Astound Broadband
available in 
Price: $20.00–$70.00/mo.*†‡§
Speeds: 100–1,500 Mbps
Data cap: 300–1,000 GB in WA, OR, and CA only
◊ Provider star ratings are based on user reviews and our independent customer satisfaction survey.
* Data effective 04/03/2023. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Read disclaimers.
Our Astound Broadband internet review
Feb 9, 2024 | Share
Astound Broadband is mainly a cable internet provider with some fiber options in certain markets. It operates four networks across the US, which were formerly branded as enTouch, Grande, RCN, and Wave. It’s a great deal for the money during the first 12 months, but the price hikes in certain regions may have you looking elsewhere for a better long-term deal.
Pros
- Speeds up to 1,500 Mbps
- Cheap promo prices
- Options for gamers
- Optional Eero whole-home Wi-Fi
Cons
- Data caps on the West Coast
- Limited fiber availability
- Price hikes after 12 months
Jump to: Plans and pricing | Speed and data caps | Fees | Installation, equipment, and contracts | Customer ratings | Astound Broadband vs. the competition | Bottom line | FAQ
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Compare Astound Broadband internet plans and pricing
| Package | Price | Speed | Type | View on Astound Broadband site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 Mbps Internet | $20.00–$25.00/mo. * | Up to 300Mbps | Cable, fiber | |
| 600 Mbps Internet | $40.00-$45.00/mo. * | Up to 600Mbps | Cable, fiber | |
| 800 Mbps Internet | $50.00/mo. * | Up to 800Mbps | Cable, fiber | |
| 940 Mbps Internet | $50.00–$60.00/mo. * | Up to 940Mbps | Cable, fiber | |
| 1500 Mbps Internet | $60.00–$70.00/mo. * | Up to 1,500Mbps | Fiber |
Read disclaimers.
Astound Broadband’s speeds: What’s best for you?
The best speed depends on what you need. Astound Broadband 940Mbps cable internet plan may seem like overkill for most homes, while the 300 Mbps plan may not be enough. Run our How Much Speed Do I Need? tool to see which plan is the best for you.
How fast are your Astound Broadband speeds?
Click below for a quick speed test and find out.
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Astound Broadband’s data caps
Astound Broadband enforces data caps in Washington, Oregon, and California (the areas previously serviced by Wave). Expect a 400 GB cap with the 100 Mbps Internet plan and a 1 TB data cap with its 500 Mbps Internet plan.
You can double your monthly allowance for $10 more a month if you need more data. Want unlimited data? That costs an extra $20 per month.
The 940 Mbps plan includes unlimited data.
Our favorite plan: Astound’s 300 Mbps Internet plan is a good deal for most homes—especially the fiber version if you can get it. There’s enough speed for a family of four with a few devices each connected simultaneously.
Astound Broadband manages four separate networks across the US: RCN in the Chicago area and the Northeast, Grande in Texas, enTouch specifically in Houston, and Wave on the West Coast. Plan availability and pricing depend on where you live—for example, you won’t find the 100Mbps Internet plan outside of Texas.
And while Astound Broadband limits its selection to four or five plans in each market, you may want to consider the long-term cost before you sign up. For example, the 300 Mbps Internet plan has an excellent starting price but increases up to $78 if you live in Texas—up to $148 if you live in Houston. Ouch.
Astound Broadband ongoing deals and promotions + bundles
Get $75 off your internet bill for each friend you refer to Astound Broadband. No contracts required.
New customers may be eligible for free installation and a free modem, depending on service area.
Astound Broadband internet fees
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* Washington, Oregon, and California only (Wave)
With the optional Home Networking service, a technician connects up to four additional wired and wireless computing devices to the internet, whether a computer, gaming console or printer.
The Home Networking install service includes the following:
- A gateway
- Ethernet cables
- USB adapters
- Add-in network cards for computers
- Computer setup
- File sharing
- Software
Astound Broadband internet installation, equipment, and contracts
Astound Broadband has an interesting selection that should appeal to every customer, like whole-home Wi-Fi and computer hardware for wired networking. However, you can’t get some equipment options in all service areas.
