There are hundreds of internet service providers, and each of them claims to be the best internet service provider in the town. However, you cannot decide to purchase the services of an ISP solely based upon their claims because if you do, then you may end up buying the services of a bad ISP. So, to help you out in making a wise decision, we are sharing with you five things that you must keep in mind when you compare different internet service providers and their offerings.
Hidden Costs and Their Terms & Conditions
Internet service providers try to attract new customers towards them by making their offerings look attractive and eye-catching. But you must go through all the terms and conditions of the service contract to make sure there are no hidden costs or tricky clauses in it. For example, there might be a long notice period clause in the contract, which may stop you from canceling your ISP’s services. So, make sure that you go through all the terms and conditions of your ISP’s service contract before purchasing his services.
Installation Costs and Hardware Requirements
When comparing offers of different internet service providers, make sure you check the hardware requirements and the installation cost that you would have to pay for getting their services. This tip can be beneficial and can help you save lots of money too.
For example, if your existing Wi-Fi router is compatible and can work with your new internet connection, then you don’t have to spend additional money on purchasing a new modem or Wi-Fi router to use the internet services of your new ISP. So, do check basic hardware requirements and the installation cost that you would have to pay to get an internet connection from your new ISP.
Note: Some internet service providers offer free installation and free modem/Wi-Fi router to attract new customers towards them, but you may have to sign a long-term contract with your ISP for this.
Pay Attention to Download and Upload Speed
Lots of internet service providers, including those who provide a fiber internet connection, offer internet services with high download speed and low upload speed. Yes, it may not affect most normal internet users who use their internet connection for streaming or downloading. But if you are someone who also uses cloud storage services, then you should also consider the upload speed, which is being offered by your ISP to ensure that you can use your cloud storage services or any other service that may require good upload speed.
Data Cap and Throttling Policy
Almost every ISP advertises high download speed for its customers, but usually, there’s a hidden catch behind these claims of internet service providers. For example, your ISP might have a fair use policy due to which they may reduce your internet speed if they feel that your current internet usage might affect other users. Besides this, your ISP plans may have data limits or data caps, after which your ISP will slow down your internet speed till the next billing cycle. So, do ask your ISP about data caps and their throttling policy, if any, before buying his internet services.
Downtime and Customer Support
Downtime and customer support are some of the most critical factors that you must consider before buying the services of an ISP. Why? Because ISP can make big claims to make you buy their services. But the truth is only revealed when you have purchased their services. However, you can avoid these kinds of situations by checking out consumer sites and reading the reviews of your shortlisted internet service providers. You can also ask your friend or neighbor about the download speed, downtime, and after-sale services of an ISP if he/she is already an existing subscriber.
Conclusion
Finding a good internet service provider is not that easy, especially when there are hundreds of them in the market. However, if we keep in our minds the things that we discussed above, we can make a wise decision and ensure that we don’t end up buying the services of a bad internet service provider.
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