Optimum price after the promo ends: what you'll pay each year
How Optimum raises prices by up to $15 a month each year after a promo, what each plan climbs to, and how to keep your bill lower.
After the first year, Optimum raises the price by no more than $15 a month each year until it reaches the standard rate. On 1 Gig fiber, that means $55 in year one, then up to $70, $85 and $100, reaching $115 in year five, plus a $6 network fee. To keep the price lower, extend the lock with SecureWiFi+ or Optimum Mobile, upgrade with a new lock, or call retention before each increase.
How Optimum price increases work
Optimum doesn't jump straight to its full price when a promo ends. Its offers say the price will go up no more than $15 a month each year until it reaches the standard rate. That makes the first increase smaller than at most cable companies, but the bill keeps rising for several years.
Optimum prices year by year
If Optimum raises the price by the full $15 each year, here is how the main fiber plans climb.
| Plan | Year 1 promo | Following years (up to) | Standard rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 Mbps | $35 | $50 → $65 → $75 | $75 |
| 500 Mbps | $45 | $60 → $75 → $90 → $95 | $95 |
| 1 Gig | $55 | $70 → $85 → $100 → $115 | $115 |
| 2 Gig | $65 | $80 → $95 → $110 → $125 → $135 | $135 |
Promo prices with AutoPay and paperless billing, from Optimum offers in October 2026; standard rates from the rate card effective Oct 1, 2026. A $6 monthly network fee applies on top.
Over five years, 1 Gig on the $15-a-year path costs about $5,100 before fees, against $6,900 at the standard rate the whole time. Locking or renegotiating each year is where the savings are.
Ways to keep the lower price
Optimum gives existing customers more options than most cable companies.
- Add SecureWiFi+ ($10 a month) to stretch the lock to three years, if you would use it.
- Bundle Optimum Mobile for a lower internet price and a longer lock.
- Upgrade to a faster plan with a new lock. A typical upgrade adds about $15 a month, often less than the increase you face anyway. See Optimum plans for existing customers.
- Call retention before the increase and ask what they can offer.
When to switch
If Verizon Fios, AT&T Fiber or 5G home internet reaches you at a fixed price, compare it against your next Optimum price, not this year's. Our Fios vs. Optimum comparison and Optimum vs. AT&T Internet Air cover the alternatives, and how to cancel Optimum covers leaving.
Questions
How much does Optimum go up after the promo?
By no more than $15 a month each year until you reach Optimum's standard rate. On 1 Gig, that means $55 the first year, then up to $70, $85, $100 and finally $115.
What is Optimum's standard rate?
On Optimum's rate card effective Oct 1, 2026, fiber plans are $75 for 300 Mbps, $95 for 500 Mbps, $115 for 1 Gig and $135 for 2 Gig, plus a $6 network fee.
How long does the Optimum price lock last?
One year on the current offers, or three years if you add SecureWiFi+ for $10 a month. Bundling Optimum Mobile can extend the lock to five years.
Can existing Optimum customers get a lower price?
Yes, sometimes. Existing customers can upgrade to a faster plan with a new price lock, and retention offers are available when you call. See Optimum plans for existing customers.
Is the $6 network fee included in the price?
No. It is added on top of the plan price.
- RSInc, "Optimum Internet Prices," rate card effective Oct 1, 2026
- Telemedia Solutions, "Optimum Internet Plans 2026," verified Oct 14, 2026; MyUtilitySearch, Optimum price check, Sept 28, 2026
- Optimum offer terms via LocalCableDeals ("no more than $15/mo per year until standard rates reached")
- CableTV.com, "Optimum Hidden Fees" and "Optimum Pricing Report," October 2026
Prices and offers change often; confirm at your address before you order. How we research
Jean founded ShopHighSpeed after trying to find one straight answer about business internet in his own town. He has been a Comcast and Verizon Fios customer, and ranks providers on what they actually deliver, not on what they advertise.