Is Bundling Astound Broadband Internet and Mobile Worth It?

Technically, Astound Broadband doesn’t bundle internet with mobile. It also doesn’t have an all-in-one promotional deal, as seen with Spectrum One and Optimum Complete. Instead, the only way to get Astound Mobile is to have Astound Internet already or get new Astound Internet service. You can’t sign up for Astound Mobile as a standalone service.

That said, there are no savings to be had here when you get both. Depending on the plan, Astound Internet is already discounted for at least two years. You decide on the amount of mobile data and the number of lines you need each month, and you’re good to go. You don’t even need to sign a contract.

But here’s the thing: Astound Mobile has limited availability. As of June 2023, it’s only available in Massachusetts and certain parts of Texas. We’ll list Astound’s current offers, but they may change when Astound Mobile becomes widely available to all Astound customers by the end of the year.

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How do you get an Astound Internet and Mobile bundle deal?

Getting Astound Internet and Astound Mobile together is easy. All you need to do is select Shop on the Astound website, followed by Internet + Mobile on the drop-down menu.

On the next page, you should see all the Astound Internet plans made available to you. The Mobile toggle should be enabled, so you can choose the Astound Mobile plan and all the phone lines you need.

Another way to add mobile service is to select Services on the main page, followed by Mobile + Internet Deals on the drop-down menu. On the following page, you should see all Astound Mobile plans with drop-down lists for choosing the Astound Internet speed you need.

What internet and phone plans qualify for Astound bundle deals?

You can pair Astound Mobile with any Astound Internet plan made available in your area. Below we list the range of Astound Internet plans and prices offered on the RCN network across the country.

Astound Broadband internet plans

Astound Broadband offers mainly cable internet and some fiber-to-the-home service across 11 states. It comprises four networks you may be familiar with: EnTouch, Grande, RCN, and Wave. The company’s plan selection varies by network and region, so we simplified the lineup to show your options in Virginia and Maryland, except for the 2Gbps fiber internet plan, which is available in California.

Astound’s introductory pricing is for 12 months at the very least, depending on the plan, and includes a $5 discount for enrolling in automatic payments and paperless billing. Your post-promo prices will be significantly higher, so keep that in mind when you add Astound Mobile lines to your internet service.

Astound Mobile plans

Astound Mobile isn’t offered as a standalone service. The plans listed above are what you can add to a new or existing Astound Internet service. Astound’s “by the gig” advertisement seemingly refers to the 1.5GB plan: You pay $10 per 1GB when you go over your monthly allotment. The same offer applies to the 3GB plan.

Technically, the two Unlimited plans are just that, but Astound may throttle your speeds to 768Kbps if you use more than 20GB in a month. The only difference between the two Unlimited plans is that Unlimited supports SD content streaming, and Unlimited Plus supports HD streaming.

Should you bundle Astound Mobile with Internet?

Astound doesn’t bundle Mobile with Internet at a discount. Instead, you add Astound Mobile to your Astound Internet service. For example, Astound’s 300 Mbps Internet plan paired with a single Astound Mobile Unlimited line costs $65.00 for the first year, which is $15 more than a similar plan from Spectrum.

Astound Internet and Mobile bundles

What we like—a simplified lineup for easy choices

Okay, so Astound’s long list of internet and mobile packages isn’t exactly simplified. In fact, it’s a bit overwhelming when we take a step back. But here’s the thing: You get a lot of choices. Don’t need tons of data? Pair the 1.5GB plan with Asound’s 300Mbps plan. Want everything Astound can throw at you? Option for the Unlimited+ mobile plan and 2,000Mbps fiber internet.

There’s no contract to sign with either service, so you can cancel anytime. Installation is currently free, a $79.95 value, plus you get one or two months of free internet service when you sign up.

What we don’t like—steep price hikes after the introductory period ends

Depending on the plan, Astound Broadband is inexpensive during the promotional period, which ranges from 12 to 60 months. For example, the 300 Mbps Internet plan costs around $20 per month—the price depends on where you live—but after 12 months, you could pay up to more than $140 per month (unless you live in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, where the post-promo price barely increases). Tack on your Astound Mobile lines, and you could be paying a hefty monthly sum for the long term.

Astound customers in Washington, Oregon, and California (Wave) won’t see extreme post-promo price hikes. However, Astound enforces data caps in that region from 400GB to 1,000GB (1TB), depending on the plan. You can opt for the Unlimited Data Plan for $25 per month or the Double Data Plan for $15 per month, which doubles your plan’s monthly allowance.

Beware the fine print—hidden fees and other limitations

When we first wrote this evaluation, Astound Mobile was a new service, so we only dug up a few little notable nuggets when we searched through Astound Broadband’s fine print.

Activation fee: Installation may be free, but you must pay $9.99 to activate your internet service.

AutoPay and Paperless Billing: The promotional pricing includes a $5 discount for enrolling in these two services. The discount appears one or two bill cycles after you get new internet service. Discontinue either one and your monthly promo cost increases by $5.

Limited availability: While Astound Mobile depends on T-Mobile’s network for cellular service, you cannot use Astound Mobile in areas where you can’t get Astound Internet.

Free month(s) limitation: If the promotion you choose includes one or two months of free service, they apply to the second and fifth months of service.

Network Access and Maintenance Fee: Astound Broadband charges a Network Access and Maintenance Fee of up to $9.77 per month that’s not included in the discounted pricing. The fee applies to building out and maintaining Astound’s fiber network.

Expert opinion: Cheap bundling during the promo period

Astound Mobile is a steal during the first one or two years, depending on the Astound Internet plan you choose. You can pay as little as $40 per month for a single mobile line and internet or up to $250 per month for the fastest cable internet plan paired with five lines of Unlimited Plus mobile service.

The real eye-opener is the post-promo prices, which Astound Broadband openly discloses on its Policies and Disclaimers page (which you gotta admire because most internet providers don’t). Some areas are exponentially higher than others, leading us to wonder if you’ll find a better option of pairing cheaper internet with T-Mobile’s standalone mobile service.

Astound Mobile vs. Astound Phone bundles

Astound Broadband offers landline phone service that requires Astound Internet to use, meaning all calls are made through your existing cable or fiber internet connection versus the traditional phone line. Unlike Astound Mobile, you can’t take it with you when you leave the house, but you don’t have a monthly data cap like with Astound Mobile.

Astound’s Basic Phone Plan includes 17 free features such as Caller ID, Nomorobo, and Voicemail. You get unlimited nationwide calling, too, and you have several options to choose from if you make international calls. Astound Mobile supports per-minute international calling as well.

• Astound’s Basic Phone Plan international calling rates
• Astound Mobile international calling rates

FAQ about Astound Internet and Mobile bundles

Disclaimers