Plans starting at: $30
Popular Package: Internet 2 Gig
Download speeds up to: 2 Gbps
Connection Types: Fiber & Cable
Plans starting at: $25
Popular Package: Fiber 5 Gig
Download speeds up to: 5 Gbps
Connection Types: Fiber & Cable
Spectrum Staff rating
Spectrum offers gigabit speeds and great bundle deals
Spectrum is one of the two largest internet service providers in the country. Like its rival Xfinity, Spectrum is a cable internet company that uses hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) technology. HFC brings you much faster speeds than old-fashioned coaxial cable internet. In select areas, Spectrum offers gigabit speeds up to 2000 Mbps. Spectrum’s promotional prices for new customers are very good, and still remain reasonable when your 12-month promotion ends. The company also offers outstanding bundling deals, with cell phone lines currently only about $30/month with your internet plan. Spectrum has two big advantages over Xfinity. Spectrum’s pricing is much simpler, and Spectrum has no data caps. That’s why we give Spectrum the edge after comparing the two biggest cable internet providers head-to-head.PROS
Cons
Cities with Spectrum availability
WOW Staff rating
WOW! delivers fast, reliable internet with attractive pricing
WOW! (WideOpenWest) serves customers in 6 states—Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida [1]—and is the smallest cable internet provider on our list [2]. WOW! serves over 2 million residential, business, and wholesale consumer subscribers, which is still a smaller base compared to industry cable internet giants like Xfinity and Spectrum [3]. Notably, it serves 470,400 high-speed data subscribers as of December 31, 2024 (down from 490,100 in 2023). But WOW! provides a model of good internet performance, operational success, and general customer satisfaction. In August 2025, WOW! (WideOpenWest) agreed to be acquired by DigitalBridge Group and Crestview Partners in a $1.5 billion transaction valued at $5.20 per share [4]. WOW! uses a hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) network, like the biggest national cable providers. That technology allows WOW! to provide up to 1,200 Mbps download speed and 50 Mbps upload speed. WOW! also features very low introductory plan prices, far lower than most cable internet providers. Though prices will rise after the first year, you’ll still pay about $20 less for most WOW! plan speeds than you would with Spectrum or Xfinity. And WOW! scores above average for customer satisfaction too.PROS
Cons
Cities with WOW availability
Spectrum Pricing
Spectrum offers great initial deals, but bundling may be the best deal ever
Spectrum is a major player in internet service, with 30 million broadband subscribers [1]. Spectrum offers attractive promotional pricing, especially their first-tier internet plan at $50/month for up to 500 Mbps.Spectrum offers unlimited data without caps
Spectrum offers a big price advantage because it has no hard data caps, unlike many other cable and DSL providers. If you’re a heavy-data-usage household (including remote workers, real-time gamers and streaming binge-watchers), having no data caps may be crucial for your budget. If you’re living by yourself and you watch a movie once a week, the absence of data caps won’t matter as much. But for a larger household, having no data caps will offer you peace of mind and a more predictable bill without overage charges.Spectrum One, the bundle deal of the year?
