	Fiber	Seniors
DISH Outdoor + Verizon Prepaid Data	$97.99+/mo.	Depends	9.0–56 (DL & UL)	5G	RV owners
Frontier Fiber 500 + YouTube TV	$94.98/mo.	100+	500/500 Mbps	Fiber	Students
Spectrum Internet 300 + TV Essentials	$99.98/mo.	60+	300/10 Mbps	Cable	Live TV streaming
AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet + DirecTV	$166.99/mo.	160	10/1.0 Mbps	Microwave	RV owners
Optimum Internet 300 + Optimum Stream	$50/mo.	50	300/300 Mbps	Cable & fiber	Cheapest
Xfinity Fast + Popular TV + Unlimited Mobile	$135/mo.	125+	400/10 Mbps	Cable & fiber	Best for adding mobile plans
Xfinity Connect + Popular TV + Phone	$100/mo.+	125+	75/10 Mbps	Cable & fiber	Best Triple Play bundle

Best home internet and television bundles compared.

The following sections will cover each bundle more in-depth. I’ll cover perks, additional fees, complaints, and who they’re best for.

#1 DirecTV Choice Package + AT&T Fiber | 300 Mbps: Best Overall

Price	$124.99/mo.
Speed	300/300 Mbps
Number Of Channels	185+
Provider Perks	3 months free HBO, Starz, Cinemax, & Epix
Equipment Installation Fee	$99
Why It’s The Best	Fiber optic internet with 3 months of free premium channels

You won’t save money by bundling AT&T and DirecTV. But order online and they’ll give you a $150 gift card until January 5th, 2023.

Other than that promotion, AT&T Fiber alone reigns as the champion because it’s fiber optic internet and provides the most channels. And you can’t beat 3 months of free premium channels.

It’s a great way to test whether these channel packages are worth getting.

As for the internet speeds. 300 Mbps download speeds allows over 12 devices to simultaneously stream 4K videos without buffering. You won’t need to worry about whether these speeds can accommodate your household’s online activities.

There’s also no equipment rental fees.

Here’s where AT&T Fiber is available:

California	Nevada	Texas	Oklahoma
Kansas	Missouri	Ohio	kentucky
Michigan	Indiana	illinois	Wisconsin
Arkansas	Louisiana	Tennessee	Mississippi
Alabama	Georgia	Florida	North Carolina
South Carolina

States that offer support for AT&T fiber optic internet.

That doesn’t mean they’ll support every city and county in these states. Follow this link to AT&T’s availability page and enter your address. From there, they’ll determine your fate.

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#2 Verizon Your Fios TV + 300 Mbps Internet: Best for Seniors

Price	$119.99/mo.
Speed	300/300 Mbps
Number Of Channels	125+
Provider Perks	1 free TV box, $50 Verizon gift card, & waivable installation fee
Equipment Installation Fee	$99
Why It’s The Best	Fiber optic internet and TV, $500 contract buyout, & contract-free
Deals For Seniors?	No

The Verizon Fios TV and Internet bundle work best for anyone who lives in areas with Verizon fiber support. The internet speeds are enough to satisfy most people’s online browsing activities.

Even if they spent all day downloading and uploading files.

For instance, streaming videos in 4K UHD TV1 is one of the most bandwidth-heavy online activities. It requires 25 Mbps download speeds.

I’ll let you do the math.

Verizon offers a 10-year price guarantee until January 14th, 2023. Get their service now, and don’t worry about price hikes for 10 years.

And order online to waive their $99 activation fee.

If your family already uses Verizon’s cellular services, you could bring down the bundle’s price to $94.99 a month. They offer a 55+ senior cell phone plan.

But it’s only applicable to seniors who reside in Florida.

Here’s where Verizon Fios is available:

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#3 DISH Outdoor + Verizon Prepaid Data: Best for RV Owners

Best Verizon Prepaid Data Plan	5.0 GB
Speed	9.0–56 Mbps
Number Of Channels	Depends on your TV plan
Why It’s The Best	It’s one of the few affordable options you have

DISH Outdoor costs $5.00 monthly. So long as you add it to an existing DISH TV plan. Or pay $57.99 a month. This is one of the few TV options for RVs or trucks.

