MetroNet Internet Review

Looking for a fiber internet connection with flexible contracts in the Midwest? MetroNet could be your perfect match.

Just know that your prices will frequently increase—and that it’s not clear what you’re getting customer servicewise.

Looking to save a few bucks on your MetroNet internet? Here are the deals you’re looking for:

Like many internet providers, MetroNet uses promotional pricing. That means that the price you sign up for isn’t actually the price you’ll pay during most of your internet service.

Even with promotional pricing, MetroNet doesn't have the cheapest internet starting prices. The 100 Mb Internet plan in particular charges a disproportionately high amount of money. You pay $0.40 per Mbps while some fiber plans charge as little as $0.08. And that’s before the six-month price hikes!

The 500 Mb plan starter price is definitely the better deal: around $0.10 per Mbps.

MetroNet also has some added fees. The technology service fee covers equipment rental and any technician visits during your service period. You’ll also pay $10 more a month if you want a static IP address.

MetroNet also advertises a monthly fee for “WholeHome Wi-Fi.” The website says, MetroNet “WholeHome Wi-Fi blankets your entire home with consistent reliable signal strength.”

It makes us a little uneasy that you apparently have to pay extra for a consistent, reliable Wi-Fi signal throughout your whole home. Isn’t that what you’re signing up for with any internet service provider? But maybe paying extra is a way to guarantee you won’t have outages or slowdowns.

We suggest discussing with MetroNet to understand precisely what you're getting before you buy MetroNet WholeHome Wi-Fi.

If you go with MetroNet, you may see price hikes at 6, 12, 18, or 24 months of service (depending on the plan).

With the 100 Mb Internet plan, you’ll start off paying $39.95 for 100 Mbps. After six months, you’ll pay $49.95 each month, and after 12 months, you’ll pay $59.95 a month. Finally, at 24 months, your monthly fee will go up to $69.95.

With the 500 Mb plan, at six months, your payments will jump up from $49.95 each month to $69.95. At 18 months, they’ll jump up again to $89.95 a month.

For context, that’s a nearly 100% increase from where you start with both plans. So be wary, because if money is tight, your internet could quickly go from affordable to astronomical.

Because MetroNet doesn’t have contracts, you can cancel at any time, including before a price hike. Just know that cancellation might take a hot minute because MetroNet customer support will try to convince you to stay.

We also don’t necessarily recommend installing MetroNet with the intention of canceling a year or two in. Some MetroNet reviews with Consumer Affairs, the BBB, and Yelp suggest that the fiber cable installation process is cumbersome, and it’s probably not worth it if you cancel six months down the line. Just some food for thought.

MetroNet is available in parts of the Midwest. If Laura Ingalls Wilder ever lived in your state, you have a good chance of getting MetroNet.

Or, to be more precise, MetroNet’s currently available in:

• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kentucky
• Michigan
• Minnesota

Compared to other fiber providers, MetroNet doesn’t look great. It starts off pretty expensive, and its prices only go up. It’s also not widely available and doesn’t offer anything that gives it a competitive edge.

Most fiber competitors offer more Mbps and unlimited data caps for lower prices than MetroNet. Most also don’t use promotional prices and are available in more areas.

The most comparable provider to MetroNet is Astound Broadband, which also uses promotional prices and has a starter plan priced similarly to the MetroNet 100 Mb Internet plan. But Astound is only available in Texas, giving MetroNet a slight edge.

In fact, a lot of areas don’t have many fiber options. If MetroNet is your only fiber offering available, we think it could be worth it until another competitor comes to town.

• Xfinity Review
• AT&T Review
• Verizon Fios Home Internet Review
• CenturyLink Review
• Astound Broadband, Powered by Grande Review

MetroNet offers high-speed internet with all its plans. However, you may not always get the advertised speed. Before getting MetroNet, it’s probably wise to check with existing customers in your area to see if they’re reaching their MetroNet internet plan’s full capacity.

MetroNet no longer has the Ultimate Internet 1 Gig (1,000 Mbps) plan. While that’s disappointing, many MetroNet customers complain of never reaching top speed.¹ Hopefully, by offering slower plans, MetroNet can better keep up.

Most users aren’t as concerned with upload speeds as with download speeds. But if you’re into live streaming or need to upload large files to websites, you’ll appreciate having upload speeds just as fast as your download speeds—otherwise known as symmetrical speeds.

MetroNet internet has no data caps! You can use as much data as you want—the trick is just getting your internet to go fast enough for long enough to really enjoy this perk.

With MetroNet, you won’t have a contract, and MetroNet provides the equipment. You’ll pay at least one monthly fee, though.

MetroNet offers you all the equipment you need, and technicians professionally install your router, set-top box, fiber cable, etc. To fully complete the installation, technicians will likely need access to both inside and outside your home.

You technically aren’t getting free equipment—the technology service fee also acts as a rental fee. But it’s nice not to go out and personally select or install the Wi-Fi equipment yourself.

MetroNet has several potential fees on top of your regular monthly payment.

• Technology service fee: $9.95/mo. for your equipment and any technician visits you might require. This fee is mandatory.
• Static IP address fee: $10.00/mo. if you don’t want a dynamic (changing) IP address. This fee is optional.
• WholeHome Wi-Fi fee: Starts at $9.95/mo. if you want WholeHome Wi-Fi. This fee is also optional.

The last time we reviewed MetroNet, we noted that MetroNet (as part of the category “All Others”) scored 64 out of 100. That’s a solid D. Sadly, that score is now down to 62.

So why aren’t folks satisfied with MetroNet? From the reviews we’ve seen, it seems it’s a matter of inconsistent customer service. We’ve seen people super pumped about MetroNet’s technicians, installations, speed,  and customer support representatives—but we’ve also seen people who felt let down by their experiences with MetroNet.

If you’re thinking about MetroNet but aren’t sure if the customer service will work for you, the MetroNet Reddit sub is a great way to dive into both the negative and the positive.

We won't say MetroNet is the very best fiber provider out there, but it may be the best choice for you if you're in the Midwest.

• Prices and plans: MetroNet is pretty expensive for what the plans offer, and its prices keep going up after promotions are over.
• Speed: MetroNet offers high speed with every plan, although you’ll max out at 500 Mbps.
• Data caps: There are no data caps with MetroNet, so you don’t have to worry about overage charges.
• Contracts, equipment, and fees: MetroNet has no contracts and offers equipment but has a few fees.
• Customer service: MetroNet customer service is inconsistent both by anecdotal evidence and ACSI ratings.

As we dug into MetroNet internet, we considered the following:

1. Prices and plans
2. Speed
3. Data caps
4. Contracts, equipment, and fees
5. Customer service

We looked at MetroNet’s website and tons of customer reviews as well as the ACSI’s ratings.

Sources