When choosing a new internet service, it’s always important to consider speeds, pricing and service terms like data caps or contracts. Another thing you’ll definitely want to take into account: any free stuff that comes with signing up.
Internet promotions vary by ISP and possibly even the plan you choose, but gift cards, streaming service subscriptions, free equipment and bill credits are among the most common offers I’ve seen. Below, you’ll find my top picks for the best internet promotions for the month of August. These offers are subject to change and they do change often, so check back regularly to avoid missing out on any limited-time freebies.
Top internet promos for August 2022
\n ","topic":"","ttag":"","searchDim":"article-body|listicle|image","variant":"article-body|listicle|image","viewguid":"","event":"listicle|image|1","correlationId":"","_destCat":"https:\/\/www.allconnect.com\/cart-redirect?provider=verizon&bucket=[bucket_name]&element=[precap_or_listicle]","productName":"Verizon Fios","formatType":"IMAGE","location":"LIST","position":1,"sku":"CNETVerizonFios","dwLinkTag":"article-body|listicle|image","selector":"#article-body #listicle-f6692741-3947-41b8-90d1-cdbe485094b0 .itemImage"}}” rel=”noopener nofollow” target=”_blank”>
Sarah Tew/CNET
How to get it: Sign up for Verizon Fios Gigabit Connection.
Verizon is really encouraging customers to sign up for gig service. In addition to free equipment rental, new gig customers can also receive an eight-piece SimpliSafe home security bundle, $300 off a Stream TV Soundbar or Soundbar Pro, plus the choice of a free Disney Plus subscription for six months and 2TB of storage, or a free MoCA Ethernet adapter and a $50 Xbox gift card.
The eight-piece SimpliSafe bundle includes a SimpliCam Wi-Fi security camera, a base station, a keypad, an entry sensor, a motion sensor, a leak detection sensor, a key fob remote and one month of Interactive Monitoring.
Worth over $300, that’s quite the offer. To get it, you’ll need to keep your new Verizon Fios Gigabit service in good standing for 65 days, then redeem the offer online within 60 days. Speaking of counting days, you may also want to keep an eye on that month of Interactive Monitoring — once the free trial expires, it will auto-renew at $18 or $28 per month unless you contact SimpliSafe to cancel.
What if you don’t want or need gigabit speeds? Verizon still has something for you, but it won’t be nearly as enticing. New customers who sign up for 500Mbps can get a $50 gift card, $200 off a soundbar plus a four-piece SimpliSafe bundle (which includes a SimpliCam Wi-Fi security camera, base station, keypad, entry sensor and one month of Interactive Monitoring). The 300Mbps plan expectedly comes with a bit less: a $50 gift card, $100 off a soundbar and a free HD Wi-Fi security camera.
Verizon Fios
\n ","topic":"","ttag":"","searchDim":"article-body|listicle|image","variant":"article-body|listicle|image","viewguid":"","event":"listicle|image|2","correlationId":"","_destCat":"https:\/\/www.allconnect.com\/cart-redirect?provider=hughesnet&bucket=[bucket_name]&element=[precap_or_listicle]","productName":"HughesNet","formatType":"IMAGE","location":"LIST","position":2,"sku":"CNETHughesNet","dwLinkTag":"article-body|listicle|image","selector":"#article-body #listicle-02303b8b-a425-4ea0-9d06-76c61137c405 .itemImage"}}” rel=”noopener nofollow” target=”_blank”>
Sarah Tew/CNET
How to get it: Sign up as a new customer and maintain service for at least 31 days.
If you’re in the market for internet in a rural area, you’ll definitely want to check out HughesNet. The satellite internet provider is giving away a $300 gift card to new customers with most plans. According to the fine print, the offer is not valid on its cheapest plan, 15GB, or the new broadband plans available to residents of New York: NYSB 20, NYSB 100 and NYSB 500.
The $300 gift card offer expires Aug. 31, so you’ll want to act quickly if you’ve been considering signing up for HughesNet. Keep in mind that service comes with max speeds of 25Mbps and a two-year contract, but no hard data caps.
