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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 internet review
EarthLink is one of very few internet service providers that offers extensive availability across the country using a variety of connection types. However, we only recommend going with EarthLink if you can get its fiber internet service. Unlimited data is included for all fiber tiers, and while EarthLink does feature steeper prices in comparison to other internet providers, you won't have to worry about any price increases down the line.
What is EarthLink?
EarthLink is one of the OG internet providers. Once a leading dial-up internet provider, EarthLink now offers fiber, fixed wireless, DSL and satellite connections in select areas as well as the broadest availability of any internet service provider. How does it offer so many unique internet options? EarthLink rents the established wired and wireless networks from other providers like AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier, T-Mobile and Viasat as well as networks from small internet businesses.
Piggybacking on other providers allows EarthLink to reach many people and offer 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 customer-friendly service terms, like unlimited data.
Still, EarthLink has some work to do with transparent pricing and is one of few ISPs still opting out of the Federal Communications Commission-mandated broadband nutritional labels, which are designed to show customers all of the expected fees and service terms for their internet plans. It's difficult to sift through EarthLink's offers without making a call to customer service. If you have the option of internet from AT&T or Verizon 5G at your address, you should just go with that instead.
Let's take a closer look at the service details.
EarthLink internet plans and pricing
Since EarthLink uses networks from different internet providers to offer home internet service, available plans, pricing and speeds vary widely by address. There are four internet options with EarthLink: DSL, fiber, fixed wireless internet with a mixture of 4G LTE/5G frequencies or satellite internet. I've listed an example of fiber-optic EarthLink plans below for the Alabama market, but remember that actual pricing and speeds will vary by location and internet connection type.
How many members of your household use the internet?
EarthLink fiber internet plans (Alabama market)
$40 | 100Mbps down, 100Mbps up | $15 monthly equipment fee, 1-year contract and no data caps | |
$55 | 300Mbps down, 300Mbps up | $15 monthly equipment fee, 1-year contract and no data caps | |
$75 | 500Mbps down, 500Mbps up | $15 monthly equipment fee, 1-year contract and no data caps | |
$90 | 1,000Mbps down, 1,000Mbps up | $15 monthly equipment fee, 1-year contract and no data caps | |
$130 | 2,000Mbps down, 2,000Mbps up | $15 monthly equipment fee, 1-year contract and no data caps | |
$190 | 5,000Mbps down, 5,000Mbps up | $15 monthly equipment fee, 1-year contract and no data caps |
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Source: CNET analysis of provider data.
EarthLink recently slashed the prices on all of its plans by up to $20, so we appreciate the competitive cost per Mbps on par with many ISPs offering the same services. Additionally, EarthLink occasionally offers a $100 to $200 pre-paid gift card with its fiber internet plans and various perks with all internet plans. Still, there are a few caveats with EarthLink plans you should be aware of.
EarthLink's wireless internet plans vary not by speed but by the amount of data included each month. Service starts at $65 per month in most locations for speeds up to 100 megabits per second and just 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. Although EarthLink does not explicitly list the fees for satellite internet, you have the option of renting your equipment instead of buying everything upfront. Note that overall fees run higher with satellite internet compared with other connection types offered by EarthLink.
EarthLink availability
EarthLink boasts availability in 48 states, with a 75% nationwide coverage. That's the most coverage out of any ISP in the country, followed by T-Mobile Home Internet and AT&T. You can use EarthLink's internet coverage map to determine if your address is eligible for service, but the chances of that are pretty high -- it just may not be the fastest service available at your address.
The only states not eligible for EarthLink services are Hawaii and Alaska -- for now.
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 other providers. For instance, cable providers like Astound and Xfinity offer internet starting at $20 to $30 a month, but on the bright side, EarthLink customers won't have to worry about any looming price increase waiting for them after a year or two of service.
In some cases, EarthLink may be more expensive than competing internet providers but turn out to be the better deal in the long run without the price increases. Take a close look at the introductory and standard pricing of other providers to determine if it's worth paying EarthLink's standard rate from Day One.
What to know about EarthLink's fees, contracts and data caps
EarthLink requires an equipment rental of $15 per month for its fiber internet and DSL plans, although that fee may change for its satellite or fixed wireless options. The equipment fee is unavoidable, unfortunately, even if you would rather use your own equipment, so go ahead and factor in the additional $15 fee to the monthly price when comparing EarthLink plans.
