If people are awake, there’s a 50% chance they’re online, according to a new report from Deloitte. On average, consumers spend 8 hours a day engaged in online activities.¹ 

With online access such a large part of daily life, some companies are stepping up to meet that demand. Social media mainstay Meta is looking to spend upwards of $10 billion to invest in internet infrastructure.² With its properties driving 10% of all fixed and 22% of all mobile online traffic,³ Meta is preparing to build its own private underwater fiber optic cable that could stretch across 25,000 miles. This would give Meta a dedicated pipe for global internet traffic.

Reliable internet is a must for many, with 46% of people saying they can’t live without Wi-Fi.⁴ The share of people paying for high-speed broadband internet service at home has seen a strong uptick since 2018, when 65% of American adults subscribed. In 2024, that figure hit 79%.⁵

The price to surf the web

In the U.S., the median price for internet service and equipment rental across all connection speeds is $78 a month.⁶ That expense can stretch some consumers: Empower research found that 56% of Americans rely on family and friends to help pay for internet and streaming services.

Recent price changes could help ease the bill. In November, the cost of internet services dropped 0.7% compared to the same time last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index.⁷

Over time, internet service prices have risen more slowly than overall inflation.⁸ For example, in 2022, general inflation rocketed to 9.1%, while internet prices climbed only 2.6%.⁹

Comparing ISP costs

In addition to paying less, faster home internet speeds can also boost people’s satisfaction as they enjoy entertainment, gaming, and Dreamscrolling from the comforts of their couch. With more than 91% of U.S. homes now able to access gigabit internet speeds, consumers could change the company they subscribe to or the level of service.¹⁰ Around half (49%) of people have said a major reason they’ve switched to a different internet service provider (ISP) was to get a faster or higher performance connection.¹¹

Leaping to another company can take some reading between the lines when trying to understand an internet provider’s fees, and more transparent sales materials aim to make the calculation easier. In early April, the Federal Communications Commission announced that broadband internet providers would roll out “broadband facts” labels, modeled after the nutrition labels seen on packaged foods.¹²

The broadband label acts as a pricing snapshot, with different line items for monthly fees, one-time fees, data caps, and the available speeds, plus other aspects that are important for subscribers to account for when comparison shopping.¹³

Staying connected

Home life is now an online life, as the majority of adults of all ages are paying for broadband access at home in 2024:¹⁴

• Ages 18-29: 77%
• 30-49: 87%
• 50-64: 82%
• 65+: 70%

The internet’s impact has helped consumers meet their everyday needs with more options, such as with food delivery at home and online shopping. In the third quarter of 2024, U.S. e-commerce sales made up 15.6% of total sales, a 7.5% jump compared to the same time in 2023.¹⁵ More than a third of Americans find value in paying for convenience: 36% of people would rather pay more to get an item delivered instead of driving 10 minutes to get it themselves, according to Empower research.

People also depend on online access for their health, too: In a 2022 survey, 39.3% of U.S. adults reported using telehealth during the past 12 months, with 18.5% specifically using video-based telehealth.¹⁶

Investing time and money

As the internet continues to link both life’s practical tasks and leisure activities, consumers should keep tabs on the smartest ways to use their time to both save on internet service and maximize their budget.