HughesNet
\n ","topic":"","ttag":"","searchDim":"article-body|listicle|image","variant":"article-body|listicle|image","viewguid":"","event":"listicle|image|3","correlationId":"","_destCat":"https:\/\/www.allconnect.com\/cart-redirect?provider=frontier&bucket=[bucket_name]&element=[precap_or_listicle]","productName":"Frontier Communications","formatType":"IMAGE","location":"LIST","position":3,"sku":"CNETFrontier","dwLinkTag":"article-body|listicle|image","selector":"#article-body #listicle-93f8d21a-1983-4a0f-a978-fcb7850b7d34 .itemImage"}}” rel=”noopener nofollow” target=”_blank”>
Sarah Tew/CNET
How to get it: Sign up online for a Frontier Fiber plan.
Frontier’s promotional offers vary by plan. To get the grand prize — an “ultrafast” Wi-Fi 6E system and free activation — you’ll have to sign up for Frontier’s new multigig plan, Fiber 2 Gig. At $150 per month, the 2Gbps service is priced a bit higher than others, but the promotional offer does help with that. Frontier’s gig service comes with a $300 gift card while the Fiber 500/500 plan comes with a $100 gift card.
One caveat about Frontier’s special offers: They come with a one-year contract requirement, so you can’t sign up for Fiber 2 Gig, get your free Wi-Fi system, then cancel service without penalty. Even if you accept the $100 gift card, it will come with a one-year service agreement. Canceling before your contract is up can mean early termination fees that may outweigh the value of gift cards or other offers, so make sure you’re ready to commit before accepting any special promotions. You can opt out of the special offers when signing up for Frontier internet online.
Frontier Communications
\n ","topic":"","ttag":"","searchDim":"article-body|listicle|image","variant":"article-body|listicle|image","viewguid":"","event":"listicle|image|4","correlationId":"","_destCat":"https:\/\/www.allconnect.com\/cart-redirect?provider=att&bucket=[bucket_name]&element=[precap_or_listicle]","productName":"AT&T Home Internet","formatType":"IMAGE","location":"LIST","position":4,"sku":"CNETAT&T","dwLinkTag":"article-body|listicle|image","selector":"#article-body #listicle-6e88dcba-0a12-40ae-90b5-bd7e7c29a2f5 .itemImage"}}” rel=”noopener nofollow” target=”_blank”>
Sarah Tew/CNET
How to get it: Order any AT&T Fiber plan online.
AT&T is known for frequently giving away gift cards, and this August is no exception. All AT&T Fiber plans — that’s AT&T Fiber 300, 500 and 1000 along with the new multi-gig plans available in select areas — come with a gift card when you sign up for service online. The gift card offer is not available with AT&T Internet (a DSL-based service) or AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet.
Like with Verizon Fios, the best AT&T offers are reserved for gig service or higher. AT&T Fiber Gigabit, 2 Gig and 5 Gig plans each come with a $200 gift card whereas the two slower plans, 300Mbps and 500Mbps, come with a $150 gift card. All plans come with a bonus $50 gift card when you sign up online.
AT&T Home Internet
\n ","topic":"","ttag":"","searchDim":"article-body|listicle|image","variant":"article-body|listicle|image","viewguid":"","event":"listicle|image|5","correlationId":"","_destCat":"https:\/\/www.allconnect.com\/providers\/optimum\/internet?bucket=[bucket_name]&element=[precap_or_listicle]#header-shop-optimum-plans-near-you","productName":"Optimum Internet","formatType":"IMAGE","location":"LIST","position":5,"sku":"CNETOptimum","dwLinkTag":"article-body|listicle|image","selector":"#article-body #listicle-c66e3863-186d-447f-af98-c37508341d03 .itemImage"}}” rel=”noopener nofollow” target=”_blank”>
Sarah Tew/CNET
How to get it: Sign up online for Optimum 300, 500 or gigabit plans.
New customers signing up for Optimum internet 300Mbps, 500Mbps and gig plans can get a gift card in the amount of $100 or $200. Optimum 300 and Optimum 500 come with with $100 gift card while signing up for Optimum Gig will get you the $200 gift card. Optimum 100, a low-cost plan available in select locations, does not come with a gift card.
Optimum Internet
\n ","topic":"","ttag":"","searchDim":"article-body|listicle|image","variant":"article-body|listicle|image","viewguid":"","event":"listicle|image|6","correlationId":"","_destCat":"https:\/\/www.astound.com\/new-york\/internet\/","productName":"Astound (formerly RCN)","formatType":"IMAGE","location":"LIST","position":6,"sku":"","dwLinkTag":"article-body|listicle|image","selector":"#article-body #listicle-178f6a95-94e9-49ad-b02c-c5d670414fa4 .itemImage"}}” rel=”noopener nofollow” target=”_blank”>
Sarah Tew/CNET
How to get it: Qualifying customers in the NYC metro area will receive two free months of service when signing up for the 500Mbps, 940Mbps or 1,200Mbps plans.
