| Top plans |
| Best for budgets 250 Mbps Internet |
| Best for speed Gig Internet |
| Best bundle Signature TV + Gig Internet |
RCN offers high-speed cable internet in Boston, Chicago, DC, Lehigh (PA), NY (Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens), and Philadelphia. RCN internet prices can vary by location but are generally the best deal around for internet speeds from 10–940 Mbps.
And if you’re into bundles, RCN’s double-play and triple-play packages (with internet, TV, or home phone service) have the same great value.
On top of value, RCN also has no contracts, no data caps, free no-contact installation, two-hour service windows, and year-round, US-based, 24/7 customer support. So, yeah, we think RCN internet service is excellent.
Have a seat and we’ll tell you more.
| Top plans |
| Best for budgets 250 Mbps Internet |
| Best for speed Gig Internet |
| Best bundle Signature TV + Gig Internet |
We think RCN’s 250 Mbps Internet plan ($29.99–$44.99 a month) is a tremendous value for most families, with enough speed to do a healthy amount of HD streaming and online gaming.
For larger households or gig gluttons who watch even more TV and play even more games, Gig Internet ($49.99–$59.99 a month) is a solid deal at $59.99. You will probably require a nice, juicy channel pack. For you, we suggest the Signature TV + Gig Internet bundle ($79.99–$109.99 a month), which adds 275–297+ TV channels to your internet plan, depending on location.
You can find all three of these recommended packages in any of RCN’s six cities. Some other RCN plans, however, are exclusive to only a few locations. Check out the full RCN plan menu (the link takes you to the plans and pricing table) or call RCN to see if there’s a better deal where you live.
RCN has seven standalone internet plans with speeds from 10–940 Mbps. Only two of these (recommended above) are available in all six locations. Plans from 10–100 Mbps are available only in one or two cities, and the 500 Mbps plan isn’t available in Lehigh or Philadelphia.
| Package |
| Best for budgets 250 Mbps Internet |
| Best for speed Gig Internet |
| 10 Mbps Internet |
| 25 Mbps Internet |
| 50 Mbps Internet |
| 100 Mbps Internet |
| 500 Mbps Internet |
| Price* | Download speeds up to | Upload speeds up to | |
| $29.99–$44.99/mo. | 250 Mbps | 15 Mbps | View plan |
| $49.99–$59.99/mo. | 940 Mbps | 20 Mbps | View plan |
| $24.99/mo. | 10 Mbps | unavailable | View plan |
| $19.99/mo. | 25 Mbps | 10 Mbps | View plan |
| $29.99/mo. | 50 Mbps | 10 Mbps | View plan |
| $29.99–$34.99/mo. | 100 Mbps | 10 Mbps | View plan |
| $34.99–$49.99/mo. | 500 Mbps | 20 Mbps | View plan |
At $29.99–$44.99 a month, 250 Mbps Internet costs $0.12–$0.18 per megabit. That’s the best deal in the area, aside from Optimum’s Optimum 300 ($39.99 a month, $0.13 per megabit), which is available in Brooklyn.
But RCN’s Gig Internet, at $49.99–$59.99 a month, is the best deal for 940 Mbps in its area. By contrast, Optimum 1 Gig is $69.99 per month, while Xfinity’s Gigabit plan is $79.99 per month.
RCN’s bundles come with only two TV choices—Digital Basic TV (55–70+ channels) and Signature TV (275–297+ channels)—but basically the same seven internet plans ranging from 25-940 Mbps (see the additional 155 Mbps and 330 Mbps tiers added in the table below).
Out of all of RCN’s bundles, we recommend Signature TV + 1 Gbps ($79.99–$109.99 per month, 940 Mbps, 275–297+ channels). It has by far the fastest speeds and most channels of any bundle in the area—not to mention the best value, at $0.09–$0.12 per megabit and $0.29–$0.37 per channel.
To drive home the point on value, Optimum’s Optimum Core TV + Optimum 300 bundle is $64.99 a month for less than half the speed (300 Mbps) and fewer channels (220+).
And Verizon’s 400 Mbps Internet + Your Fios TV costs $109.99 for less than half the download speed and only 125+ channels. The brightside, though, is that Verizon is a fiber-optic service, so it’s more reliable—and you’ll get 20 times faster upload speeds. That will work well for mid-sized families, online gamers (with social lives), and those of us working from home.
In other words, RCN’s Signature TV + 1 Gbps is a screamin’ deal. But we’ve compiled tables for all types of RCN bundles so you can compare prices, speeds, and channel counts and pick a package that works for you.
