Spectrum Internet Review: Plans, Pricing, Speed and Availability

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Spectrum home internet rating

How we calculated our rating

7.2/10

CNET Score

We score internet providers for speed, value and customer care. Our data sources include the FCC, J.D. Power, The American Customer Satisfaction Index and extensive in-house research.

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7.2

/ 10

SCORE

Speed

7/10

Value

7.5/10

Customer Care

7/10

Pros

• Straightforward pricing
• No data caps on any plans
• No contracts required for internet service
• Free access to Spectrum's nationwide Wi-Fi hotspots

Cons

• Competitive rates for cable, but pricier than many fiber providers
• Internet service is slightly below the industry average for customer satisfaction

See more pros and cons

Spectrum Internet review

As the second-largest cable provider in the country, Charter Communication's Spectrum Internet leads in availability, simple service terms and solid speeds. Your service comes withno contracts, termination fees, equipment fees or data caps. Trying out a new internet provider can be daunting; that's why new customers can request a 30-day money-back guarantee if they aren't happy with the service. Such a straightforward approach is appealing, especially when many internet providers make those crucial details so confusing.

Spectrum Internet serves almost 57 million homes across 41 states, so there's a good chance it's available in your area or somewhere nearby. If so, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better cable internet provider, especially since Spectrum doesn't enforce a data cap like its biggest competitors, Xfinity and Cox, do. However, if you can get a 100% fiber connection at your address, you should strongly consider going with that instead of Spectrum for faster upload speeds and a more reliable connection overall.

Spectrum Internet plans and pricing

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Spectrum currently offers two plans: 500Mbps for $50 a month and 1 gig (or 1,000Mbps) for $70. In addition, Spectrum is currently offering new customers $50 in credit (which can be applied to their account) when signing up for service online. The boost in speeds are nice to see from its previous offerings. This cable giant had previously three internet plan options (not including its low-income option for $30 a month): 300 megabits per second, 500Mbps and 1 gigabit ( or 1,000Mbps). Existing customers on the 300Mbps and 500Mbps plans will get speeds increased to 400Mbps and 600Mbps for the same price. There are no data caps or required contracts for any plans, but after one to three years (depending on your chosen plan and whether you've bundled your services), your monthly bill will increase by around $30.

Spectrum'sprice increases may be one reason 110,000 home internet customers ditched the service in the third quarter of 2024, according to an earnings report. So the recent speed and pricing changes could be in response to that. Nonetheless, each of Spectrum's internet plans offers a high-quality cable experience with reliable download speeds, making it a solid option for many households.

The entry-level tier features a maximum download speed of 500Mbps, which is plenty fast for a provider's opening option. Comparatively, cable internet providers such as Cox and Xfinity offer plans that start at just 100Mbps to 150Mbps.

Is cable internet good?

While fiber internet is typically the superior option to any other connection type, cable internet is the next best thing. Spectrum internet relies mainly on hybrid fiber-coaxial cable connections to provide service to subscribers' homes. As you can tell by the two fast tiers offered by Charter, a cable connection is a trusty method that offers download speeds much faster than those you'll get with DSL, fixed wireless and satellite.

Upload speeds from cable providers aren't typically very fast. On the other hand, cable internet plans offered by Optimum, Xfinity, Cox and Spectrum, your upload speeds will typically stay in the double digits -- which may negatively affect your streaming, gaming and remote work needs. Remember when I said Fiber internet, on the other hand, provides faster downloads and equally zippy upload speeds, making it a desirable and efficient alternative to cable.

Yet the issue isn't about gigabit speeds. After all, other cable internet competitors, like Cox and Xfinity, can boast of their gig plans. It's all about the symmetrical speeds and better performance of a 100% fiber network; Spectrum doesn't have that. If you're not sure about whether fiber or cable is more suitable for your home, read our cable vs. fiber overview.

According to a June 2024 report from the Federal Communications Commission, Spectrum's cable internet service is available to almost 30% of the country, but just under 1% of Spectrum's potential customer base is eligible for fiber. According to our source, that's not true. Charter does not release its fiber/HFC percentage publicly, but the spokesperson said the FCC's info is outdated: "A sizable percentage of our network is fiber, from our facilities down to the neighborhood, and virtually all of the 53 million homes our network passes can access gigabit speeds." 

