These internet providers are not truly unlimited but either offer unlimited data options or won't penalize you too harshly for going over your limit. While no data cap is ideal, these providers are a close second if you can't get the providers listed above.
Hughesnet: Hughesnet has "no hard data caps." What does that mean, exactly? Hughesnet plans now come with speeds of 50 to 100Mbps and a "priority data" limit of 100 to 200GB per month. If and once you exceed that limit, Hughesnet may lower your speeds for the remainder of your billing cycle to free bandwidth for folks who haven't yet gone over theirs. There's no overage fee, though, and you can add more data throughout the month if the slowed speeds are a nuisance.
Rise Broadband: Rise Broadband is a fixed wireless provider popular in many rural areas due to its ability to deliver internet service without the need for a dedicated phone, cable or fiber wire. It's also a popular choice for unlimited internet but if you want decent speeds, it won't come cheap.
How many members of your household use the internet?
Sparklight: Sparklight plans boast competitive pricing without contracts, but all Sparklight plans have a soft data cap of 5TB. That's a ton of data (the average household uses significantly less than 1TB each month), but if you do manage to go over, Sparklight may reduce your speeds for the remainder of the billing cycle -- but will not charge any overage fees.
Xfinity: Many of Xfinity's plans have data caps, and this cable provider is the largest internet provider not to include unlimited data with all its plans. But that's not to say unlimited data isn't available with some Xfinity plans and service areas. Service terms and prices can vary widely by location with Xfinity, so select plans in some markets may very well come with unlimited data.
For the most part, the pros of choosing an unlimited internet provider far outweighs the cons, but there may be some instances where accepting a data cap makes sense.
Pros
Cons
Some providers charge a premium for unlimited data, which could add $10 or more to your monthly bill. Others may only offer unlimited data with select service types or plans and, while the unlimited data may be enticing, it's possible that upgrading to a pricier plan could have you paying for more than you need.
Those instances are fairly uncommon, which means internet plans with no data cap are typically the better value. When considering internet providers, I'd always check out the ones with unlimited data first.
What uses the most internet data?
Streaming video, especially if it's in HD or 4K. According to Netflix, streaming in standard definition can consume 1GB per hour, HD can eat up 3GB per hour and 4K can use as much as 7GB per hour. Let's say you binge all 485 minutes of Squid Game in HD this month; that'll add up to around 24GB of data.
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Why do internet providers have data caps?
There's only so much bandwidth available, so providers may have to enforce data caps to keep everyone happy and connected. This is especially true with satellite internet technology, which has limited bandwidth. Consequently, you'll find the lowest monthly data allowances, by far, with satellite internet service.
In the case of DSL and cable internet providers, which often come with a data cap of around 1TB, if any, the providers largely just want to discourage excessive usage. If they were planning to make extra money in the form of overage fees, they'd lower the data cap from 1TB, which is typically far more than the average household will use.
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How can I use less internet data?
There are a number of ways to reduce your internet data use, including streaming in standard definition as opposed to HD, downloading music or TV shows instead of streaming them repeatedly and disconnecting unused devices from your Wi-Fi network.
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Source: cnet.com