Brightspeed Internet Plans & Prices in 2024

Brightspeed Logo

Fiber 200

200 Mbps plans for $30/mo​
$ 30 Monthly
  • 200 Mbps download speed
  • 200 Mbps upload speed
  • No data cap or contracts

Fiber 500

500 Mbps plans for $50/mo​
$ 50 Monthly
  • 500 Mbps download speed
  • 500 Mbps upload speed
  • No data cap or contracts

Fiber Gigabit

1000 Mbps plans for $70/mo​
$ 70 Monthly
  • 940 Mbps download speed
  • 940 Mbps upload speed
  • No data cap or contracts

Simply Unlimited

Between 20-140 Mbps for $50/mo.
$ 50 Monthly
  • Max 140 Mbps download speed
  • Max 12 Mbps upload speed
  • No data cap or contracts

This is our roundup and review of Brightspeed’s home internet service.

Brightspeed has been making a lot of changes recently, and I’ve been keeping up with their progress. Now that things are settling down, I’m ready to show you the following key factors of their home internet:

Time to get started!

Brightspeed Internet Pros & Cons

I think the best and worst things about Brightspeed Internet are as follows.

Pros

  • Pretty affordable compared to the competition
  • There are no minimum contracts with any Brightspeed plan
  • No data caps either
  • Hidden fees are kept to a minimum
  • Pretty good availability
  • Responsive customer support

Cons

  • Limited options for plans
  • DSL internet can be slow and a little pricey
  • Very few deals and no bundles for customers

Brightspeed Internet Plans & Prices

You’ll be able to choose from one of the following plans as a Brightspeed Internet customer [1].

Internet PlanDownload SpeedUpload SpeedPrice per month
Simply UnlimitedUp to 140 MbpsUp to 12 Mbps$50
Fiber 200Up to 200 MbpsUp to 200 Mbps$30
Fiber 500Up to 500 MbpsUp to 500 Mbps$50
Fiber GigabitUp to 940 MbpsUp to 940 Mbps$70

Hidden fees and taxes are yet to be added onto these prices. Your actual bill will be a little higher than what’s listed above.

Brightspeed Internet comes in two forms. Here’s a look at each of them in detail. 

Brightspeed Simply Unlimited

Most Brightspeed customers will be put on one of the following plans:

Download speedUpload speedPrice per month
20 MbpsUp to 10 Mbps$50
40 MbpsUp to 10 Mbps$50
60 MbpsUp to 10 Mbps$50
80 MbpsUp to 10 Mbps$50
100 MbpsUp to 10 Mbps$50

The reason the price is the same no matter how fast the speed is is because you don’t actually get a choice. Brightspeed will simply put you on as fast a plan as is available in your area.

If you live in a rural area, you’re likely to end up with a slower speed. That’s just a result of the infrastructure available in these areas.

So, why would you choose Simply Unlimited over Fiber? Well, you wouldn’t. Simply Unlimited is a different type of internet called DSL. It’s an older technology that is slowly being replaced by fiber across the US.

DSL tends to be quite a bit slower than fiber. It also generally has a capped upload speed of one tenth of the download speed, but that upload speed rarely goes below 10 Mbps. 

But it’s not all bad. Brightspeed Simply Unlimited customers will be able to take advantage of these perks:

  • No data cap: Use the internet to your heart’s content, no matter what contract you’re in. A lot of internet service providers will enforce data usage caps for their slower plans, but not Brightspeed. 
  • No minimum contract: There’s no need to sign up for any more than one month with any Brightspeed plan. This level of freedom is also rare for a DSL plan, many of which come with a one or even two year minimum contract. 

I should note that the prices above do not include taxes and hidden fees. With Simply Unlimited, you’ll need to pay for a router/modem and potentially set up too. A combination of these fees could be up to $299. More on that later.