The plan works best for anyone who’s tailgating or who drives trucks for a living. It’s also a great way to watch TV while camping in an RV. Or living in one.

Unlike DISH Network’s regular plan, you’ll get a portable satellite. Mount that satellite on your rig and connect it to your TV.

DISH doesn’t have any Outdoor plus internet bundle options. They recommend going with Viasat. But I recommend otherwise.

Verizon’s a decent option. It’s $40 monthly for 5.0 gigabytes (GB) of data. So long as you stick to watching satellite TV, you shouldn’t burn through this data. And don’t tempt yourself to stream Netflix when you’re bored with traditional TV.

Because it takes 7 hours of streaming 480p SD videos to use 5.0 GB of data [1]. Prepaid data plans provide 9.0–56 Mbps. You need 1.1 Mbps per device that streams 480p videos.

I don’t recommend using more than 1 device to stream videos simultaneously.

Unless:

Got an extra $20 to spend?

You’ll find yourself in a much better situation.

Get 25 GB of data for $60 a month. That’ll give you 35 hours of streaming 480 SD videos.

There’s one more thing you’ll need to buy. Something to host your data. Verizon allows you to host data without a contract through tablets, mobile hotspots, and PCs.

DISH and Verizon’s 5G and 4G LTE coverage spans the entire United States. You won’t need to worry about availability.

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#4 Frontier Fiber 500 + YouTube TV: Best for Students

New Customer Price	$94.98/mo.
Standard Price	At least more than $104.98/mo.
Speed	500/500 Mbps
Number Of Channels	100+
Provider Perks	$10 off YouTube TV for 1 year, free Wi-Fi 6 router, & $100 visa gift card
Equipment Installation Fee	None
Why It’s The Best	Fiber optic internet, unlimited cloud DVR storage, & no cable TV fees
Student Discount?	No

Frontier Fiber plus YouTube TV costs $94.98 for the first year when factoring in their automatic payments discount. This price doesn’t factor in sales tax, though. And these prices MAY vary by region.

Speaking of, where is Frontier available? Few areas. You’ll need to type frontier.com/local into your browser’s address bar and enter your home address.

If it’s available, here’s why this plan works best for students [2]:

• 500 Mbps speeds helps you download & upload project files faster
• YouTube TV doesn’t have broadcast TV or regional sports fees
• It’s great for gaming because it has 15 ms or less latency (allegedly)
• The cloud DVR enables you to record shows while you study or are in class

YouTube TV isn’t traditional cable television. It’s a live TV streaming service that requires 3.0 Mbps downstream bandwidth per device. But I can’t recommend any regular television bundles for students.

Because you’re likely trying to save money. And this is the best way to do so. YouTube’s TV streaming service also doesn’t require a TV box. No device rental fees.

Watch everything through your laptop or phone, no matter where you’re chilling. Whether it’s on a bus or in class.

Here are the states you can get Frontier Fiber in:

Alabama	Arizona	California	Connecticut
Florida	Georgia	Illinois	Indiana
Iowa	Michigan	Minnesota	Mississippi
Nebraska	Nevada	New Mexico	New York
North Carolina	Ohio	Pennsylvania	South Carolina
Tennessee	Texas	Utah	West Virginia
Wisconsin

States with Frontier Fiber internet.

Visit go.frontier.com/availability and enter your ZIP code to ensure they support your area.

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#5 Spectrum Internet 300 + TV Essentials: Best for Smart TV Owners

New Customer Price	$74.98/mo.
Standard Price	$99.98/mo.
Speed	300/10 Mbps
Number Of Channels	60
Provider Perks	One-week free trial of TV Essentials
Why It’s The Best	No data cap or contract & the livestream TV app is superb

Spectrum TV Essentials isn’t a standalone service Spectrum allows you to bundle. You must add it to your shopping cart when buying a Spectrum home internet plan.

