Cox Cable vs Charter Spectrum Internet

	Brand	Service type	Speed range	Price range
	Cox	Cable	10–940 Mbps	$29.99–119.99/mo.
	Spectrum	Cable	300–1,000 Mbps	$49.99–119.99/mo.

Cox Deals Spectrum Deals

Cox and Spectrum both have large coverage areas in Southern California. While their networks don’t overlap, their territories border each other in SoCal cities like Los Angeles and Irvine, making them a common switch for people moving within the state.

Cox Cable vs Spectrum Internet Basic Features

Cox has the best ultra-affordable plans, with some of the lowest starting prices in the state. However, keep in mind that the pricing is promotional for new customers, so the price you pay as a long-term customer is somewhat higher (sometimes more than 100% higher in the second year).

Feature	Cox Communications	Charter Spectrum
Starting price	$29.99/mo. sign-up price	$49.99/mo. sign-up price
Download speed range	10–940 Mbps	300–1,000 Mbps
Upload speed range	1–35 Mbps	10–35 Mbps
Network type	Cable	Cable
Contract terms	Contract required for cheapest price	Contract-free

View Cox Internet Plans → View Spectrum Internet Plans →

Cox vs Spectrum Data Usage Policies

Spectrum’s big benefit is the lack of data caps, making them a better fit for streamers, home offices, and other “power users” who need a high level of data allowance and don’t want to worry about overage fees.

That being said, the majority of family homes will be comfortable with the 1.25 TB data allowance on Cox plans, presuming you don’t have a family of five streaming HD video on multiple devices 24/7.

Spectrum Cable vs Cox Cable internet. — Spectrum and Cox both offer cable internet and TV services in Southern California. Cox has the lowest pricing, while Spectrum has the widest footprint.

Many internet providers in California use data caps to manage their network, meaning that if you use more than a certain amount of data, you will be charged extra on top of your monthly bill.

Cox has data caps on some plans. 1.25 TB is a common cap on Cox internet plans. Spectrum offers unlimited plans with no data caps.

Cox Communications Data Caps

Cox places data caps on some plans.

Charter Spectrum Data Caps

Spectrum offers internet plans with unlimited data

Cox vs Spectrum Net Neutrality Policies

Cox Communications Net Neutrality Stance

Cox maintains a page describing their support for the principles of Net Neutrality. However in practice, the company often uses selective throttling in network management.

Cox Net Neutrality statement

Charter Spectrum Net Neutrality Stance

Charter Communications has public statements supporting open networks, but in practice has been applying to remove network management requirements imposed by the FCC during their merger with Time Warner Cable.

Spectrum Net Neutrality statement

Cox vs Spectrum Pricing and Fees

Here is a breakdown of how common add-on fees compare for Cox and Spectrum plans.

Fees are common with cable providers, and can result in larger bill each month. Keep in mind these are for internet-only plans — TV plans will include additional fees related to sports, HD equipment, and etc. As a rule, we recommend that you do not purchase TV from cable companies directly, and instead opt for “skinny bundles” from cord-cutter TV providers like Netflix, Hulu, etc.

Fee	Cox	Spectrum
WiFi equipment fee	~$10.99/mo.	~$7/mo.
Price increases	Bill increases after promo period	Bill increases after promo period
Early Termination Fee	Fee to cancel contract	Fee to cancel contract

Note that fee amounts described above may vary by plan. See the plan comparison tables for Cox and Spectrum below for more information.

Cox vs Spectrum Internet-Only Plan Comparison

	Most Common Plan	Internet speed	Sign-up price	Final price	Avg price over 2 yrs
	Cox Internet Essential 100 (Cox Cable)	100 Mbps	$49.99/mo.	$49.99/mo.	$49.99/mo.
	Spectrum Internet (Spectrum)	100 Mbps	$49.99/mo.	$79.99/mo.	$65/mo.

View Cox Internet Plans → View Spectrum Internet Plans →

Cox Cable uses flat pricing for their entry-level Cox Internet Essential 100 plan. The $49.99 monthly cost does not rise over time.

Remember that Cox Internet Essential 100 includes the following fees when you compare pricing:

$13/month fee for WiFi equipment
Fees for using more than 1.25 TB

Let’s compare that to Spectrum:

The price of the Spectrum Spectrum Internet internet plan is $49.99/month for the first Contract-Free. However, the price jumps up 60% to $79.99 after that initial period.

So, the price of Spectrum internet is actually $65/month, when averaged over two years.

Spectrum Internet comes with some fees as well:

$7/month fee for WiFi equipment

Cox vs spectrum Internet Plans

Note that Spectrum offers up to 300 Mbps for their base-level plan in major cities like Los Angeles. The lower entry speed listed below is the base amount which is provided regardless of market.

Cox Internet Plans

Plan Name	Download Speed	Promo Price	Final Price
Cox Internet Essential 100	100 Mbps	$49.99/mo	$49.99
Cox Internet Preferred 250	250 Mbps	$59.99/mo	$83.99
Cox Internet Ultimate 500	500 Mbps	$79.99/mo	$99.99
Gigablast	1000 Mbps	$99.99/mo	$119.99

View Cox Internet Plans →

Spectrum Internet Plans

Cox Cable’s benefit for internet-only customers is the affordable starting prices, which can be a good deal for households that don’t need an excess of bandwidth and are more focused on the best possible price for average daily use like Facebook, email, and a bit of YouTubing.