EarthLink installation fees
EarthLink is currently waiving installation fees for fiber internet, but installation fees will typically add between $40 and $100 to your initial costs. Because EarthLink is using equipment from different internet providers, your fees will vary by location and the connection type at your address. In some cases, EarthLink's fee may be lower than the cost of professional installation charged by the provider that owns the network. EarthLink's terms of service say that final charges for "Processing, Handling and Installation Fees" can add up to $400 but there's a good chance those fees will be waived.
Contracts are required
Unfortunately, EarthLink does impose one-year contracts on most of its plans. In fact, you can expect all fiber plans to come with a one-year contract. However, you have the option of a pre-paid month-to-month plan if you'd like to opt out of a contract (which we recommend). The pre-paid plan may be convenient for rural customers or customers constantly on the go. The early termination fee for EarthLink's contract can rake up to $200 and if you forget to mail in your equipment, you could face fees up to $400.
Also note that, like most providers, EarthLink requires you to call to cancel. There's no way around that so if you're trying to get out of your contract or service plan, make sure you prepare for that cancellation call in advance.
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, if you're worried about your ISP throttling your speeds, EarthLink pledges never to reduce your speeds for fiber internet.
Unfortunately, the unlimited data and no throttling stop there, as wireless internet does indeed come with a data cap and slowed speeds once you've exceeded your priority data. The best way to avoid the cap is to opt for EarthLink's unlimited plan or choose a wireless ISP without any data caps in the first place, like T-Mobile Home Internet or Verizon 5G Home Internet. To avoid paying for more or switching providers, you can also try manage your monthly data usage.
Comparing EarthLink to other providers
Through its partnerships with fiber-optic, DSL, 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, once you factor in the mandatory $15 monthly equipment rental. For example, the cost per Mbps of the lowest speed tiers from AT&T Fiber, Frontier and Verizon Fios is 17 cents per megabit across all plans. The cost per Mbps of EarthLink's lowest fiber speed tier (100Mbps) is 55 cents. That cost includes the additional $15 equipment charge, as AT&T, Frontier and Verizon waive equipment fees for their fiber internet plans.
EarthLink's gigabit service is priced higher than AT&T, Frontier and Quantum Fiber's gigabit tier, but that price is on par with Verizon Fios' gigabit offering and when compared to prices from cable providers, may be cheaper in the long run. For example, gigabit service from Cox comes at a cheaper price than EarthLink -- but it will increase by $30 to $40 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 with 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 from their reports, so it's difficult to determine broadly how customers feel about their service. There are a few outlets to turn to for a decent view of EarthLink customer satisfaction.
The Better Business Bureau gives EarthLink an "A-plus" rating despite a meager customer review score. At 1.08 out of 5, EarthLink's BBB customer review score is actually on par with most major ISPs. Google Fiber, for example, has an average rating of 1.16, while AT&T maintains a rating of1.10. Many of EarthLink's reviews on BBB (over 300 as of this writing) and filed complaints reference inconsistent speeds and confusion over the data cap that comes with wireless service. Although, things might be looking up, seeing that over 200 complaints have been resolved in the past year.
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. (Disclosure: Downdetector is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)
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 EarthLink's customer service number at 888-327-8454 or text 888-441-9144.
What's the final verdict on EarthLink internet?
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. But if you can get service from AT&T Fiber directly at your address, you should just go with that instead.
EarthLink internet FAQs
What kind of internet is EarthLink?
EarthLink typically uses a fiber-optic connection to deliver internet service, but may also offer wireless options such as 4G LTE and 5G Home Internet or satellite service.
The type of EarthLink internet available at your address will depend on the networks and providers in your area. EarthLink speeds and pricing will vary by each connection type and address.
How much is EarthLink internet?
Like EarthLink internet speeds, pricing will vary by location. Monthly rates on EarthLink plans generally range between $40 and $190 per month, plus $15 for your monthly equipment rental.
There are a few factors that can affect EarthLink internet pricing, such as available speeds and the plan you choose, along with data allowances in the case of wireless internet.
Is EarthLink dial-up still available?
Dial-up internet requires little more than a phone line and a compatible modem for service, so it's possible to still get it in many areas. The maximum speeds you get with dial-up, roughly 56Kbps, will leave you unable to perform even the most basic of internet tasks. So while dial-up may technically be available, the painfully slow speeds, not to mention the hassle and cost of finding a compatible modem, aren't worth the trouble.