In late 2022, Spectrum introduced a new bundle deal called Spectrum One that may just change your mind about your preferred internet service provider [2]. If you are an existing Spectrum customer, Spectrum will bundle their Spectrum Mobile cell phone service with your internet and charge you only about $30/month for a line with unlimited data. You can add more mobile service at the same price. Here’s another little secret: Spectrum Mobile service is currently provided by Verizon networks. So, if you have two cell phones on your bundle, you will be getting major mobile power and coverage but saving over $80/month off the price of two typical cell phone plans. We’re betting that’s enough to send many of us to Spectrum.WOW Pricing
WOW’s prices are so low they’ll WOW you
If there’s any way that WOW! can claim to have truly earned its name, it’s with low pricing. The first-tier plan will give you 300 Mbps download speed for only $25 a month. That's on the very low end of cable ISP pricing—less than $0.10 per Mbps. A lightning-fast, 1 gigabit speed from WOW! will run you $50. That’s considerably cheaper than several other major cable providers’ multi-gigabit speed plans. WOW!’s lower-speed plans do have a couple of drawbacks that may increase their otherwise excellent prices. Those drawbacks are data caps and a $14/month modem rental fee [5]. Fortunately, the equipment rental fee is optional, meaning that you can skip it if you provide your own modem/router instead. And the data caps are fairly high for the lowest-tier plans (1.5 TB/month) and very high for the 500 Mbps (2.5 TB) and 1 Gig (3 TB) plans [6]. The high caps for the faster plans make it very unlikely that you will exceed your data caps. So, just don’t go overboard and have 40 gamers playing at your house for a month. The vast majority of households will never get close the limits of a 2.5+ TB data cap.Spectrum Reliability and Performance
Spectrum internet will rise to unprecedented speeds in next few years with up to 10/6 Gbps
In 2023, Spectrum was named by Speedtest® as the fastest internet provider in the United States for providing the highest average speed to customers [3]. Spectrum’s hybrid fiber-cable technology is already supplying 2000 Mbps speeds in some areas. Either way, HFC will give you faster, more reliable internet service than anything but fiber. Spectrum customers tend to report reliable, speedy performance. You don’t get glitching or freezing or network slowdowns in most cases. You’ll be well-equipped for gaming, videoconferencing, and HD streaming. On a personal note, I have been a Spectrum customer for three years, and my experience with their service has proven to be very smooth and reliable. But there’s even more innovation coming from Spectrum that will boost HFC performance to fiber-like speeds. If you sign up for Spectrum now, you’re going to get a major bandwidth boost in the next couple of years. Here’s the technical explanation with the specs. Spectrum’s upgrade to the DOCSIS 4.0 standard over the next three years will deliver a maximum 10 Gbps download/ 6 Gbps upload, which can rival any current fiber speeds. By 2025, 85% of Spectrum’s service footprint will have speeds of 5 Gbps download/1 Gbps upload [4]. Fiber has received some great press in the last few years. But hybrid fiber/cable networks like Spectrum’s may be about to have their day in the sun too.WOW Reliability and Performance
WOW! cable delivers gigabit downloads but asymmetrical upload speeds; fiber offers symmetrical multi-gigabit service
WOW's hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) cable network delivers download speeds up to 1,200 Mbps across approximately 99% of its service footprint [7], matching the technical capabilities of national cable providers such as Spectrum and Xfinity. Upload speeds on cable plans are capped at 50 Mbps regardless of download tier. This asymmetrical speed structure is standard for cable internet technology and sufficient for typical household activities including streaming multiple 4K devices and online gaming.
WOW's cable plans provide adequate performance for households with average internet usage patterns. The 1,200 Mbps top speed on cable supports simultaneous streaming, video conferencing, and gaming across multiple devices. However, the 50 Mbps upload limitation presents constraints for specific use cases. Users who regularly upload large files (such as video content creators), operate cloud-based backup systems, or require symmetrical bandwidth for enterprise-grade applications will experience performance bottlenecks with cable service.
In select Greenfield expansion markets, WOW offers all-fiber service with symmetrical speeds up to 5,000 Mbps for both downloads and uploads. Fiber service is currently available within 5.7% of WOW's total coverage footprint [8], concentrated in newer markets including Central Florida, Hernando County (Florida), Greenville County (South Carolina), and select areas in Michigan and Alabama [9]. The symmetrical nature of fiber service eliminates the upload speed constraints present in cable plans, making fiber suitable for bandwidth-intensive applications, heavy content creation, and households with 10+ simultaneous high-bandwidth users.
Spectrum Equipment, Installation and Bonus Features
Advanced WiFi and low equipment fees increase appeal for Spectrum
Spectrum will provide you with a free modem and either a Wave 2 router or an advanced, WiFi 6 compatible router [5]. The Charter Red-Dot Design award-winning router can support up to 200 devices simultaneously. User controls allow you to manage which devices are connected and when, and Security Shield automatically blocks online threats. You can even manage your router and your home wireless devices from the Spectrum app on your phone, with no complicated log-in. The router will automatically switch channels to optimize your internet performance.Spectrum offers low equipment fees
Spectrum equipment fees are standardized, very low, and easy to understand. Spectrum modems come free with your service, and Spectrum routers rent for $5/month. Simple, straightforward pricing, unlike the complicated equipment fee charts you have to read for other providers.Spectrum installation fees
Spectrum’s installation fees are middle-of-the-road for the industry. Professional installation by a technician will cost you $59.99. You can self-install Spectrum too, with a $19.99 activation fee.WOW Equipment, Installation and Bonus Features
Equipment rental fees are optional, self-installation is free for WOW!