Astound Broadband installation and equipment
Astound Broadband’s pro install has a technician install the equipment you need to connect one device—the fee does not include wall fishing. Other fees may apply, such as a charge for relocating an existing outlet or installing additional outlets.
Cable internet customers receive a modem and a standalone router in most service areas. The optional Home Networking kit includes a gateway and everything you need for a wired network, like USB adapters and add-in cards for desktop computers.
You can opt for the Eero Pro 6 two-piece kit instead of a standard router—but each additional satellite costs $5 per month. Gamers can get NETGEAR’s Nighthawk XR1000 gaming router, which has great speeds even at long range and includes gaming tools like the ping heatmap and Geo-Filter.
Astound Broadband internet contracts
Astound Broadband does not have contracts. Instead, it offers discounted pricing for the first 12 months. After that, standard rates apply and vary from region to region.
Astound Broadband customer satisfaction ratings
| Overall | Reliability | Customer Service | Speed | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astound rating* | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.2 |
| Average rating* | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
* Rating based on a five (5) point system used in our customer satisfaction survey. Higher is better.
Astound Broadband ranks in the bottom half of every category in our latest customer satisfaction survey. For overall satisfaction, it ranks ninth out of 15 internet providers, placing it slightly behind the national average and rivals like AT&T, Spectrum, and Xfinity.
Its highest rankings in our survey are in customer service, reliability, and speed, the latter of which spans its cable and fiber internet services offered across all four of its networks (enTouch, Grande, RCN, and Wave). Its lowest ranking is in price satisfaction, as Astound has some of the highest post-promo prices we’ve seen.
In contrast, AT&T and Verizon are at the top of the price satisfaction category, as they typically don’t inflate prices after 12 months.
How Astound Broadband compares to the competition
| Provider | Plan price range | Speeds (range) | User rating* | Order online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astound Broadband | $20.00–$70.00/mo.** | 50–1,200Mbps | 3.5 | |
| AT&T | $55.00–$250.00/mo.† | 25–5,000Mbps | 3.9 | View AT&T Plans |
| Frontier | $49.99–$129.99/mo.‡ | 500–5,000Mbps (fiber only) | 3.5 | View Frontier Plans |
| Verison | $49.99–$119.99/mo.# | 300–2,300Mbps | 3.9 | |
| Xfinity | $20.00–$120.00/mo.§##* | 75–2,000Mbps | 3.9 | View Xfinity Plans |
* Rating based on a five (5) point system used in our customer satisfaction survey. Higher is better.
Read disclaimers.
Astound Broadband’s list of competitors is a long one since it manages four networks across the nation. On a national level, it competes with Xfinity’s cable internet, so both have specific speed and pricing tiers in different regions across the US.
Astound’s fiber competes with Verizon in the Northeast, although Verizon has a much larger footprint than Astound. In Texas and the West Coast, Astound competes with AT&T and Frontier, which currently have faster fiber speeds than Astound.
Read our full reviews of Astound Broadband vs its main internet competitors
Is Astound Broadband internet right for you?
Astound Broadband is a good go-to cable internet provider if Xfinity doesn’t have the speeds you need and you can’t get fiber. It offers speeds up to 1,200 Mbps, but you must use Astound’s equipment if you sign up for its fastest plan.
Astound Broadband offers fiber internet, too, but with limited availability. It competes with AT&T and Frontier in Texas and the West Coast, and Verizon in the Northeast. We suggest Astound’s fiber internet over its cable service if you can get it.
Unfortunately, Astound Broadband has two significant setbacks. It has data caps on the West Coast with extra fees for doubled and unlimited data. It also has steep, steep price hikes in some areas, with prices increasing seven times the promotional price in some cases.
Be sure to compare long-term prices against the competition (if you can) before you sign up with Astound Broadband.
