Internet Service Costs Price History
1997–2025 · FCC / BLS
Average monthly cost of broadband internet service in the United States, tracked from 1997 to 2025. The story of internet pricing is really two distinct chapters. The dial-up era was cheap — around $20 a month got you online in the late '90s. Then broadband arrived around 2000 and prices immediately doubled to $40. Since then, it's been a slow, relentless grind upward, reaching $74 by 2025. The frustrating part is that while speeds have improved enormously, the cost per megabit hasn't dropped nearly as fast as the technology would suggest. Limited competition in most markets keeps prices sticky.
Price in 1997
$19.95
Price in 2025
$74.00
Total Change
+270.9%
Years Tracked
28
Internet Service Costs Over Time
Compare to inflation: The chart above shows nominal (not inflation-adjusted) prices. Use the toggle to switch to inflation-adjusted values when available, or try the inflation calculator to convert any amount between years.
Key Insights
- The biggest single jump in internet costs came between 1999 and 2000, when the average monthly bill doubled from $21.95 to $39.95. That was the broadband transition — dial-up was dying, and cable and DSL providers set prices that would define the market for years.
- Since broadband became standard around 2000, monthly costs have increased 85% from $39.95 to $74.00 in 2025. That works out to about 2.5% annual growth, roughly in line with general inflation, which feels modest until you realize most other tech costs have been falling.
- Internet prices briefly dipped in 2003-2004 as DSL and cable providers fought for subscribers, briefly pushing the average below $39. That was the last time meaningful price competition existed in most US broadband markets.
- The acceleration after 2015 is notable — prices went from $53 to $74 in a decade, a 40% increase driven partly by faster speed tiers becoming the default and partly by consolidation reducing whatever competition remained.
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Price (USD per month) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | $19.95 | — |
| 1998 | $19.95 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | $21.95 | +10.0% |
| 2000 | $39.95 | +82.0% |
| 2001 | $42.95 | +7.5% |
| 2002 | $41.95 | -2.3% |
| 2003 | $39.95 | -4.8% |
| 2004 | $38.95 | -2.5% |
| 2005 | $39.95 | +2.6% |
| 2006 | $40.95 | +2.5% |
| 2007 | $42.00 | +2.6% |
| 2008 | $43.50 | +3.6% |
| 2009 | $44.50 | +2.3% |
| 2010 | $45.50 | +2.2% |
| 2011 | $47.00 | +3.3% |
| 2012 | $48.50 | +3.2% |
| 2013 | $50.00 | +3.1% |
| 2014 | $51.50 | +3.0% |
| 2015 | $53.00 | +2.9% |
| 2016 | $55.00 | +3.8% |
| 2017 | $57.25 | +4.1% |
| 2018 | $59.50 | +3.9% |
| 2019 | $61.00 | +2.5% |
| 2020 | $63.50 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $65.00 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $67.00 | +3.1% |
| 2023 | $70.00 | +4.5% |
| 2024 | $72.50 | +3.6% |
| 2025 | $74.00 | +2.1% |
Sources & Methodology
FCC Measuring Broadband America reports and BLS CPI data for internet services. Figures represent the average monthly cost for residential broadband service, including cable, DSL, and fiber. Early years (1997-1999) reflect dial-up pricing before broadband became widely available.
Primary source: FCC / BLS
For a full explanation of how we collect and adjust data, see our methodology page.