TDS Internet Plans, Prices, and Packages

From the moon landing to Woodstock, 1969 was a momentous year for innovation, bringing with it the creation of Telephone and Data Systems (TDS). What started as a humble effort in the Midwest to connect local families, farmers, and co-ops to the larger world is today one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the U.S., delivering high-quality, high-speed internet, TV entertainment, and phone services to over 3 million people. But the company hasn’t forgotten their roots. In fact, the humility of their early days is the driving force behind TDS’s commitment to excellent customer service and the values of inclusion and homeliness. 

Read our guide to TDS internet to find out everything you need to know, including the following:

1. TDS Internet Availability Check out the different connection types and coverages offered by TDS Telecom.
2. TDS Fiber Internet Plans Learn about the speeds, prices, and plans associated with TDS fiber internet.
3. TDS Cable Internet Plans Explore TDS cable internet and find the right cable internet plan for you.
4. TDS DSL Internet Plans Uncover the reliability and capabilities of TDS DSL internet.
5. TDS Internet Bundles and Packages Discover how TDS internet bundles can satisfy all your needs while simultaneously providing superior savings.
6. TDS Internet Contracts and Data Caps Understand TDS contracts and fully grasp what you’re signing up for, so nothing catches you by surprise.
7. TDS Internet Fees Protect yourself from pesky charges and find easy ways to maximize your TDS internet deals even more.
8. TDS Customer Service Take advantage of TDS’s top-notch customer service and enjoy all the benefits of their services.
9. Our Recommended TDS Internet Plans Consider our TDS internet plan suggestions to make your final decision.
10. The Value of TDS Internet Review the pros and cons of TDS internet and reflect on our final word about TDS internet.
11. Frequently Asked Questions About TDS Internet Examine the answers to the most common questions we hear about TDS internet.

TDS Internet Availability

TDS Telecom may not offer the same extensive coverage of urban areas as other providers, but that’s a feature, not a bug. TDS specializes in connecting countryside households the way LeRoy T. Carlson intended when he founded the company more than 50 years ago. But don’t be fooled! TDS still provides internet services to over 900 communities in 31 different states, and they rank among the top 10 fastest internet providers in 29 states.

Offering the full trifecta, fiber, DSL, and cable internet, TDS has multiple connection types to meet your every need. TDS fiber reaches over 559,000 people, earning them the spot of 18th-largest fiber provider in the U.S. Moreover, TDS is the 24th-largest U.S. cable provider, supplying internet to 509,000 people and growing. If that wasn’t enough, TDS is also the 10th-largest DSL provider in the U.S. with 2.2 million subscribers and growing. With download speeds up to 1 Gbps (1 gigabit per second or 1,024 megabits per second), TDS is bringing lightning-fast internet speeds to the far corners of the country.

Quality usually comes at a cost (here’s looking at you Yeti), but with TDS you get your money’s worth. TDS standalone internet ranges between $24.95 and $89.95. Plan prices and availability vary from region to region, but TDS packages can create even better deals for you through bundling. We know all these facts and figures are a lot to process, so our experts put together the following table with TDS availability, prices, connection types, and download speeds to simplify the search for you:

TDS Internet Connections and Availability

TDS Fiber Internet Plans

Next time a sales agent offers you fiber, don’t take it as an insult to your diet. Unless you’re visibly uncomfortable, they’re probably just trying to hook you up with the fastest internet connection currently available. That said, we’re not against you stocking up on some multi-grain Triscuits and oatmeal the next time you go to the store.

Fiber is an innovative connection type that uses pulses of infrared light to transmit internet data through a glass tube. Like all new stuff, fiber isn’t available everywhere just yet, and not every provider offers it. But with TDS, you’re in luck! By adopting this groundbreaking technology, TDS fiber is pushing boundaries and making their way to the forefront of the internet speed revolution.

If you want to move as fast as a Bugatti Veyron, then the TDS 1Gig plan can keep your hair blowing in the wind with download speeds up to 1 Gbps. Yeah, it’s not the cheapest plan at $89.95 per month, but the 1Gig plan from TDS will allow you to stream music, watch videos, game online, and video chat with your mother on unlimited devices until your heart’s content (or at least until you’ve “got to get off the phone”).

With TDS, fiber internet comes in multiple shapes and sizes, so if you’re looking for something cheaper, the Extreme100 plan with download speeds up to 100 Mbps could be more your speed at just $44.95 per month. Digging through plans is tedious, so we compiled the following table with fiber plans, prices, and speeds for you to pore over:

TDS Fiber Internet Plan Options

TDS Cable Internet Plans

Everything that was once in style always comes back (record players, corduroys and crop tops), and the cable jacks in your home are no exception. Even though everyone nowadays is streaming movies and TV through Netflix, Sling, and Amazon Prime, your cable jack can provide more than traditional cable television. With a special cable modem from TDS, you can use these ports to transmit high-speed cable internet directly to your favorite devices.

