Spectrum Ultra Internet Package
Spectrum Ultra is their middle plan (of three) and nearly doubles download speeds to 500 Mbps. It goes for a competitive price of $69.99/mo, no contract required. As with all Spectrum internet plans, there's no data cap either so your speeds will never be throttled.
Compared to other providers, including Xfinity, the Ultra plan offers pretty good value. Xfinity's most similar plan is their Fast plan, which is $50/mo for 500 Mbps. So, Xfinity is slightly cheaper but the lack of a data cap with Spectrum makes up most of that gap.
When it comes to equipment, Spectrum's modem is actually free to rent (a rarity in the industry). Most households needs a router for WiFi too. You can use your own (which we recommend) or rent theirs for $7/month. Their equipment isn't really groundbreaking so in most cases, get yourself a compatible router and it'll pay for itself after about a year.
PERFECT FOR: households with up to 6 connected devices that frequently stream or play games online.
To put this plan in context, here are all three Spectrum internet plans:
Spectrum Internet Ultra features
As far as internet perks go, other than the unlimited data, Spectrum's biggest perk are their public WiFi Hot-spots.
All Spectrum customers get free access to over 550,000 public WiFi hotspots. Yeah, their Hotspot network doesn't rival Xfinity's 26 million strong but it's still useful when you're around town.
Again, no data cap is a BIG deal for most households. Most other providers at this bandwidth have some sort of cap. Watch everything in high qualify HD or 4K without worrying about usage.
Save a few bucks a month with Spectrum's free modem. You'll still need a router -- if you don't have one, renting from Spectrum costs $7/mo.
What can you do with 500 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload?
500 Mbps is a bunch of bandwidth. Even a large household will be able to do just about anything you need. From live-streaming to high-resource online gaming, you'll virtually always be covered.
What happens if you momentarily exceed 500 Mbps? Your speed will be throttled but unlike a data cap limit, as soon as you stop downloading something, your speeds will jump back up.
See the table below for more common activities and their average bandwidth requirements...
Price, Fees and Discounts
Ok, now that we have a good idea on what the plan offers, let's dig into the price and see if it's a good value. We'll also lift the veil on any hidden or obscure fees/taxes. Mix in current offers and discounts and we can make an informed decision on value. For starters, these are ALL the fees associated with Spectrum internet plans:
Spectrum Ultra fees
Router (Advanced WiFi)
As mentioned previously, Spectrum's modem is free. Its "Advanced WiFi" router runs $7/mo. to rent. We always suggest you bring your own equipment but if you'd rather rent, it's a reasonable amount.
Activation fee
This is a one-time fee that's tacked on to the tail end of your installation. Whether you have a technician swing by or your do it yourself, you'll be charged $30 to get your service activated.
Monthly Tax
The inevitable service tax -- it varies by state but generally a few bucks a month.
Spectrum Ultra discount(s)
Auto-pay credit
As with most internet and TV providers, Spectrum incentivizes you to setup auto-pay. Guaranteed payments for them and you save about 10% off your bill. Good deal.
Sample Spectrum Ultra Bill
So, those are all the relevant line-items. Lets combine everything below (assumes you're using your own router and have auto-pay setup).
- auto-pay discount
- ($5)
What about hidden fees?
The good news is there aren't any. Everything is covered above. If you miss a bill, you will be charged a late payment fee...
- Late payment fee - if late by more than 21 days, a fee of $6.75 to $8.95 will be applied on your next bill.
How to get this plan
As of today, the Spectrum Ultra plan's best price and promos are below. Calling tends to be the best way to make sure everything is setup correctly right from the start...
- Spectrum Ultra Internet for as low as $69.99/mo
- 500 Mbps download, 10 Mbps upload
- No contract (ever)
- No data cap (with any plan)
- Access to Spectrum public hotspots
- Qualifies you for bundling deals with TV/phone
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
As with most internet providers, Spectrum internet qualifies you for ACP. It's a federal program that helps families get and stay connected. If your household income qualifies or you already participate in programs like Medicaid, SNAP or WIC, you can save $30 a month. That would lower the cost of the Ultra plan to $39/mo.
Those savings apply for the life of your time with Spectrum and can be transferred to other internet providers if you end up switching. Sign-up is relatively easy, so be sure to take advantage of the discount if you qualify.
