#Cox internet speed test tv#
#Cox internet speed test download#

Whenever someone with an expired promo rate calls to complain about their bill, it's easy for Cox to guide them into an even more expensive speed tier at a new promo rate. Like the nauseatingly busy carpets at a casino that nudge dizzy gamblers into stopping and sitting at a slot machine, the price structure is carefully constructed to confuse you into spending more money. It's no coincidence that those Year 2 rates shoot up to a monthly fee greater than or equal to the promo rate for the next most expensive plan. That's another promo rate - a fresh bait-and-switch - and if you take it, the cycle starts all over again. After all, you want a better deal, right? As it just so happens, you could be getting speeds of up to 500Mbps for $70 per month - $14 less than you're paying now for 250Mbps. Instead, there's a good chance the clever salesperson will tell you that they can't offer you the same promo rate again, but they can offer you the promo rate on a faster plan. Cox doesn't have an incentive to lower your costs. Ry Crist/CNETĪt this point, there's a good chance you'll call Cox to complain or try to renegotiate. The cycle repeats, and your bill continues to soar. You call to complain, and the 'best value' available is the promo rate for a more expensive plan (green arrows). You sign up for service, and your bill goes up after a year (orange arrows). But when that first year is up, your bill will go up to $84. You can accept the one-year service contract and bring the monthly cost down to $60.

#Cox internet speed test download#

So, let's say you want to sign up for Cox's Preferred 250 internet plan, which nets you download speeds of 250Mbps.

And while Cox's website doesn't do a great job of making this clear, you'll see that price increase regardless of whether you accept the promo rate. That's not outrageous - Spectrum's cable internet plans go up by $25 or $30 after the first year, and Xfinity cable internet plans come with an average increase of $40 in some regions - but keep in mind that Cox plans start more expensive than those of its competitors.

What's less fine is that your bill will shoot up at the end of that year, in some cases, by as much as $30-$40. That's fine: One-year contracts are typical in the ISP industry. The catch is that - besides the introductory 100Mbps plan - you must sign a one-year service contract to get the discount. Your bill will go up after Year 1Ĭox offers promotional rates on its plans, and those promo rates will each knock significant money off the price of your monthly bill for the first year. Let me start with the one that's so critical, I'm going to write it in big, bold letters. Cox internet plans, prices and termsĬox offers a variety of plans with a variety of speeds at a variety of prices, and there are a lot of important ins and outs to consider. That might cause a crunch if you've got multiple people in your house making Zoom calls, gaming online or doing anything else that requires you to upload lots of data to the cloud in short order.Īnd hey, speaking of those plans. For instance, with Cox, the fastest plan (1,000Mbps) comes with upload speeds of 35Mbps, while the three plans beneath it offer max uploads that range from 5Mbps to 10Mbps. You'll likely be stuck with upload speeds in the double digits, even with near-gigabit download speeds. That said, a good fiber connection will offer concurrent upload speeds as fast as the downloads - and this is where cable internet falls short.

That's much better than what you'll get with DSL, satellite internet or fixed wireless, and it's competitive with many of the country's top fiber providers.

#Cox internet speed test tv#

In addition to the fact that it's easy to bundle cable internet with cable TV and other services, most cable providers can offer download speeds of up to 940Mbps or higher. How does cable internet stack up now, anyway? If that's what you're looking for, check out our top rural internet recommendations. Other providers are better positioned to offer service outside of America's cities. That's tens of millions of people, but it's short of Comcast Xfinity and Charter Spectrum, two larger cable internet providers that offer service to roughly one-third of US households.Ĭox's more focused footprint also shows that it isn't a top pick for rural customers, as most of its cable infrastructure is located in dense urban areas. According to data collected by the Federal Communications Commission, Cox's home internet footprint reached just over 7% of the US population as of June 2021.