The Pros and Cons of DISH’s Internet Bundles

When most people hear the word “bundle”, they cringe. Sometimes it’s a bad experience with one of the major telelphone companies or they were burned with price hikes after the introductory promo expired. However, there are situations where bundles can come in handy, particularly with satellite TV. For instance, after DISH recently improved the speed of their internet service, aka dishNET, their bundles began to look quite a bit more attractive. In this article, we’ll discuss if/when DISH bundles may be in your best interest…

Advantages

1) Savings – of course, this is the #1 reason folks choose to bundle. Going with the same provider for any combination of TV, phone and internet service, typically saves you plenty of cash. With DISH, here are their most popular TV and internet plans (little known fact – they also offer a triple pack bundle with phone via their non-VoIP telco partners, but in our experience it’s rarely worth it):

Plan 1: TV (any regular DISH plan); Internet: 5GB anytime Data, 5GB Bonus Data (used from 2-8 A.M.), max download of 10 Mbps
Bundled Internet Price: $39.99 (regular: $49.99)
Bundles TV price: no discount (other than current promo)

Plan 2: TV (any regular plan); Internet: 10GB anytime Data, 10GB Bonus Data, max download of 10 Mbps
Bundled Internet Price: $49.99 (regular: $59.99)
Bundles TV price: no discount

Plan 3: TV (any regular plan); Internet: 15GB anytime Data, 15GB Bonus Data, max download of 10 Mbps
Bundled Internet Price: $69.99 (regular: $79.99)
Bundles TV price: no discount

2) Remote location – probably THE biggest reason folks choose dishNET is they don’t have many other cable or DSL internet options. If you live in a rurul spot of the country that doesn’t have access to a cable internet or DSL hub, dishNET may be your only option. Speeds, at 10 Mbps, are comparable to 4G – so, as you’ve probably noticed on your phone, you won’t be doing much streaming of live TV or games at 4G speeds, but basic internet surfing is more than covered.

3) Billing convenience – if you have multiple service providers, it’s not easy keeping track of all your bills. With a dishNET bundle, both your TV and internet are on one bill, making everything just a bit easier. Add on auto-pay and you’ll probably never miss a payment again.

Disadvantages

1) Limited Speeds – as mentioned, dishNET maxes out at 10 Mpbs, comparable to 4G LTE. It tends to work best for non-interactive (low resource) websites or just regular email use. Video streaming on highly efficient sites (Youtube, etc.) should render without much or no lag, but there’s no guarantee; if you’re patient enough to let videos fully pre-load before hitting the play button, you’ll almost always be in the clear.

2) VoIP not recommended – you may have TV and internet covered, but what about your phone? VoIP (vonage, Facetime, etc) is usually a great option, but unfortunately at 10 Mpbs, audio tends to get pretty choppy and, flat out, frustrating at times. You’re probably better off sticking with a cell phone plan.

2) Not apartment-friendly – dishNET requires it own satellite dish, so if you bundle up you’ll need two dishes. Most apartment buildings frown upon more than one, so be sure to ask management before signing up.

Wrapping up

As you’ve probably concluded, dishNET fills a very specific need — rural users without many other internet options. If you’re in that situation and already have/want DISH TV, setting up a bundle is a great way to save a minimum of $10/month…and typically, that’s a permanent discount. So, along with the specials you’ll get on the TV side, you’re probably looking at a savings of 30%+. Finally, keep in mind most bundles require a 24-month committment, so be sure you explore all your options before signing on the dotted line.

About the author

George Levint

George is the senior editor at DigitalFind and an expert in how technology at home impacts our lives. From funky analog radios to AI devices that try to out-think you, he's usually unfairly critical until proven otherwise. He also enjoys spending the occasional weekend off-grid to keep Skynet guessing.