Like the undead, Time Warner Cable’s creeping internet fees are relentless, but they can be defeated. Last year TWC surreptitiously slapped on a $5.99 monthly fee for continuing use of the previously “free” cable modem in addition to the usual mystery rate increase.
This time, my rate-fighting strategy has adapted. Counter-intuitively, I was able to get a lower rate by upgrading my service. Going from Standard 15 megabit to the Turbo 20 megabit actually reduced my monthly rate. And, after checking their website for the list of compatible hardware, I bought an SB6141 modem of my very own (the SBG6580 has WiFi) to avoid the additional monthly fee. Best Buy had the modem listed for about $110 in store, but they price-matched Amazon down to $80. Overall, I ended up with faster internet service, a lower monthly fee, and the modem will pay for itself.
AT&T GigaPower or Google Fiber might reach my neighborhood in the future, but for now, I’m not holding my breath, and with luck I’ll have another year of solid C+ internet service before the fees rise again.
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