Equipment fees are the most predictable way an advertised internet price turns into a higher bill. The good news is that this has genuinely improved: several major providers now include the gateway in the plan price. The less good news is that the ones who still charge tend to charge for Wi-Fi rather than the modem, which is harder to spot.
This guide covers what each major provider currently does with equipment, when supplying your own is allowed and worth it, and which fees are actually negotiable.
Quick answer
- Included with the plan: AT&T Fiber, Verizon Fios, Xfinity on current plans, and the gateways for T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home.
- Modem included, Wi-Fi extra: Spectrum includes a modem and charges monthly for its whole-home Wi-Fi service on lower tiers.
- Still a separate equipment line: Cox rents a gateway, and CenturyLink sells a modem lease plus an optional Wi-Fi add-on.
- You buy the hardware outright: Starlink, where the kit is a purchase rather than a rental.
- Bringing your own gear helps most on cable. On fiber and 5G home internet you usually keep the provider’s gateway and add your own router behind it.
Equipment policies by provider
| Provider | What you get | Monthly equipment charge | Can you use your own? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Wi-Fi gateway | Included on current plans; older plans may still show a gateway rental | Yes, a compatible modem and router of your own |
| Cox | Panoramic Wifi gateway, or ONT plus your router on fiber | Gateway rental charged monthly; check the current rate in your cart | Yes, using a Cox-approved modem for your speed tier |
| Spectrum | Modem included with every plan | Whole-home Wi-Fi service charged monthly on lower tiers, included on the Gig plan and bundles | Yes, your own router behind the included modem |
| AT&T Fiber | Fiber gateway | No separate equipment fee on current fiber plans | The gateway stays, but you can run your own router behind it |
| Verizon Fios | Router included | Whole-Home Wi-Fi included on gigabit tiers, about $10 per month on lower tiers | Yes, with the right setup on the fiber terminal |
| T-Mobile Home Internet | 5G gateway | Included | You can add your own router behind the gateway |
| Verizon 5G Home | 5G router | Included, with an upgrade offered after a few years | You can add your own router behind it |
| CenturyLink | Modem or gateway | Lease charged monthly, or buy the modem outright; Wi-Fi add-on optional | Yes on DSL, using a compatible modem or router |
| Quantum Fiber | Fiber terminal plus 360 WiFi service | Depends on plan and market; confirm the itemized total | Your own router can sit behind the terminal |
| Starlink | Dish and router kit | No rental; hardware is purchased, with promotional hardware offers in some areas | The included router can be bypassed with an adapter |
Prices and policies vary by market, plan and how long you have been a customer. The number that matters is the itemized total in your own cart or on your own bill, not the advertised headline rate.
The two fees people mix up
There are really two separate charges hiding under the word equipment. The first is the modem or gateway that terminates the provider’s connection. The second is the Wi-Fi service that broadcasts inside your home, which several providers now sell as an upgrade with app features, extended coverage and security add-ons.
That split explains why a provider can advertise a free modem while still adding $10 a month to your bill. Spectrum includes the modem and sells whole-home Wi-Fi separately below its Gig plan. Verizon includes a router with Fios and bundles its extended Wi-Fi service only on the gigabit tiers. Neither is hidden, but neither is in the headline price either.
When buying your own equipment pays off
On cable, the math is straightforward. If your provider charges a monthly gateway rental, a decent modem and router combination typically pays for itself in well under two years, and you keep the hardware if you move to another cable provider. That is the classic case for buying, and we work through the numbers in our guide to renting versus buying a modem and router.
On fiber and 5G home internet, the calculation is different. The provider’s gateway is part of the service and there is usually no rental to avoid, so buying your own router is a performance and control decision rather than a savings one. If Wi-Fi coverage is the problem, that is what you are actually solving, and our comparison of mesh Wi-Fi versus a Wi-Fi extender is the more relevant read.
One caveat worth knowing: on some plans the provider’s bundled equipment is tied to other benefits, and dropping it can change your rate or your data terms. Check what is attached before you return anything.
One-time charges to look for
Recurring fees get the attention, but the one-off charges are where a first bill surprises people. Watch for installation or activation fees, professional install charges when self-install is not available, and shipping fees on self-install kits. Satellite and fixed wireless services add their own patterns: Starlink hardware is a purchase, and traditional satellite providers usually lease equipment with an install charge.
Then there is the fee nobody plans for: unreturned equipment. If you cancel, return the gateway through a tracked method and keep the receipt. Charges for equipment the provider says it never received are among the most common billing disputes, and a receipt ends the argument immediately. Our guide to what to check in an internet contract lists the other terms worth reading before you sign.
Which equipment fees are negotiable
Gateway rentals are rarely waived outright, but they are frequently bundled into a retention offer, and Wi-Fi add-ons are often dropped for a period when you call about your bill. The stronger move is usually to change the structure rather than argue the line item: moving to a current plan that includes equipment, or supplying your own hardware where allowed, removes the charge permanently.
If your bill has crept up over time, the equipment line is a good place to start, and our guide to lowering your internet bill covers the rest of the conversation. It is also worth checking whether you are on an older plan, since providers like Xfinity now include equipment on current offers while legacy accounts continue to be billed the old way. Our explainer on promotional pricing covers how that drift happens.
Provider detail, one at a time
For the full picture on any single provider, including how their equipment terms fit with their plans and pricing, see our reviews: Xfinity, Cox, Spectrum, AT&T, Verizon Fios, CenturyLink and T-Mobile Home Internet.
Bottom line
The days of an automatic $15 modem rental are mostly over, but the fee did not vanish everywhere. It moved into Wi-Fi services and into legacy accounts. Read the itemized cart before you order, check your current bill for a line you no longer need to pay, and buy your own hardware where the provider still charges a rental and allows it. On fiber and 5G home internet, keep the gateway and spend your money on Wi-Fi coverage instead.
How we checked this
We read each provider’s current published consumer pages, equipment policies and offer footnotes, and we only state a charge where the provider publishes it. Where a fee varies by plan or market, we say so instead of quoting a single figure. We did not test hardware and we do not publish performance measurements we did not take. Fees change frequently and differ by market and account age, so confirm the itemized total in your own cart or bill. Last verified: August 22, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
AT&T Fiber, Verizon Fios and Xfinity’s current plans include the gateway or router, and the gateways for T-Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home are included as well. Spectrum includes a modem but charges for whole-home Wi-Fi on lower tiers.
On cable providers like Cox and Xfinity, yes, provided the hardware is approved for your speed tier. On fiber and 5G home internet the provider’s gateway stays in place, so you add your own router behind it rather than replacing it.
With a typical monthly rental, a reasonable modem and router pair usually pays for itself in a year to two years, and you keep the hardware afterwards.
Because included equipment normally applies to current plans, not older ones. Existing customers often stay on legacy terms until they change plans, so compare your bill against the current offer.
Providers bill an unreturned equipment charge that can be substantial. Return it through a tracked method and keep the receipt until the charge clears your final bill.