The short answer: it depends. Cox internet plans come through the same coaxial cables as its TV service, which means it’s faster than telephone-line DSL internet but slower than fiber-optic internet. Still, some of Cox’s internet plans come close to fiber speed, and most of them can easily handle household needs. And most Cox internet plans are fairly affordable. So, yes, for the most part, we’d say that Cox internet is good.
| Package |
| Best for small households Internet Preferred 150 |
| Best for large households Gigablast |
* For 12 mos. w/ 1-yr. service. agreement.
Internet Preferred 150 and Gigablast are the best of Cox’s packages. We’d recommend the first for one or two people with basic internet requirements, and the latter for larger families or roommate surfing and streaming situations. The rest of your household can pitch in the extra $40.
*For 12 mos. w/ 1-yr. service. agreement. Data effective as of 03/02/2020. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
That’s quite the range of cable-internet speeds: 10 Mbps is way down in DSL territory, while 940 Mbps is almost as fast as fiber. But one fiber feature that cable can’t yet match is up/down parity, meaning that cable’s download and upload speeds aren’t equal, where fiber’s are. If you’re running a home business or uploading your weekly fly-fishing podcast, maybe look around for a fiber internet provider.
| Package |
| Bronze Duo |
| Silver Duo |
| Silver Duo |
| Gold Duo |
| Platinum Duo |
| Internet Starter 10 |
| TV Starter + Internet Essential 30' |
| TV Starter + Internet Preferred 150' |
| Contour TV + Internet Essential 30 |
| Price* | Download speeds up to | Channel count | |
| $109.99/mo. | 150 Mbps | 140+ | View plan |
| $129.99/mo. | 300 Mbps | 140+ | View plan |
| $149.99/mo. | 940 Mbps | 170+ | View plan |
| $149.99/mo. | 300 Mbps | 250+ | View plan |
| $179.99/mo. | 940 Mbps | 250+ | View plan |
| $54.99/mo. | 10 Mbps | 75+ | View plan |
| $64.99/mo. | 30 Mbps | 75+ | View plan |
| $84.99/mo. | 150 Mbps | 75+ | View plan |
| $147.48/mo. | 30 Mbps | 140+ | View plan |
*For 12 mos. w/ 2-yr. service. agreement. Data effective as of 05/26/2020. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Cox’s mid-level Bronze Duo package offers a nice balance of speed and channels for $109.99 a month, but the second, more expensive Silver Duo (confusingly, there are two “Silvers”) gives you a lot more for an extra $40. If you have a bandwidth-hungry household, it might be worth the splurge.
Because of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Cox is offering its no-contract Starter internet plan for $19.99 a month. To get this Cox internet deal, you must qualify as a low-income customer or as someone affected by COVID-19, like a senior citizen or K–12 student.
See if you qualify for this deal.
Usually, you have to choose a speedier (and more expensive) Cox home internet plan to get Cox Wi-Fi. (Cox has temporarily opened all of its Wi-Fi hotspots to the public because of COVID-19.) Cox’s Preferred 150, Ultimate, and Gigablast internet plans (and their respective bundles) include free access to 650,000 Wi-Fi hotspots across the US, from New York City to San Diego.
You can find Wi-Fi hotspots through the free Cox Contour mobile app for iOS and Android.
While we don’t think Cox’s internet plans in the 10–30 Mbps speed range are worth the money, we do like the 150+ Mbps packages quite a bit. They offer the fastest internet that cable can deliver, and the prices are reasonable for what you’re getting.
Like most cable internet providers, Cox imposes a data cap on service—but you’ll likely never hit it. Cox’s monthly 1 TB (terabyte) cap is comparable to streaming over 400 hours of HD movies and TV shows. If you can consume that in a month, you’ve earned an internet break.
No, Cox doesn’t currently throttle internet speed—at least during the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Setting aside these unprecedented circumstances, it’s hard to prove that any internet company throttles speeds, let alone Cox. We have our theories, though. . .
Cox internet service is compatible with a long list of modems from outside sources, as long as they’re DOCSIS 3.0 or 3.1. Plans below 150 Mbps will work with older DOCSIS 2.0 modems.
While there’s little noticeable difference between cable TV and satellite TV service, internet is another matter. Cable internet can deliver download speeds of up to 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps), but satellite internet maxes out at 100 Mbps (average speed: 25 Mbps). Satellite internet is also more expensive than cable internet and far less reliable—in other words, it’s not a great deal (unless it’s the only internet you can get, especially in remote areas with little infrastructure).
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