Brightspeed Fiber

Brightspeed Fiber customers can enjoy a choice of any of the following plans:

Internet PlanDownload SpeedUpload SpeedPrice per month
Fiber 200Up to 200 MbpsUp to 200 Mbps$30
Fiber 500Up to 500 MbpsUp to 500 Mbps$50
Fiber GigabitUp to 940 MbpsUp to 940 Mbps$70

Which of these should you go for? It depends, but most people should find the 200 Mbps plan more than satisfactory.

I found that 200 Mbps would allow for the streaming of eight simultaneous 4K movies. Based on that, I believe it would be enough speed for a large family.

It’s probably only really opting for Fiber 500 or Fiber Gigabit if you run a business and need to share the internet with 10 or more people. That is, unless you need to download a lot of large files. 

You’ll also notice how these plans have the same upload and download speeds. This is a common feature of fiber internet, and it’s great news for those who like to make video calls, game online or share files. Upload speed is important for these functions. 

You’ll also potentially have to pay up to $99 for installation and $200 or $15 per month for a router here. 

The Brightspeed Fiber rollout is coming on, but for the time being, it’s only available in very limited parts of its overall coverage map. We’ll show you those in the ‘availability’ section later on in this article.

Brightspeed Internet Contracts and Changes in Price

One of the best things about Brightspeed is the fact that there are no fixed terms for any of its internet plans.

You’ll simply be on a monthly rolling contract with whichever Simply Unlimited or Fiber package you choose. 

This is great news for those who may be moving house some time soon, or if you’re not sure whether the service is going to be right for you. You’ll be able to move on or upgrade very easily and quickly.

The only downside of this is the fact that your internet could go up in price at any time. Brightspeed only has to give you a short notice for this to happen.

However, we don’t see any rises in price happening too soon. Because Brightspeed is currently on a mass rollout, and because it has brought in a bunch of new customers through its purchase of land from Quantum Fiber and CenturyLink, it should stick with its figures for now.

Brightspeed Internet Availability

Up until October 2022, Brightspeed’s internet coverage was quite limited. However, in this month, Brightspeed completed the takeover of some 20 states [2]. Those states are:

AlabamaArkansasGeorgiaIllinoisIndiana
KansasLouisianaMinnesotaMichiganMississippi
New JerseyNorth CarolinaOhioOklahomaPennsylvania
South CarolinaTennesseeTexasVirginiaWisconsin

You can see these states on a map below:

Brightspeed Availability

Brightspeed was actually only formed in 2021 and has spent the first year of its existence working on this massive deal to land all this coverage. So, the map you can see above is actually the total coverage map for the company right now.

Please note that you won’t be able to get Brightspeed Internet in every square mile of each of these states. The map just shows which states it is available in in some part. The literal coverage map is going to be patchier than this, but it’s impossible to fully plot. 

The only way to find out if Brightspeed covers your area (and which kind of speeds are available) is by entering your address on the Brightspeed website. I’ll show you how to do this and how to place your order a bit later on.

Fiber availability

Earlier on, I mentioned how Brightspeed Fiber was more limited in its availability than for regular Simply Unlimited DSL internet.

That’s because it’s taken over a half-finished fiber internet project. And now, it’s working on the process of rolling out fiber to its entire coverage map.

But that’s going to take some time. For the time being, Brightspeed Fiber internet is limited to around 30-35% of its overall coverage map.

Within that 30-35%, the faster fiber speeds of 500 Mbps and 940 Mbps will be more limited still. You’ll be able to get at least 200 Mbps in these locations though. 

A look at updates over the web show that Brightspeed has serious plans to roll out fiber internet to many more locations throughout 2023 and beyond. So when we come to revisit this article in the future, the fiber coverage will certainly be looking a lot stronger.

If you don’t have Brightspeed Fiber in your area yet, there’s a good chance you will do fairly soon!

Deals & Bundles for Brightspeed Internet

Brightspeed only offers one actual deal at the time of writing. And it’s only available to Fiber 940 customers, the most expensive and least available of all the Brightspeed plans.