FAQ about Astound Broadband
What are the best routers for Astound Broadband internet?
Any router will do when you select the 940 Mbps Internet plan or slower, but we suggest a Wi-Fi 6 model if you want near-gigabit wireless speeds. The NETGEAR router Astound offers isn’t bad, with great speeds at close and long range.
Astound requires you to rent its equipment for the 1,200 Mbps Internet plan.
Where does Astound Broadband offer fiber internet?
Astound now offers fiber internet in most of its coverage areas except for these cable-only locations:
- Philadelphia
- Lehigh Valley
- Massachusetts
Why can’t I use my equipment with the 1,200 Mbps plan?
For 1,200 Mbps cable internet, you need a modem and a router with a 2.5 Gbps internet (WAN) port and a CAT 5e cable or newer. Modems and routers with a Gigabit Ethernet port for internet stay around 940 Mbps in real-world speed—maybe a little faster on a good day. So, for those two reasons, Astound requires customers to rent compatible equipment for now—presumably, while it tests store-bought modems with its new plan.
Methodology
Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.
Disclaimers
Astound Broadband Internet Review
† Regional price differences may apply. No contract required. 24 Month Internet Pricing. Equipment priced separately. Includes $5 discount for 12 months w/ ebill & autopay. Observed speeds may vary. Excludes surcharges and fees. New residential customers only.
‡ Regional price differences may apply. 24 Month Internet Pricing. No contract required. Equipment priced separately. Includes $5 discount for 12 months w/ ebill & autopay. Experienced speeds may vary. New residential customers only.
§ Regional price differences may apply. for 12 months w/ ebill & autopay. Experienced speeds may vary. New residential customers only.
Compare Astound Broadband internet plans and pricing
*Regional price differences may apply. No contract required. 24 Month Internet Pricing. Equipment priced separately. Includes $5 discount for 12 months w/ ebill & autopay. Observed speeds may vary. Excludes surcharges and fees. New residential customers only.
12 Month Internet Pricing. No contract required. Equipment priced separately. Includes $5 discount for 12 months w/ ebill & autopay. Observed speeds may vary. Excludes surcharges and fees. New residential customers only.
†Regional price differences may apply. 24 Month Internet Pricing. No contract required. Equipment priced separately. Includes $5 discount for 12 months w/ ebill & autopay. Experienced speeds may vary. New residential customers only.
‡Regional price differences may apply. for 12 months w/ ebill & autopay. Experienced speeds may vary. New residential customers only.
How Astound Broadband compares to the competition
**No contract required. 24 Month Internet Pricing. Equipment priced separately. Includes $5 discount w/ ebill & autopay. Observed speeds may vary. Excludes surcharges and fees. New residential customers only.
†Speeds based on wired connection. Actual speeds may vary. For more info, go to www.att.com/speed101.
†Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Plus taxes & fees. Monthly State Cost Recovery Charge in TX, OH, NV applies. One time install chrg may apply. Ltd. avail/areas. Call or go to www.fiber.att.com to see if you qualify.
†Price after $5/mo Autopay & Paperless bill discount (w/in 2 bills). Plus taxes & fees. Monthly State Cost Recovery Charge in TX, OH, NV applies. Ltd. availability/areas.
‡ w/ Auto Pay & Paperless Bill per month. Max speeds are wired. Wi-Fi, actual & average speeds vary. One-time charge on disconnect applies. In select areas where available.
# w/ Auto Pay. Available in select areas.
§ Connect plan: For 12 months. No term contract. Taxes and equipment not included. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount. Prices may vary by location.
##Connect More: No term contract. Taxes not included. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount. Prices may vary by location.
Gigabit Extra plans: No term contract. Taxes and equipment not included. (xFi getaway required). Included up to $10 mo. auto pay & paperless discount. Package not available in all cities.
*Fast, Superfast, and Gigabit plans: For 24 months. No term contract. Taxes and equipment not included. Includes $10/mo automatic payments and paperless billing discount. Prices may vary by location.
