Optimum
Cable and fiber · 300–8,000 Mbps
Optimum serves the New York metropolitan area and pockets of the South and West, running cable in most of its footprint and fiber in the areas it has upgraded. Plans start at 300 Mbps and reach 8 Gbps on fiber, with no data cap and no annual contract. Optimum attaches a three- or five-year price lock to each tier, and the gateway is included for the first twelve months before a monthly charge begins.
Is Optimum available at your address?
Optimum plans and pricing
The cheapest and fastest plans Optimum advertises. Availability varies by address — check your own ZIP code to see which of these can actually be ordered where you live.
-
1 Gig Internet
Internet
$25
per month
- Download
- 940 Mbps
- Data
- Unlimited
- Three-year price lock
- Includes $10 Auto Pay and paperless billing discount
- Gateway at $0 for 12 months, then up to $5 per month
- Free self-installation
No contract
-
8 Gig Fiber Internet
Internet
$90
per month
- Download
- 8 Gbps
- Upload
- 8 Gbps
- Data
- Unlimited
- Symmetrical upload and download
- Five-year price lock
- Fiber service only
- Free self-installation
No contract
-
500 Mbps Internet
Internet
$40
per month
- Download
- 500 Mbps
- Data
- Unlimited
- Five-year price lock
- Includes $10 Auto Pay and paperless billing discount
- Gateway at $0 for the first 12 months
- Free self-installation
No contract
All Optimum plans and pricing
Every plan we hold for Optimum, cheapest first. Where a price is introductory, the rate it rises to afterwards is shown beneath it.
| Plan | Price | Download | Upload | Connection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Gig Internet Unlimited data | $25 /mo | 940 Mbps | — | Cable |
| 300 Mbps Fiber Internet | $30 /mo | 300 Mbps | — | Fiber |
| 300 Mbps Internet Unlimited data | $30 /mo | 300 Mbps | — | Cable |
| 500 Mbps Internet Unlimited data | $40 /mo | 500 Mbps | — | Cable |
| 2 Gig Fiber Internet Unlimited data | $60 /mo | 2 Gbps | 2 Gbps | Fiber |
| 8 Gig Fiber Internet Unlimited data | $90 /mo | 8 Gbps | 8 Gbps | Fiber |
Advertised rates, before taxes, equipment and local fees — last checked September 2026. Availability and price vary by address.
Before you order
Contract
No annual contract
Data allowance
No data cap
Equipment
Gateway at $0 for the first 12 months, then up to $5 per month
Installation
Self-installation at no charge; professional installation billed separately
Optimum: common questions
Is there a contract with Optimum?
No annual contract is required on Optimum internet plans. The price lock that comes with each tier binds Optimum to the rate rather than binding you to the service.
What does the gateway cost?
Optimum includes the gateway at no charge for the first twelve months, after which a fee of up to $5 per month begins. That charge is separate from the advertised plan price, so factor it into the second year.
Are Optimum's upload speeds symmetrical?
On fiber, yes — the 2 Gig and 8 Gig plans match upload to download. On cable the upload is much lower, quoted at up to 35 Mbps on the 1 Gig tier and up to 20 Mbps on 300 and 500 Mbps, so which you get depends on whether your address is served by cable or fiber.
Does Optimum limit how much data I use?
No. There is no monthly data allowance on Optimum internet plans and no overage billing.
How long does the price stay the same?
Optimum quotes a five-year price lock on the 300 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 2 Gig and 8 Gig plans, and a three-year lock on 1 Gig. The rate can change once that term expires.
Can I get Optimum where I live?
Optimum's footprint centers on the New York metropolitan area with additional territory in the South and West, and it does not cover whole states. Which tiers appear, and whether they run over cable or fiber, is determined by your specific address.
Keep reading
Guides that help you judge whether Optimum is the right choice, and what the bill will really be.
Strengths and trade-offs
What they do well
- No data cap and no annual contract
- Three- or five-year price lock on each tier
- Gateway included for the first twelve months
- Self-installation is offered at no charge
- Fiber tiers deliver matching upload and download speeds
Worth knowing
- The gateway charge starts after twelve months
- Upload speed on cable is a fraction of download — the fiber tiers are the symmetrical ones
- Fiber is limited to the parts of the footprint Optimum has upgraded
- Advertised rates depend on Auto Pay and paperless billing
- Professional installation is billed at standard rates if you do not self-install
Similar providers
About this data: Coverage and speed figures come from the FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025, where providers self-report. Advertised speeds are maximums, not guarantees, and availability differs address by address. The FCC publishes no pricing at all, so every price here was taken from a rate the provider advertised publicly, last checked September 2026. Several providers quote only after an address check, and rates move constantly — treat these as a guide and confirm the figure for your own address before you order. Optimum is a trademark of its owner and is listed here for comparison; this does not imply any relationship between us unless marked as a partner.