Monkeybrains: The Bay Area’s Anti-Corporate, Anti-Monopoly Internet Service

This post was made possible by the fine folks at Monkeybrains. Sign up with them right now.

First off, fuck Comcast. Their customer service famously sucks they are way too expensive, and they are part of what amounts to a broadband internet monopoly. While we’re at it, fuck AT&T too. Thankfully, if you live in the Bay Area, you have a far better option when it comes to getting that sweet sweet internet piped into your house. Enter Monkeybrains.

Monkeybrains has been a local, independent internet service provider since 1998 and has developed a rabid following because, quite simply, they rock. And I’m not just saying this because they’re giving me money to do so, I’ve been a very satisfied, paying customer of theirs for over seven years now.

@brokeass_stuart Use the code “BAS2024 ” to get 50% off your setup/installation. —> link in bio The math is simple, the cable monopolies are ripping us off, every day: Big Cable: $75 to $95 a month Local ISP with MonkeyBrains: $35 a month I’m a real customer and I’m so glad I made the switch years ago. It’s a no brainer #localisp #antitrust #anticorporate #antimonopoly #localinternet #internetserviceprovider #cheapinternet #bayarea #sanfrancisco #oakland #berkeley ♬ sail away (instrumental) – lovelytheband

Why is Monkeybrains so great? I’m glad you asked!

First of all they are cheap and uncomplicated. They only cost $35 a month, and there are no bundles, contracts, or sketchy hidden fees, Some installations require paying a nominal installation fee.

If you’ve ever used any of the corporate giants, you know exactly how crappy their ‘deals’ are, first they will charge you $70+ a month, then add $10 in “service fees”, then try to rent you one of their crappy routers for $15 a month and demand that you sign a long contract, all the while they may get hacked and lose your data again, and when the contract expires they will jack up your rates without telling you.

Big Cable: 12 months x $95 = $1140 a year

Local ISP with MonkeyBrains: 12 months x $35 = $420 a year

Over the last 7 years, instead of paying $7,980 to a soulless corporate monopoly, I paid $2,940 to a local business, and my internet speed and service have been great.

Net Neutral & Community Oriented

Monkeybrains is, and always has been, Net Neutral as fuck. While the big boys like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T, try to rig it so that you’ll have to pay extra money to get Hulu and Netflix to stream properly, Monkeybrains still believes in the dream of the Information Superhighway. Plus they won’t sell your data to third parties, so you don’t have to worry about anyone finding out about your Gossip Girl blog.

And my favorite part about them, besides being cheap and reliable of course, is that Monkeybrains gives back to the community in a major way.

• They’ve given free internet to over 8,000 affordable housing units.
• They’ve provided internet for essential workers at emergency COVID shelters and testing centers,  including six hospitals.
• They hook-up internet for most of San Francisco’s navigation centers.
• They employ 60 bay area folks with full benefits 43% of which are Latinx or POC.
• They provide free installation to SFUD teachers and staff.
• They donate and/or provide subsidized Internet to a large number of local anchor organizations like: Homeless Prenatal, KQED, SF Ballet, SF Symphony, Global Fund for Women, SF Pride, SF Bike Coalition, Conservatory of Flowers, SF Carnival and SF Aids Foundation to name a few.

Monkeybrains now serves monopoly-free internet to SF, Berkeley, and Oakland!

Bay Area Service map,  check if you are in range here!

So, are you ready to ditch your corporate internet? I thought so. You can learn more and sign up right here.