See, coaxial cables were originally just meant to carry transmission from television networks into your home. Remember when you could just turn on your TV and have 60 standard channels without a set-top box? While coaxial cables weren’t designed to move data in both directions, some top minds in the cable industry got together to create Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification, or DOCSIS. Now known as DOCSIS 3.1, this standard transforms old coaxial cables into super-powered internet lines that rival even fiber connections. 

In terms of internet services, TDS offers many more cable options compared to fiber plans, which makes sense given the cost of building fiber infrastructure. For comparison, imagine the cost of renovating your bathroom, as well as everyone’s in your neighborhood. Not cheap! The 1Gig plan is the fastest TDS cable option available. For only $79.95 per month, you can secure download speeds up to 1 Gbps, which will meet your every need, from streaming Stranger Things to late-night shopping on Amazon. However, the 1Gig plan isn’t available everywhere. If that’s the case in your area, then the Ultra 300 plan with download speeds up to 300 Mbps for only $59.95 per month will still do the job. Our experts gathered all the TDS cable plans, prices, and speeds together in the following table for you to compare side by side.

TDS Cable Internet Plan Options

TDS DSL Internet Plans

Talk about having your hands in the cookie jar. While many internet providers only focus on one, maybe two, different connection types, TDS is still pumping high-speed internet through those dusty phone jacks in your home with their DSL services. Much like the magic modem we referenced earlier that transfers cable into internet speak, DSL modems can take newfangled telephone signals and provide reliable internet service for your home. The kicker, you probably won’t even need a technician, as most houses come equipped with this technology already!

TDS DSL plans offer the lower end of the speeds from the company, but that doesn’t mean they are by any means incapable of handling a household of heavy smartphone users. In fact, the WarpX plan is only $39.95 per month for download speeds up to 100 Mbps, which is more than enough for most families in the U.S. Maybe that’s a bit too much bounce for your ounce. If so, consider the Mach plan from TDS with download speeds up to 25 Mbps for $29.95 per month. Honestly, we probably spend too much time on the internet at work anyways.

Given the sheer number of subsidiaries TDS has across the U.S., DSL plans from TDS, much like their cable and fiber services, vary in price and availability. The best way to confirm these figures is to contact them directly or enter your ZIP code into their website tool. However, we found this process to be arduous and somewhat of a headache, so we put together this list of TDS DSL prices, speeds, and plans for you to get a quick and easy overview of what they have to offer:

TDS DSL Internet Plan Options

TDS Internet Bundles and Packages

Think of bundling as getting the full meal instead of just the sandwich. Do you want fries with that? It’s a matter of convenience as much as it is about saving money. How are you going to wash down that chicken sandwich without a drink? Bundling, or buying different products together as a package, is an excellent way to get more for less than you otherwise would. Also, it allows you to skip the hassle of dealing with multiple service providers.

TDS internet bundles come in all shapes and sizes. You have the option to choose between a Double Play (internet plus one other service, e.g., TDS internet and TDS TV) and a Triple Play bundle (internet, TV, and phone). Bundling can save you, well, a bundle! By bundling the TDS Extreme600 fiber plan and TDS TV+ Voyage into a Double Play for $126.04 per month, you can save well over $500 over a two-year contract. So, yes, we recommend getting the fries.

If you want all three services instead (internet, TV, and phone), TDS offers the Extreme600 plan in a Triple Play with TDS TV+ Vorage and TDS Unlimited Voice for $136.03 per month across a two-year contract. Maybe you live in an area that doesn’t get great cell phone signal, so a landline could be a dependable backup. Or, perhaps you’re fed up with all these streaming services, and you just want one cable package. Well, in both these scenarios, TDS has your back with a bundle package. Our experts researched the most popular TDS packages and placed them into the following table for your consideration:

TDS Bundle and Internet Package Options

TDS Internet Contracts and Data Caps

From NDAs to prenups, it seems like there’s a contract to sign for almost anything these days. While contracts exist to protect both parties, you need to know what you’re getting into before you sign one. That’s why we put together some of the reasons why, or why not, you may want to sign a two- or three-year contract with TDS for internet or a bundle package. Check out these reasons in the lists below.

Why You Might Want to Sign a Contract With TDS Internet

Sometimes, contracts protect your interests just as much as the entity on the other side of the dotted line. In fact, when you sign a contract with TDS, certain perks come along with the agreement, including:

Why You Might Not Want to Sign a Contract With TDS Internet

However, contracts have a reputation for a reason. Here are some factors to consider before signing a contract with TDS:

When purchasing internet from TDS, contracts aren’t the only restriction you might encounter. While their fiber and cable plans don’t have data caps, you’ll be subject to a limit of 250 GB on certain TDS DSL plans. Every 250 GB you go over this cap will result in a $20 overage fee, up to $60 or 1 TB of data.

