Point Broadband Internet Review: Plans, Pricing, Speed and Availability

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Point Broadband is headquartered in Alabama, but its fiber-optic coverage extends across 10 states:

Customers can also find coverage in major cities like Opelika, Alabama and Gainesville, Georgia.

While speeds can vary based on where you are on the coverage map, customers can sign up for service in a handful of Point Broadband’s established service areas:

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

What kind of internet connection does Point Broadband offer?

Point Broadband touts a 100% fiber-optic connection. This might be the case for most households, but very select communities in Michigan and Georgia have access to its lesser-known fixed wireless 5G plans.

According to the latest data from the Federal Communications Commission, Point Broadband’s internet coverage consists mostly of fiber connections, offering 0.264 of unit coverage, but its fixed wireless connection provides only 0.117% of unit coverage. Residents in Bainbridge, Georgia, can expect to see 70% of coverage. Other nearby cities like Conlquitt and Donalsonville will also have some availability.

Meanwhile, coverage is limited for residents outside Grand Rapids, Michigan, near Cannon Township. If you go further up west of Michigan, about 94% of households in Big Rapids have coverage.

The company has made strides in expanding its fiber network to new markets in Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Michigan and New York. That said, the fiber plans are always the optimal choice. But if you live in one of the select areas that can access Point Broadband’s fixed wireless plans, you can anticipate max speeds of around 200Mbps. In addition, if you want to avoid the slow and inconsistent speeds of DSL and satellite internet connections, a fixed wireless connection from Point Broadband is a decent alternative.

Point Broadband internet speeds and pricing

Point Broadband features competitive rates for its three main offerings: 300Mbps for $59 monthly, 500Mbps for $69 and the top-end gigabit tier for $59 or $89 per month. Note that some locations may have higher pricing, up to $89 for gig service, if you sign up without auto-pay.

Plans come with a three-year price guarantee, which not all ISPs can match. What should you expect after those first 36 months? While the standard rates of these plans will vary by location, customers may see their monthly bill increase by $30 or more once the price guarantee expires.

In addition to the flat rate, Point Broadband offers symmetrical download and upload speeds of up to 1 gigabit. Some areas may have access to its multi-gigabit tiers, but these are only available to select households. How much speed do you actually need?

According to OpenVault’s first quarter 2024 report, over a third of Americans use the internet at gigabit speeds, which is a 20% increase from the previous year. Conversely, a sharp decline of 31% was seen for those using speeds of 200Mbps and below. It’s safe to say that Point Broadband’s gigabit tier should be enough for your household.

Straightforward terms for Point Broadband internet

Point Broadband’s services are fairly simple: There are no data caps or contracts. There are some things you should look out for. Let’s examine the details more closely.

Additional monthly fees

Point Broadband supplies customers with an Optical Network Unit, which acts similar to a modem. Renting a router may add $14 to your bill, but select locations may get free equipment rental at no extra cost. There’s also the option to use your own router, preferably a Wi-Fi 6 router or better, and skip the fee.

Customers should also be aware of an $8 monthly charge that you can incur. The Point Guard Care Plan is essentially insurance in the case of equipment damages and other service disruptions. It’s not a mandatory fee — you can opt out at any time, including at signup.

One-time installation fees

Your initial monthly bill could rack up quickly when starting service. Standard professional installation will cost you $150. Residents in select areas may receive a promotional offer that includes free installation.

No data caps

Unlike many cable internet providers, such as Xfinity and Mediacom, Point Broadband does not enforce data caps on any of its plans. That means you don’t have to worry about your overage fees or having Point Broadband throttle your speeds once you hit some arbitrary data threshold.

Money-back guarantee

Point Broadband does not require a long-term contract. For a limited time, it is offering new customers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Point Broadband vs. competitors: Middle of the road customer satisfaction

With its customer reach mainly limited to rural areas, Point Broadband did not place on The American Customer Satisfaction Index or the J.D. Power survey. The Better Business Bureau offers some perspective. It ranked Point Broadband with an average score of 1.3 out of 5 stars, which doesn’t seem great on the surface but is decent for an ISP. To be fair, it resolved 33 complaints in the last three years. Finally, Point Broadband took home an A-minus rating, which might seem promising, but Frontier Fiber topped it with an A rating.

Reddit users helped shed some light on a couple of issues, such as frequent outages, miscommunication in customer service and disruptions when setting up service.

What’s the bottom line on Point Broadband?

If you reside in a rural area or small town, you might have had to settle for the slow speeds from DSL and satellite connections. Point Broadband’s fiber offerings, featuring symmetrical speeds up to a gig, and its competitive pricing make it a solid choice.

Point Broadband internet FAQs