All WOW! plans come with a free self-installation kit. If for any reason you’re not comfortable with self-installation, you can get pro installation for $50. Though most plans will allow you to rent a modem/router from WOW! for about $14/month, you also have the option to supply your own equipment (which removes that fee). This choice may be better for your budget if you plan to have service for more than a year. Just make sure you check with WOW! to be sure your router has compatible specs.Spectrum Experience & Support
Spectrum Customer Service available 24/7
Spectrum provides customer service by phone or online chat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Spectrum also provides an extensive online troubleshooting guide and how-to resource library. If you prefer in-person assistance, Spectrum supports brick-and-mortar stores across its coverage area. These physical locations can also be very handy when you want to exchange equipment. Your Spectrum plan will give you access to a helpful and comprehensive mobile app. The app allows you to check for outages, manage your account, and do almost anything you would do online or by phone. You can even manage your WiFi settings through the app.WOW Experience & Support
WOW! maintains above-average customer satisfaction despite declining subscriber base
WOW scored 733 out of 1,000 in J.D. Power's North Central region study [10] and outperformed larger ISPs including Cox in the 2023 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study [11]. This positions WOW above the cable industry average of 68 out of 100 on the ACSI scale [12], though below top fiber providers like AT&T Fiber (80) and Verizon Fios (77) [13].
Despite these satisfaction ratings, WOW's subscriber base declined 5% year-over-year from 490,100 to 470,400 as of December 2024, with revenue decreasing 8.1% to $630.9 million. These declines reflect competitive pressure from expanding fiber networks and 5G wireless alternatives rather than service quality issues.
WOW provides 24/7 telephone support and online chat daily from 7:00 AM to 11:45 PM EST [14], plus an online account management portal, and has been named a "Best & Brightest Company to Work For in the Nation" 12 times, including 8 consecutive years as of 2025.
Ultimately, WOW's regional focus enables more personalized service than national cable giants.
Spectrum FAQ's
WOW FAQ's
Spectrum Sources
[1] Dgtlinfra.com. "Top 125 Internet Providers in the U.S."
[2] Charter.com. "Charter Launches Spectrum One."
[3] Speedtest.net by Ookla. "Internet Speeds in the United States 2023."
[4] FierceTelecom.com. "Charter Plots 3-Year Upgrade."
[5] Charter.com. "Advanced Home WiFi Puts Customers in Control."
WOW Sources
[2] Dgtlinfra.com. "Top 125 Internet Providers in the U.S."
[3] Wikipedia.org. "Wide Open West."
[4] PRNewswire.com "WideOpenWest (WOW!), Inc. to be Taken Private by DigitalBridge Group, Inc. and Crestview Partners in $1.5 Billion Transaction."[5] WOW!. "Equipment Rental Fees."
[6] Wow! "What are monthly data usage plans?" [7] SEC. "WideOpenWest 10-K Filing, December 31, 2024." [8] BestNeighborhood.org. "WOW coverage maps." [9] PRNewswire.com. "WOW! Reaches 100,000 Homes Passed Market Expansion Milestone; On Track to Reaching Goal of Adding 400,000 Additional Homes to its Footprint."[10] JDPower.com. "2023 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study."
[11] JDPower.com. "Can You Reach Me Now? Wireless Internet Providers Certainly Can and with High Levels of Satisfaction, J.D. Power Finds." [12] ACSI. "Press Release Telecommunications Study 2024, June 4, 2024." [13] Telecompetitor. "Customer Satisfaction Index: AT&T Repeats as Top Fiber Broadband Provider." [14] WowWay.com. "Contact Us."WOW Accolades
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Spectrum Customers Review
WOW Customers Review



