The popularity of high speed internet is undeniable. It seems every member of the household is logging in and zooming down the information highway. But do we really understand why we have to have it?

Triple Services Packages, sold by Cable, DSL, and Fiber Optic providers, bundle television, phone and Internet services for unbelievably low monthly subscriptions. The draw of super fast internet connectivity for only $10 per month lures you in, but the reality of the fine print sets in a few months later. Consumers need to educate themselves and read the agreements they are entering into!

So after your $9.99 service goes up to $29.99 six months later, and then you add the taxes, surcharges, and other fees, you begin to realize that ?being connected? isn?t that affordable anymore.

Sounds easy enough to get out of, right? Just call your provider and cancel your service. That’s when you are infomed by a representative that you entered in to a 2 year contract, and there is a costly penalty to break the contract. This is a clear example of how Internet providers are padding their wallet with your money.

With so many daily activities, many of us don’t even use our broadband connection on a daily, weekly, or sometimes monthly basis, giving these companies even more of a profit gain. While ignorance may be bliss, some providers are making their consumer’s ignorance the punchline in their catch advertising.

What’s the fix? Education. By reading the fine print of the agreeements you enter into, prioritizing your needs, and understanding what you can do to fix a problem or get out of the contract are key to your consumer satisfaction. As time is money, time educating yourself to the terms of a contract saves money and frustration.

So, are promotional rates off limits? Absolutely not! Finding a provider that offers promotional rates without a long term contract is a great money saving tactic. Once the promo period has ended, you then also have the freedom to either stick it out with this provider or move on to the next.

Internet Services is a highly competitive world, so consumers need to arm themselves with education to make good fiscal decisions. By not falling for the first cheap internet deal to come along, but rather taking time to make good investment decisions, we are moving toward having affordable internet across the United States, and also engaging in the international market,which offers 5 times faster connectivity for pennies on the dollar.