| Price* | Download speeds up to | Channel count | |
| $34.99/mo. | 25 Mbps | 70+ | View plan |
| $74.99/mo. | 25 Mbps | 297+ | View plan |
| $29.99–$39.99/mo. | 50 Mbps | 55–70+ | View plan |
| $59.99–$69.99/mo. | 50 Mbps | 275–297+ | View plan |
| $29.99–$44.99/mo. | 155 Mbps | 70+ | View plan |
| $74.99–$89.99/mo. | 155 Mbps | 284–297+ | View plan |
| $39.99–$49.99/mo. | 250 Mbps | 55–70+ | View plan |
| $64.99–$89.99/mo. | 250 Mbps | 275–297+ | View plan |
| $34.99–$54.99/mo. | 330 Mbps | 70+ | View plan |
| $79.99–$99.99/mo. | 330 Mbps | 284–297+ | View plan |
| $49.99–$59.99/mo. | 500 Mbps | 55–70+ | View plan |
| $64.99–$94.99/mo. | 500 Mbps | 275–297+ | View plan |
| $49.99–$69.99/mo. | 940 Mbps | 55–70+ | View plan |
| $79.99–$109.99/mo. | 940 Mbps | 275–297+ | View plan |
| Package |
| 25 Mbps Internet + Phone |
| 50 Mbps Internet + Phone |
| 155 Mbps Internet + Phone |
| 250 Mbps Internet + Phone |
| 330 Mbps Internet + Phone |
| 500 Mbps Internet + Phone |
| 1 Gig Internet + Phone |
| Price* | Download speeds up to | Phone plan | |
| $29.99/mo. | 25 Mbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $39.99–$59.99/mo. | 50 Mbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $39.99–$44.99/mo. | 155 Mbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $49.99–$69.99/mo. | 250 Mbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $44.99–$54.99/mo. | 330 Mbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $59.99–$79.99/mo. | 500 Mbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $54.99–$89.99/mo. | 1 Gbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| Price* | Download speeds up to | Channel count | Phone plan | |
| $44.99/mo. | 25 Mbps | 70+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $84.99/mo. | 25 Mbps | 297+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $34.99–$49.99/mo. | 50 Mbps | 55–70+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $69.99–$79.99/mo. | 50 Mbps | 275–297+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $39.99–$54.99/mo. | 155 Mbps | 70+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $84.99–$99.99/mo. | 155 Mbps | 284–297+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $44.99–$54.99/mo. | 250 Mbps | 55–70+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $74.99–$89.99/mo. | 250 Mbps | 275–297+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $44.99–$64.99/mo. | 330 Mbps | 70+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $89.99–$109.99/mo. | 330 Mbps | 284–297+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $54.99–$64.99/mo. | 500 Mbps | 55–70+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $74.99–$99.99/mo. | 500 Mbps | 275–297+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $59.99–$79.99/mo. | 940 Mbps | 55–70+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
| $89.99–$119.99/mo. | 940 Mbps | 275–297+ | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plan |
While RCN has plenty of value baked into its internet plans, it also offers these deals for new customers:
Well, it turns out that you can use your own modem/routers with RCN internet service as long as it’s compatible with RCN internet speeds. See the table below for the internet provider’s recommended specs.
| RCN internet plan speeds | DOCSIS | Min. # of downstream channels | Ideal # of downstream channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 250 Mbps | 3.0 | 8 | 24 |
| 330 Mbps | 3.0 | 16 | 24 |
| 500 Mbps and up | 3.1 | 16* | 32 |
Pay particular attention to downstream channels—a higher number is better. If your current modem/router has only eight channels, it will still work for speeds up to 250 Mbps. But if you’re buying a new device, get one with at least 16 downstream channels to ensure the best download speed.
Note that there are some exceptions to RCN’s bring-your-own-modem policy:
Okay, gear geeks—let’s examine the devices you need (and might need) with RCN internet service.
Yes, that means you’ll need to rent a modem/router from RCN—unless you can, I dunno, buy your own.
Whenever we’re asked which internet provider has the most affordable plans or best value, RCN always tops the list. Aside from Optimum’s Optimum 300 plan, no other provider in the area has the same speeds at such low prices. And don’t forget how RCN blows away the competition’s bundles.
That kind of value—without contracts or data caps—is staggering. It makes us wish we lived in RCN’s service area. But since we don’t, maybe send us a postcard telling us about the good life?
RCN internet and TV service is available in these areas:
But to be absolutely sure that you live in an RCN service area, enter your zip code below.
For the speeds it offers, RCN is a much better internet provider than Xfinity, a.k.a. Comcast. To put it into perspective: RCN’s 1 Gbps Internet cable plan gives you 940 Mbps for $49.99–$59.99 a month (depending on your location). Xfinity’s Gigabit plan, on the other hand, is $79.99 per month for 1,000 Mbps.
In terms of value, RCN is better. For context, RCN’s Signature TV + 1 Gbps has cable speeds up to 940 Mbps and 275–297+ channels for $79.99–$109.99 per month (prices vary by location), while Verizon’s 400 Mbps Internet + Your Fios TV ($109.99 a month) has a 400 Mbps fiber-optic connection and only 125+ channels.
Fiber connections are faster and more reliable than cable, and fiber also has symmetrical download and upload speeds. On that, Verizon wins.
But if you don’t care as much about upload speeds, RCN’s internet download speeds are the same as Verizon. And you’ll get more than double the TV channels for the same, or possibly better, price.
RCN is good—great, actually. It has cable connections from 10–940 Mbps, no contracts, no data caps, and prices that are hard for juggernauts like Verizon and Xfinity to beat.
Several reasons could explain why your internet connection is slow:
These are the most common culprits, but there could be others. To troubleshoot your connection, contact RCN tech support at 1-866-832-4726. Or chat with an RCN representative.
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