Here’s the popup you’ll see:

You’ll stream all 60 of your channels through the Spectrum TV app. It’s available on most common smart devices (e.g., Roku). And it supports simultaneous streams on unlimited devices while at home.

2 on the go.

Live TV streaming works best for anyone who wants to watch TV while on a road trip. Or if there’s nothing eventful happening during a family get-together.

Why did I choose the 300 Mbps internet package to bundle?

Because it’s the cheapest. And 300 Mbps can support households with at least 7 high-bandwidth users. 4K streaming, for example, demands 25 Mbps of bandwidth per device.

300 Mbps can support 12 devices watching 4K video simultaneously.

Don’t order Spectrum, yet. First check whether they offer internet in your state by comparing it to this table:

Alabama	Arizona	California
Colorado	Connecticut	Florida
Georgia	Hawaii	Idaho
Illinois	Indiana	Kansas
Kentucky	Louisiana	Maine
Maryland	Massachusetts	Michigan
Minnesota	Mississippi	Missouri
Montana	Nebraska	Nevada
New Hampshire	New Jersey	New Mexico
New York	North Carolina	Ohio
Oregon	Pennsylvania	South Carolina
Tennessee	Texas	Vermont
Virginia	Washington	West Virginia
Wisconsin	Wyoming

States Spectrum offers internet.

To see whether they support your ZIP code, visit spectrum.com/services and enter your address.

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#6 AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet + DirecTV: Best for Rural Areas

New Customer Price	$134.98/mo.
Standard Price	$166.99/mo.
Speed	10/1.0 Mbps
Number Of Channels	160
Provider Perks	SHOWTIME, STARZ, EPIX, & Cinemax free for 3 mo.
Equipment Installation Fee	$19.95
Why It’s The Best	Reliable & cheaper than satellite internet in some cases

AT&T and DirecTV’s satellite TV and fixed wireless internet bundle works best for homes with 3 or fewer people and are in rural areas.

10 Mbps download speeds allow at least 10 people to simultaneously watch 480p SD videos without buffering. Otherwise, the plan’s speeds are good for text- and image-based online browsing.

Here’s a link to DirecTV’s channel lineup. On AT&T’s website, it says “DirecTV” in the bundle title. Since it has 160+ channels, I assume it’s the Entertainment TV package.

Look at the channel lineup under that package.

The biggest downside of this plan stems from the 350 gigabytes (GB) data cap. Once you pass this cap, you must pay $10 per additional 50 GB your household uses.

Your home could watch over 365 hours of 480p SD videos before breaking this data cap.

If this bundle doesn’t work, consider a DISH network TV package and Verizon 4G LTE home internet. For traditional television.

Or choose Verizon’s LTE internet and subscribe to a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV.

YouTube TV requires 3.0 Mbps download speeds to deliver buffer-free videos [3]. Verizon’s LTE Home internet gives you 25–50 Mbps download speeds.

DirecTV is available nationwide. Whereas, AT&T Fixed Wireless internet is accessible in these states:

Alabama	Arkansas	California	Florida
Georgia	Illinois	Indiana	Kansas
kentucky	Louisiana	Michigan	Mississippi
North Carolina	Ohio	South Carolina	Tennessee
Texas	Wisconsin

States where AT&T microwave internet is available.

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#7 Optimum Internet 300 + Optimum Stream: Cheapest TV & Internet Bundle

New Customer Price	$50/mo. (lasts 2 years)
Speed	300/300 Mbps
Number Of Channels	50
Provider Perks	1 free wireless network gateway + visa gift card
Equipment Installation Fee	$99
Why It’s The Best	2-year price lock

Optimum 300 Mbps internet and Stream costs $50 a month. However, it’s a streaming service and is available in 16 states.

I recommend this bundle if you have existing streaming service plans. It’s the cheapest bundle. But it doesn’t mean it’s the best.

The 50 channels it includes are apparently free with apps like Tubi and Pluto TV [4]. The link shows the channel lineup. Because Optimum is a bit shy about sharing theirs.