That deal is a limited time offer of a free modem/router and free installation for all new customers [3]. This could potentially save you up to $299. 

If you don’t stay with your Fiber 940 plan for 12 months, Brightspeed could charge you a percentage of this cost. 

It is a shame that there aren’t any ways to save money on the slower Brightspeed plans. A lot of internet service providers have more to offer in this department.

Of course, the fiber prices (and the lack of minimum contract) are a pretty good deal in themselves. However, we definitely would have liked to have seen a few more ways to save money, perhaps with the chance of bundling their internet and landline phone packages.

It’s certainly possible that Brightspeed will add some deals and bundles to its name in time to come. But for the time being, you’re going to need to look elsewhere if you desperately want a deal with your new internet plan.

For more info, read our article on Brightspeed deals.

Brightspeed Internet Hidden Costs

A couple of hidden internet fees apply to Brightspeed Simply Unlimited and Fiber customers. They are [3]:

  • Modem/router combination: To rent the hardware that gets you online with Brightspeed, you’ll need to pay $15 per month plus taxes. Or you can buy it outright for $200 plus taxes*. With Brightspeed Fiber, the equipment is a little different but it appears that you will still need to pay for it.
  • Installation: A one-time fee of up to $99 could apply to your account when you first sign up. Brightspeed will be able to give you a specific quote for your location when you first order your new internet plan. 
  • Late fees: If you miss a payment with any of the Brightspeed Internet plans, you could be charged a flat fee of $5, a percentage of the amount due, or both**. The amount will be decided based on the plan you’re on and the location you’re in.
  • Other federal fees: Some states charge other fees to all internet providers in the area, who then pass the cost onto customers. They can be ‘Cost Recovery Fees’, ‘National Access Fees’ and more. Brightspeed will calculate these for you.

*It is possible to get around this modem/router fee by opting for your own router. We put together a guide on the best routers to help with that.

**To avoid having to pay a late fee, I recommend setting up Autopay. With this, Brightspeed will automatically debit your account for your bill each month. That way, the only way you’ll be charged a late fee is if your bank blocks the payment for any reason.

Overall, the number of hidden fees for Brightspeed Internet customers is pretty low. A lot of internet providers have much longer lists than the one above. That just goes to show how good value Brightspeed actually is!

How to Sign Up for Brightspeed Internet

If you like what you hear, it could be time to get started. Here’s a quick guide on how to find out which plans are available at your address, and how to get signed up if you want one of them.

  1. Check your availability on the Brightspeed website: Go to the Brightspeed homepage and press the “Check Availability” button. This will take you to a new page where you’ll need to enter your address, then press “Start Now”.
  2. Choose a plan: If any plans are available to you, they’ll be listed right here. Select the one that sounds best to you, then proceed to the checkout. 
  3. Enter your details and check out: Just follow the instructions on screen to enter your details, including your payment information, and then complete your order. Brightspeed will contact you with the next steps in order to arrange your installation.

Should you have any questions or issues with the order process, you might want to speak to the Brightspeed support team. You can do this in a couple of ways. And interestingly, it appears that at least some of their departments are open 24/7:

  • On the phone: Just give the telephone number 833-692-7773 a call for any help. This number is good for both new sales enquiries and support for existing customers with their account or tech. 
  • Through live chat: Go to the Brightspeed help page and press the chat icon in the bottom-right corner. You’ll be connected to an agent if the automated chatbot cannot help you.

Brightspeed Internet vs. the Competition

As much as I like Brightspeed, it could be possible that another internet provider is better suited to you. I’ve compiled some of the top providers that are available in some of the same locations as Brightspeed to weigh them up, side by side.

Brightspeed vs. AT&T

I found AT&T to be better than Brightspeed in these areas:

  • Faster top internet speed
  • You can save money by taking up AT&T Fiber with AT&T Wireless

However, Brightspeed reigns supreme for these reasons:

  • Lower cost for internet
  • Less monthly fees

Brightspeed tends to be more affordable than AT&T for the most part. The plans are generally cheaper, and AT&T has a few hidden fees that Brightspeed does not have. But AT&T does do good deals with Wireless.