Yet the issue isn't about gigabit speeds. After all, other cable internet competitors, like Cox and Xfinity, can boast of their gig plans. It's all about the symmetrical speeds and better performance of a 100% fiber network; Spectrum doesn't have that. If you're not sure about whether fiber or cable is more suitable for your home, read our cable vs. fiber overview.

Where can you get Spectrum Internet?

Spectrum Internet serves 41 states across the country, so it's easier to list the states where Charter Communications doesn't operate: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Iowa, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Utah (as well as Washington, DC). If you live anywhere other than that, there's an above-average chance you're within Spectrum's coverage map or close to it.

Most cable internet providers struggle to offer service to rural areas with low population density, and Spectrum is no exception. If that's your situation, check out our rundown of the best rural internet providers.

Straightforward terms for Spectrum Internet 

Charter tends to keep its Spectrum offerings fairly uncomplicated, but let's burrow down to see what else you can expect with your service.

Additional monthly fees

Spectrum prides itself on a no-data-caps-or-extra-fees approach, which is mostly accurate. On top of the lack of contracts or data limits, each Spectrum plan comes with a free modem. If you opt for the 500Mbps plan, you'll need to pay an additional $10 monthly for a router. Spectrum includes the router for customers of the gig plan. Fortunately, like many other ISPs, Spectrum allows customers of the 500Mbps plan to skip that extra fee by using your own, Spectrum-compatible equipment, with the caveat that you won't be eligible for Spectrum technical support. 

One-time installation fees

Spectrum temporarily ditched all its in-home professional installations during the pandemic, but this is once again an option. The standard in-home installation fee is $65. Most installations of Spectrum Internet can be done on a self-install basis. In those cases, you'll need to use a self-installation kit, which is $30 and can be shipped to your address or sent to a Spectrum store for pickup. 

You'll also still need to pay a one-time charge of $30 for service activation and an additional $10 charge for the Wi-Fi activation fee.

No data caps

In contrast to some ISP rivals (we're looking at you, Cox and Xfinity), Spectrum does not impose data caps on any of its customers. That means you won't have to track your data usage for fear of throttling issues once you hit some arbitrary threshold. 

Free access to Wi-Fi hotspots nationwide

In addition to connecting at home, Spectrum Out-of-Home WiFi is available to customers for free whenever they're out and about. The company features approximately 530,000 hotspots across its entire coverage map. To connect when you're in range of a network, sign in with your account username and password for unlimited access. Customers can also use the My Spectrum app for quick access.

Spectrum Internet vs. competitors: Customer satisfaction scores could be better 

The good news is that Charter's Spectrum service is doing better now with customers than it has since Charter acquired Time Warner Cable in mid-2016, but there's still work to do. 

For example, Spectrum was consistently below US regional averages when you look at the J.D. Power US Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study for 2024. Spectrum earned its highest score in the South region, capturing 561 on a 1,000-point scale, but that still placed it behind Cox, Google Fiber, AT&T, Frontier and Xfinity in that same area. 

Over at the American Customer Satisfaction Index, Spectrum jumped 6% in 2024 to score 68 points. That puts it right at the average for nonfiber ISPs, which might initially seem like no big deal, but it's the second year in a row that Spectrum has increased its score. That consistent growth is a positive step and a sign that it's continuing to do better in the eyes of its customers.

Is Spectrum Internet worth the hype?

There's a lot to like about Spectrum. It leads in availability and offers two high-speed tiers with unlimited data and no contracts. Customers are also spared some extra fees you might find with other ISPs. There's no additional monthly fee for the modem, for example. Of those two plans, we like Spectrum's 500Mbps plan the most.

However, watch out for those price increases. One thing Spectrum has in common with most providers is it does bump up your monthly price after your initial promo period, so be aware of that pending change. Spectrum can also provide fast download speeds as a cable provider, but the technology doesn't offer symmetrical upload speeds, which may negatively impact those working remotely from home.

Spectrum Internet FAQs