300 Mbps upload and download speeds are more than enough for most households. 12 different devices could watch online videos without any buffering. And the upload speeds are necessary if you frequently upload files.

For instance, it’s useful if you send people many large video files.

Optimum internet and television are available in the following states:

Arizona	Arkansas	California	Connecticut
Idaho	Kansas	Kentucky	Louisiana
Mississippi	Missouri	Nevada	New Jersey
New Mexico	New York	North Carolina	Ohio
Oklahoma	Pennsylvania	Texas	Virginia
West Virginia

States where Optimum internet is available.

Check optimum.com/services to see whether they support your ZIP code.

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#8 Xfinity Fast + Popular TV + Unlimited Mobile: Best For Cell Phone Plans

New Customer Price	$110/mo.
Standard Price	$135/mo.
Speed	400/10 Mbps
Number Of Channels	125+
Provider Perks	Multi-product discounts & sometimes free streaming channels
Equipment Installation Fee	$39.99 (self-installation fee)
Why It’s The Best	Offers discounts for multiple products, create coverage with Xfinity Mobile, and more

Xfinity’s Double Play bundle with a mobile plan add on costs $110 monthly for the first year. This doesn’t include sales tax. But it does include the autopay discount.

80 devices could stream 1080p FHD content at the same time. The upload speeds would allow at least 3–4 devices to run Zoom. And you could install and run a Ring Video Doorbell without issues.

400 Mbps downloads speeds are a bit much for households with less than 5 people. But it’s the lowest-tier plan that’ll give you a discount on Xfinity Mobile. It’s a Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses Verizon’s towers to deliver cellular services.

Think of an MVNO as a reseller.

I don’t want to get too deep into Xfinity Mobile. But they allow you to bring most iPhones and Android smartphones. And they support eSIM devices.

As for the bundle itself.

You’ll also get a butt load of discounts like:

You need a 3-year contract. I wouldn’t worry too much about the cancellation fees. More providers offer contract buyouts these days.

They could handle the early termination fee for you.

To not pay as much, consider opting for the 10-channel plan. Check their lineup first and see whether you’d watch any of those channels first, though.

Before getting Xfinity, know where it’s available.

Here’s a table to show you all the states it services:

Alabama	Arizona	Arkansas	California
Colorado	Connecticut	Delaware	Florida
Georgia	Idaho	Illinois	Indiana
Kansas	Kentucky	Louisiana	Maine
Maryland	Massachusetts	Michigan	Minnesota
Mississippi	Missouri	New Hampshire	New Jersey
Nevada	New Mexico	New York	North Carolina
Ohio	Oregon	Pennsylvania	South Carolina
Tennessee	Texas	Utah	Vermont
Virginia	Washington	West Virginia	Wisconsin

States Xfinity Comcast operates in.

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#9 Xfinity Connect + Popular TV + Phone: Best TV, Internet, & Phone Bundle

Starting Price	$90+/mo.
Standard Price	$100+/mo.
Speed	75 Mbps
Number Of Channels	125+
Provider Perks	Includes 20 hours of cloud DVR storage & X1 device
Why It’s The Best	Multiproduct discount & multiple freebies

During your contract, Xfinity’s Triple Play bundle costs at least $90 a month. I wrote “at least” because pricing will vary by region. Moreover, the above prices are for a 2-year contract.

Likely, the longer you stay on a term agreement, the more affordable your plan becomes.

And this fee doesn’t account for fees like:

• Broadcast TV fee
• Regional broadcast fee
• Equipment rentals
• Sales tax

The bundle works best for anyone who doesn’t use the internet much and wants a home phone service. It gives you around 75 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload speeds. Ideal speeds for homes with 3 or fewer people.

You COULD have more people simultaneously run things online. Like streaming videos in 1080p HD. But I play it safe when offering recommendations. The 10 Mbps upload speeds would allow you to run 1 Ring Video Doorbell and 4 Nest Home Security cameras.