Astound’s internet offers vary by location and are a bit all over the place. New York City customers can get the biggest payout — two free months of service just for signing up for one of the provider’s three fastest plans. Those who sign up for the cheapest plan, 250Mbps, will receive a free modem but no free months of service. Residents of the DC metro, Lehigh Valley or Chicago areas may receive a $100 or $200 gift card depending on your location and the plan you choose.
In other areas where Astound service is available, like the greater Boston area and various Texas cities, the only offer is free installation. It’s not much, especially when compared with a $200 gift card or three months of free service, but it could save you around $99 off the initial cost of signing up.
\n ","topic":"","ttag":"","searchDim":"article-body|listicle|image","variant":"article-body|listicle|image","viewguid":"","event":"listicle|image|7","correlationId":"","_destCat":"https:\/\/www.allconnect.com\/providers","productName":"Kinetic Internet","formatType":"IMAGE","location":"LIST","position":7,"sku":"CNETWindstream Kinetic","dwLinkTag":"article-body|listicle|image","selector":"#article-body #listicle-ef83325a-fd36-482b-aa8c-2d2480d11573 .itemImage"}}” rel=”noopener nofollow” target=”_blank”>
Sarah Tew/CNET
How to get it: Order a Kinetic internet plan and upgrade to gig service.
In select areas, Kinetic by Windstream is offering new customers a free upgrade to gig service for three months. Other locations may not be eligible for the free service upgrade, particularly those where Kinetic fiber is unavailable, but all new Kinetic customers can get a $100 instant credit when signing up.
Kinetic Internet
Internet promotion FAQs
Who has the best internet offer in August?
Currently, Verizon Fios has arguably the best internet promotion running, if you’re interested in gigabit service. New customers will receive free equipment, an eight-piece SimpliSafe bundle (worth over $300), $300 off a Stream TV Soundbar or Soundbar Pro, plus the choice of a free Disney Plus subscription for six months and 2TB of storage, or a free MoCA Ethernet adapter and a $50 Xbox gift card.
You’ll find the best gift card promotions from AT&T Fiber, Frontier Fiber, HughesNet and Optimum, as all are giving away high-dollar gift cards up to $200 or higher. If you’re looking for free service, Astound is giving away two free months of service in select areas, while Kinetic is offering a free upgrade to gig speed (a $30 per month value) for three months.
Is the promo offer worth signing up for a new internet service?
Promotional offers are all well and good, but they shouldn’t be the sole consideration when choosing an internet service or particular plan. The best bang for your buck will often lie in the plan that delivers the speed you need for the lowest price. Anything extra on top of that, such as gift cards or free streaming services, is welcome, but if it entices you into paying a premium for more speed than you need, the signup bonus may not have been worth it.
For example, let’s say you’re shopping for Frontier Fiber internet and are interested in the 500Mbps plan, which comes with a $100 gift card. Then you see the gig plan, which is $20 more per month, and decide the $300 gift card is worth the upgrade. After less than a year, the extra $200 you got with gig service is gone and you’re left paying $20 a month more for a plan that may have more speed than you need. In short, always try to go with the best plan for your needs, not necessarily the plan with the highest upfront gratification.
What other internet promotions are available?
Other than the promos listed above, there isn’t much worth writing home about. Sure, some providers have lower introductory pricing or free install offers, but that’s so common among ISPs now that they could hardly be considered “promos.”
That’s not to say that other special offers aren’t available, they’re just not as heavily advertised or may not be available to all residential customers. When signing up for a new internet service, ask the internet provider what other special offer they can throw in for you.
Can existing internet customers get promotional offers?
Internet promos are often reserved for new customers or returning customers who have been away for more than a year. That’s not to say a lower price or a deal on upgrading to a faster speed isn’t available, though. Try calling your current ISP and ask what it can do to keep your business. That may get you nothing, but it could get you a lower rate, free equipment or something else that wasn’t advertised online. Hey, you never know, it never hurts to ask.