Now, you can pay $10, $20 or $30 for TDS to increase your limit to 500 GB, 750 GB or 1 TB, respectively, but by that point, you may want to consider fiber or cable instead to avoid the unpredictability. To sum up this TDS data cap information, we put together the table below showing the data cap per connection type, as well as what types of activities it takes to reach that limit.

TDS Internet Data Caps

TDS Internet Fees

You’ve scoured through TDS internet plans, searched for promotions and picked the right discounts for your budget, but it could all go to waste if you become subject to hidden TDS internet fees. However, as they say, knowledge is power. So, learning about TDS fees before they sneak up on you can prevent them from siphoning those savings from your wallet.

TDS fees are relatively standard compared to other internet providers in the fiber, cable, and DSL space, including a $10 modem fee for cable and DSL, a $7 late payment fee, and a $25 activation fee for fiber access. However, we didn’t exactly jump for joy when it came to the $7.95 per month charge for “Premium Wi-Fi.” Really? Shouldn’t customer support and a Wi-Fi setup come with every internet service these days? That’s just our two cents.

As with most TDS internet plans, the fees associated with each connection type varies wildly based on region. The problem with TDS is that they don’t list these fees in any centralized space, including the Terms of Service or other policy documents. The best way to know is to contact them directly, and good luck with that. Our experts dug deep to find a variety of TDS fees and charges, and we compiled them in the following table below so you can stay in the know:

TDS Internet Fees and Charges

TDS Customer Service

Earlier, we said TDS is committed to providing good customer service. That said, you can have a commitment to becoming the best pianist in the world, but if you don’t practice, it’s just that, a commitment. TDS’s B rating with the BBB is telling of their half in, half out, mentality when it comes to customer service. They’re not horrible, but we wouldn’t necessarily call them great in this area either.

In fact, we called them on the phone and contacted them through their live chat multiple times only to be met with long wait times, exceeding an hour on the phone and 20 minutes on chat. Also, if you ask general questions about fees or other charges without a preexisting account, the live chat agents are apt to cut you off completely. So, you could be without an answer and having to get back in line for another half hour for a similar experience. We wouldn’t exactly call that stellar customer service.

That said, if you do have a problem with your internet connection due to outages, or your Wi-Fi goes wacky, then TDS provides several avenues to contact them, including a knowledge base, live chat, and phone support (even if getting an actual person is a hassle). Below, we assembled all of the main methods for contacting TDS customer support, as well as how to utilize them, so you know who to call when you have a question:

Additional TDS Customer Service Methods

Our Recommended TDS Internet Plans

An easy choice is still a choice, so we understand if you still need more guidance. Our team put together a list of our personal recommendations to help you take advantage of the best TDS internet deals for your family.

Ultra 300 – Best All-Around Internet Plan

Our pick for the Best All-Around Internet Plan was a no-brainer. A cable connection, the Ultra 300 plan will give you download speeds up to 300 Mbps for just $59.95 per month. Whether you are streaming songs for your workouts, watching Netflix on the regular, or teleconferencing for remote work, the Ultra 300 plan is more than enough for most households without being over the top.

1Gig – Best High-Performance Internet Plan

We picked the 1Gig fiber plan for the Best High-Performance Internet Plan TDS has to offer. The 1Gig fiber plan from TDS provides incredible horsepower with download speeds up to 1 Gbps for $89.95 per month. While the cost isn’t the cheapest on the block, this plan can meet the needs of even the most insatiable of internet users, be it for competitive gaming, 4K streaming, or uploading family videos. You name it, the TDS 1Gig fiber plan has you covered.

Warp – Best Casual Internet Plan

For our Best Casual Internet Plan, we picked the Warp DSL plan from TDS. With download speeds up to 50 Mbps for only $39.95 per month, the Warp internet plan is great for email, shopping, and casual browsing, as well as light SD streaming.

The Value of TDS Internet

TDS understands that one size doesn’t fit all. That’s why they offer multiple different TDS internet packages, speeds, and prices that best tailor to your needs. Okay, we’re reaching information overload, so allow our experts to summarize things for you with this side-by-side pros and cons list:

Pros and Cons of TDS Internet

The bottom line is that TDS can give you top-speed, high-quality internet, television, and phone services for a reasonable price. If you are unhappy with your connection options or their customer service, you can always fall back on the 30-day, money-back guarantee, which is nice. If TDS offers internet services in your neighborhood, then it could be a good option for you, but we recommend surveying the field before locking anything in concrete.