EarthLink Internet Review: Plans, Pricing and Availability Compared

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EarthLink rating

How we calculated our rating

Pros

• No extreme rate hikes after 12 months
• Unlimited data, no speed throttling ever
• Fiber connection where available

Cons

• No introductory rates
• 12-month contract
• Speeds and network quality vary widely by location

EarthLink, once a leading dial-up internet provider, now provides fiber, fixed wireless and satellite internet connections in select areas. How can it offer so many unique internet services? Primarily by making use of the established wired and wireless networks of other providers, such as AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier, T-Mobile and Viasat. 

Piggybacking on other providers allows EarthLink to boast high availability and a variety of speeds, but that approach also leads to higher pricing. Shop around and you'll find that EarthLink's internet costs are higher than most ISPs, but give the company credit for transparent pricing and customer-friendly service terms, such as unlimited data and no speed throttling with fiber internet.

Since EarthLink uses different networks and connection types to offer home internet service, available plans, pricing and speeds can vary widely by address. I've listed an example of fiber-optic EarthLink plans below, but keep in mind that actual pricing and speeds will vary by location. 

EarthLink fiber internet plans

EarthLink's wireless internet plans vary not by speed but by the amount of data included each month. Service starts at $40 per month in most locations for speeds up to 25 megabits per second and 100GB of data. Higher data allowances, up to unlimited, are available for an additional cost.

EarthLink's satellite internet may offer a bit more speed than wireless, up to 100Mbps, but there's still a data limit along with a higher price tag. Equipment fees and installation can also run higher with satellite internet compared with other connection types.

Prices start high, but don't jump higher

With EarthLink, customers pay the standard rate right from the get-go. That means you won't be able to take advantage of any cheap introductory rates like you'd get with providers like Astound or Xfinity, but also means there's no looming price increase waiting for you after a year or two of service.

In some cases, EarthLink may be more expensive upfront but actually turn out to be the better deal in the long run. Take a close look at the introductory and standard pricing of other providers -- and how long you anticipate having service, if possible -- to determine if it's worth paying EarthLink's standard rate from Day One. 

EarthLink Wi-Fi, installation fees and data caps

Wi-Fi service is available with all EarthLink plans at no additional charge other than the equipment rental fee of $10 to $15 per month. The equipment fee is unavoidable, unfortunately, even if you would rather use your own equipment, so go ahead and factor in the additional fee to the monthly price when comparing EarthLink plans.

EarthLink installation fees

EarthLink installation fees may add between $40 and $100 to your initial costs. Actual fees will vary by location and the available connection type at your address.

In some cases, EarthLink's fee may be lower than the provider's (the one that owns the network used for service) professional installation fee. Many providers, however, waive the installation fee when you sign up or include installation at no extra cost. 

No data caps, no speed throttling with fiber service

One definite perk of EarthLink's fiber internet is unlimited data. You won't have to worry about a data cap or excessive fees for going over with any EarthLink plan, even if the partner provider enforces them. Additionally, EarthLink pledges never to throttle your speeds.

The unlimited data and no throttling stops there, however, as wireless internet does indeed come with a data cap and slower speeds once you've exceeded it. The best way to avoid the cap is to opt for EarthLink's unlimited plan, or choose a wireless ISP without any data caps, such as T-Mobile Home Internet or Verizon 5G Home Internet.

Comparing EarthLink to other providers

Through its partnerships with fiber-optic, wireless and satellite providers across the US, EarthLink is one of the largest ISPs in the country and thus is available in many markets where other providers also offer service.

EarthLink fiber vs. the competition

EarthLink fiber is, again, comparatively high priced. AT&T Fiber, Frontier and Verizon Fios have a lower starting price and faster max speeds with their lowest-priced plans compared with EarthLink.

EarthLink's gigabit service is priced higher than fiber providers including AT&T, Quantum Fiber and Frontier, but may be lower than gigabit service from cable providers. For example, gigabit service from Cox comes at a higher starting price than EarthLink -- and will go up even higher after 12 months while EarthLink pricing is more stable. Additionally, you're going to get much faster upload speeds with EarthLink fiber than you would with cable. 

EarthLink vs. the providers it partners with

In most EarthLink service areas, you'll also have the option of the fiber-optic provider EarthLink partners with for service. When comparing EarthLink versus the primary provider, it's often more cost-effective to go with the latter, but there may be some instances where EarthLink is the more desirable service. 

EarthLink customer satisfaction and contact info

Customer satisfaction outlets like the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power omit EarthLink in their reports, so it's difficult to determine how real customers feel about their service.

The Better Business Bureau does give EarthLink an "A-plus" rating despite a meager customer review score. At 1.09 out of 5, EarthLink's BBB customer review score is lower than most major ISPs. Many of the reviews (nearly 300 as of this writing) and filed complaints reference inconsistent speeds and confusion over the data cap that comes with wireless service 

It comes as little surprise that customers have an issue with speed consistency and reliability. With a variety of other provider networks supplying EarthLink's service, the connection quality may vary from address to address. EarthLink's outage history on DownDetector.com isn't great, often drawing hundreds of complaints.

EarthLink customer and technical support

Should customers have a problem with their service or issues with their bill, EarthLink makes it easier than most to get in touch with customer service and technical support. EarthLink customer support can be found online at support.earthlink.net, where customers can either browse popular topics or chat with a live representative. 

EarthLink is also one of, if not the only, ISP that gives customers the option to text customer support in addition to calling. Customers can call the EarthLink customer service number at 888-327-8454 or text 833-458-4360.

Summing it all up

EarthLink is somewhat different in that the ISP does not technically provide internet service but instead sells service plans using the fiber-optic, wireless or satellite networks of other providers. As a result, EarthLink plans are generally higher-priced than many other providers, but there are some advantages, such as stable pricing and unlimited data, that could make the cost of service worthwhile.

EarthLink internet FAQs