When trying to “buy” this bundle online, their website greeted me with this error:

It appears you’ll need to call 833-970-2480 to get this bundle.

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How To Pick the Best TV & Internet Bundle

These sections will cover factors to consider when hunting for a television and internet bundle.

1: Check Channel Lineups

Compare TV channel lineups included in your television plan. If the channels you usually watch aren’t included, consider buying channel packages.

Getting channel packages will increase your package’s overall price per channel. And may make it less valuable compared to competitors.

We’ve compared channel guides and packages from some popular providers like:

• AT&T DirecTV
• Charter Spectrum
• Xfinity Comcast
• Verizon Fios TV
• Cox Communications

Before considering one of these providers, ensure they serve your area. Call their sales department. Or use the annoying boxes on their website that ask for your address.

2: Compare Pricing & Features

Compare the following before choosing a provider:

• Hidden fees: broadcast TV fees, price after 12 months, etc
• Equipment rentals: routers, modems, & TV boxes
• Installation fee: also check whether it’s waivable
• Perks: e.g., 6 months of free access to Disney+
• Discounts: military, senior, and other groups
• Channel packages: add-ons & their pricing
• Availability: whether they serve your area

Also see whether there are ways to bypass the hidden fees or equipment rentals. For instance, would they let you use your own wireless router?

It’s a lot of research. But you won’t regret your decision in the long run.

3: Only Get Internet Speeds Your Household Will Use

Don’t waste money on internet speeds your household won’t use. Find out online patterns your family or roommates have.

Do they stream many online videos? You’ll need 25 Mbps of downstream bandwidth per device that watches 4K video. 5.0 Mbps per person that streams 1080p HD [5].

100 Mbps download speeds would allow 4 devices to watch 4K. Or 20 to watch 1080p at the same time.

Here’s a table and correlating guides to help you determine what’s possible with varying plan’s internet speeds:

Download Speed	Best Uses
10 Mbps	Streaming 480p & 720p video
100 Mbps	Streaming 1080p video & online gaming
200 Mbps	Watching 4K videos
300 Mbps	4K videos & cloud gaming
500 Mbps	Frequent file downloads under 5 GB
800 Mbps	Frequent large file downloads
1,000 Mbps	Frequent large file downloads

Uses for different internet speeds compared.

Most internet providers won’t offer symmetric internet speeds. That means equal download and upload speeds. In that case, they’re asymmetric.

In every scenario, internet service providers will offer much higher download speeds. Upload speeds aren’t mandatory for gaming, downloading files, and watching videos.

But they are when using cloud security cameras (e.g., Ring Video Doorbell), uploading files, and using online calling software.

Say you use Zoom frequently. 720p HD one-on-one calls require 2.6 Mbps per device. Ensure you get enough upload speeds to support multiple devices using Zoom simultaneously.

An internet plan with 10 Mbps upload speeds could support 3 devices using Zoom simultaneously.

Most of the time, internet providers don’t want to advertise their upload speeds. I wonder why. Check the price details for the internet plan you’re considering. If you don’t see the upload speed there, head to Google.

Type the following into your search bar: “Xfinity 100 Mbps plan upload speed.”

You’ll likely find a mess of articles that dodge the answer. You may need to dig a bit.

5: Do You Want HD or 4K Channels?

Check whether the provider you’re considering offers HD and 4K channels.

Only consider 4K channels if you have a TV or monitor that supports this resolution. Otherwise, you’re wasting money.

Also, “HD” isn’t 1080p. It’s 720p. The former resolution is actually full high definition (FHD). A factor to consider optimizing your entertainment experience.

FAQs: Best Bundle for TV & Internet

The following sections will cover commonly asked questions about bundling TV and home internet services.

Wrapping Up

Many of these providers continually change their prices or have regional pricing. Which makes it harder for me to provide the most accurate price points for each bundle.

Regardless:

I recommended bundles based on the products and services they offer. Though, you’ll need to confirm they’re available in your area.

Before getting a TV and internet bundle, research each provider. We’ve created in-depth guides about most of them.