| 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 |
Data as of time of post. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* For the first 12 months.
We think RCN’s 250 Mbps Internet plan ($34.99–$39.99 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 ($90.80–$148.48 a month), which adds 275–297+ TV channels to your internet plan, depending on location. RCN guarantees its TV and internet prices for a year, but after 12 months, you might see a price increase depending on your address.
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 |
| 50 Mbps Internet |
| 100 Mbps Internet |
| 300 Mbps Internet |
| 500 Mbps Internet |
| 600 Mbps Internet |
| Price* | Download speeds up to | Upload speeds up to | |
| $34.99–$39.99/mo. | 250 Mbps | 15 Mbps | View plan |
| $49.99–$59.99/mo. | 940 Mbps | 20 Mbps | View plan |
| $22.00–$29.99/mo. | 50 Mbps | 10 Mbps | View plan |
| $19.99–$29.99/mo. | 100 Mbps | 10 Mbps | View plan |
| $29.99–$37.00/mo. | 300 Mbps | 15 Mbps | View plan |
| $34.99–$49.99/mo. | 500 Mbps | 20 Mbps | View plan |
| $39.99–$47.00/mo. | 600 Mbps | 20 Mbps | View plan |
Data as of time of post. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* For the first 12 months.
At $34.99–$39.99 a month, 250 Mbps Internet is 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 TV packages come with only two TV choices—Digital Basic TV (55–70+ channels) and Signature TV (275–297+ channels)—but basically the same six internet plans ranging from 100-940 Mbps (see the additional 155 Mbps and 330 Mbps tiers added in the table below).
RCN’s bundles vary by city, but you’ll generally be able to choose from a starting, mid-range, and 940 Mbps internet, TV, or phone bundle. However, every bundle will have to include internet service and you won’t be able to get standalone TV service. You can add phone service for an additional $1.00 to $10.00 per month, depending on your city and whether you have a Double Play or Triple Play bundle.
Out of all of RCN’s bundles, we recommend Signature TV + 1 Gbps ($90.18–$148.48 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 $0.29–$0.37 per channel.
To drive home the point on value, Optimum’s 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 bright side, 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 | Phone plan | |
| $22.99–$51.17/mo. | 100 Mbps | 70+ | Add for $1.00–$10.00/mo. | View plan |
| $89.97–$115.18/mo. | 100 Mbps | 284–297+ | Add for $1.00–$10.00/mo. | View plan |
| $53.05–$60.26/mo. | 250 Mbps | 55–70+ | Add for $1.00–$10.00/mo. | View plan |
| $96.31–$128.48/mo. | 250 Mbps | 275–297+ | Add for $1.00–$10.00/mo. | View plan |
| $29.26–$56.53/mo. | 300 Mbps | 70+ | Add for $1.00–$10.00/mo. | View plan |
| $70.80–$121.59/mo. | 300 Mbps | 284–297+ | Add for $1.00–$10.00/mo. | View plan |
| $53.05–$70.26/mo. | 500 Mbps | 55–70+ | Add for $1.00–$10.00/mo. | View plan |
| $96.31–$138.48/mo. | 500 Mbps | 275–297+ | Add for $1.00–$10.00/mo. | View plan |
| $39.26–$68.05/mo. | 600 Mbps | 55–70+ | Add for $1.00–$10.00/mo. | View plan |
| $80.80–$131.59/mo. | 600 Mbps | 275–297+ | Add for $1.00–$10.00/mo. | View plan |
| $49.26–$80.26/mo. | 940 Mbps | 55–70+ | Add for $1.00–$10.00/mo. | View plan |
| $90.80–$148.48/mo. | 940 Mbps | 275–297+ | Add for $1.00–$10.00/mo. | View plan |
Data as of time of post. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* For the first 12 months.
While RCN has plenty of value baked into its internet plans, it also offers these deals for new customers depending on your area:
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. Technically, RCN has a $79.95 installation fee, but you can easily avoid it by getting a self-installation kit. RCN also occasionally waives the fee when you sign up for service online.
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 |
| Up to 250 Mbps |
| 330 Mbps |
| 500 Mbps and up |
| DOCSIS | Min. # of downstream channels | Ideal # of downstream channels |
| 3.0 | 8 | 24 |
| 3.0 | 16 | 24 |
| 3.1 | 16* | 32 |
* No recommendation from RCN. This is CableTV.com’s suggestion.
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.
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 $90.80–$148.48 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.
RCN has better internet packages compared to Spectrum, but Spectrum’s TV packages offer more premium and basic cable channels for less per month than RCN.
Like most regional internet providers, RCN generally offers good internet performance and it’s competitively priced compared to other cable internet providers.