However, AT&T has much faster internet to offer. You can go up to 5 Gbps in some places, which makes it a better option for large businesses.

AT&T and Brightspeed are both in available in the following states:

AlabamaArkansasGeorgiaIllinoisIndiana
KansasLouisianaMichiganMississippiNorth Carolina
OhioOklahomaTennesseeTexasWisconsin

Brightspeed vs. Cox

Cox comes out on top in a few ways:

  • Free Fiber router and upgrades every 3 years
  • Free public hotspots all over

Brightspeed will still be the better option for those looking for:

  • No data cap
  • A lot cheaper

Again, Brightspeed is a lot more affordable than Cox, especially if you want to go for unlimited data. Otherwise, you will be stuck with a 1.25 TB data cap.

They offer the same top speed of around 1 Gbps and the price of the Cox version of this goes up after 12 months.

You can enjoy the choice between Brightspeed and Cox in these states:

ArkansasGeorgiaKansasLouisianaNorth Carolina
OhioOklahomaVirginia

Brightspeed vs. Spectrum

Spectrum will be a stronger option for you if you like the sound of:

  • Lower installation fee with self-activation
  • Getting a TV package alongside 

Brightspeed may be the underdog but it certainly beats Spectrum for these reasons:

  • Lower entry level prices for internet
  • No guaranteed price increase after 12 months 

I generally think Brightspeed offers better value for money than Spectrum. Its plans are cheaper and Spectrum actually increases the prices further after 12 months.

The only way that Spectrum is cheaper is that you can pay a lot less for installation if you set up your network yourself. 

Both providers have the same max speed of around 1 Gbps, so you won’t be missing out either way there. 

The only thing Spectrum has above Brightspeed in terms of features is wireless and TV packages. Although you can’t save any money by bundling them with your internet plan.

There’s plenty of crossover between Brightspeed and Spectrum. The states where both are available are:

AlabamaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaKansas
LouisianaMichiganMinnesotaMississippiNew Jersey
North CarolinaOhioPennsylvaniaSouth CarolinaTennessee
TexasVirginiaWisconsin

Brightspeed Internet FAQ

Here are a few extra bits of information you might want to know about Brightspeed.

What happens if I have an issue with my Brightspeed internet?

If your internet slows down or disconnects altogether, I recommend carrying out some troubleshooting steps. We listed them in this guide

If you get to the end of it and are still having issues, you can reach out to Brightspeed customer support by using one of the contact methods listed earlier on in this article.

Does Brightspeed offer internet services to business users?

There are fairly extensive business solutions available from Brightspeed. They don’t go quite as far with it as the likes of AT&T, for example, but there should be enough here for most small or medium-sized businesses.

If you run a large business, you might be better off opting for another provider anyway. Some providers offer much faster speeds, as noted above in the ‘Brightspeed Internet vs. the competition’ section.

Learn more about this in our article on Brightspeed Business Internet.

Will Brightspeed offer faster internet in the future?

Brightspeed has initial plans to start to up its fiber internet speed to 2000 Mbps. That’s lightning fast! I don’t have any further information on when this will happen yet, but I hope it’s soon.

Wrapping Up on Brightspeed Internet

In recent months, Brightspeed has really started to ramp up its game and has been turning some heads as a result of that. It now has much greater availability, plenty of plans and an exciting future ahead.

I believe Brightspeed offers its customers good value for money. Sure, you won’t get as fast speed here as you will against some of the competition, but most customers should be pretty content here.

If you’re not liking the sound of Brightspeed for any reason, or if it’s not available in your area, there are plenty more providers to look at. You can find out about many of them here

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Fiber 200

200 Mbps plans for $30/mo​
$ 30 Monthly
  • Enough for a familly​
  • $30-$65/mo.
  • No data cap or contracts

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