Are there circumstances when elements of an internet plan (e.g. price, contract length, fees, speed) can be negotiated? If so, how do you open the discussion for negotiation with a sales rep?
In my specific situation, I live in a rural area where there is no alternative to satellite internet (HughesNet in fact). The only other options seem to be refuse internet service or pay about the equivalent monthly price for a 4G LTE mobile data plan.
It is possible to negotiate anything. However, if the internet service options in your area are limited, the likelihood of your successfully reducing the price is not great.
In areas where there is more competition, internet service providers often offer limited-time promotional reductions in price. When these promotions expire, you can often convince the provider to continue the promotion by threatening to switch to a competitor.
Your negotiating power depends a lot on COST. See, no company that is not run by total idiots will enter a contract for a small monthly fee when it has no way to make a profit. Living in a rural area, the cost of providing you with internet is not negotiable, because basically putting cables into the ground is a cost that MUST be paid, AND it is not negotiable how far your house is away from the place one must connect to. Reality just does not negotiate. So, it depends how irrelevant you are. I.e. I am now ordering Internet (did so 2 weeks ago) and there was wiggle room, because it is a optical fiber 1/1 link (1 gigabit down and up) with high SLA for a monthyl cost higher than most car leasings and a multi year non breakable contract. OTOH the cost includes installing fiber underground for ahlfa km and all the permissions necessary - a LOT of planning work. But unless you pay that - no, sorry.
Your best alternative is to challenge the "no alternative" statement in a now cost fashion. Many areas have alternative internet providers that work wireless. WLAN can cover 100km on poles with special antennas - but even then you negotiate based on a cost basis and someone paying 50USD a month for high speed internet that costs the provider 30USD to provide... how much negotiation power you think you have? Little hint: it is not a lot. You reach the point very fast where there simply is no sense in negotiating for the company because they are under water financially if they sign. Heck, they may take years to even get back the time it takes the sales rep to run through yet another round of negotiations.
This is the cost of living in a rural area where housing is cheap - certain utilities are more expensive.
