The Best Cable Companies

When it comes to cable television, there are a lot of companies to choose from. You need to decide which one is best for your needs, budget and lifestyle.

The best cable TV providers offer a great dollar-to-channel ratio, a diverse channel lineup and a quality DVR. They also have no-contract options and flexible plan choices.

Comcast

Comcast is a leading provider of media, technology and communications products. It operates two primary businesses: cable television and internet services.

It has used strategic acquisitions to broaden and strengthen the types of media content businesses it is engaged in, including cable television, broadcast television stations, filmed entertainment, theme parks, and more.

The company also provides residential and commercial broadband, video, voice, wireless, and security and automation systems. It has 29 million customer relationships in the United States (39 states and Washington, D.C.).

Comcast is known for its high-speed Internet and cable television service. It offers customers hundreds of channels, on-demand options, and high-definition programming.

Time Warner Cable

Time Warner Cable is among the largest providers of video, high-speed data and voice services in the United States. It offers residential and business services that connect 15 million customers to entertainment, information and each other.

Aside from video and high-speed Internet, the company provides cell tower backhaul services to wireless carriers. It also has an advertising arm that offers national, regional and local companies innovative advertising solutions.

The company has a wide variety of TV and Internet packages, offering speeds from 300 Mbps to up to 1 Gbps. However, the advertised speed of its internet service can vary by region and device, and some users report that their speeds are much slower than what is promised.

Charter Spectrum

Charter Spectrum, previously known as Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, is a cable TV and internet provider that connects millions of homes across the country. It offers residential TV, internet and voice services.

While many cable companies connect customers to the web over their cable networks, Spectrum uses a hybrid fiber-coaxial network to deliver internet service. This technology enables faster downloads than DSL, fixed wireless and satellite connections, but it doesn’t offer as zippy upload speeds as fiber-optic plans do.

Spectrum’s lowest-tier Internet plan delivers up to 300 Mbps*, which is fast enough for most families and individuals who enjoy streaming videos or playing games online. However, if your family is heavy users, you may want to look at one of the more high-speed options available.

Cox Communications

Cox Communications is a large cable television and high-speed Internet provider that offers services to customers nationwide. Founded in 1962, the company serves over 6.2 million customers and is part of Cox Enterprises.

In addition to cable TV, Cox offers broadband Internet, phone and home security services. It also offers Contour TV, a streaming service that features live channels, on-demand options and optional add-ons for premium channels.

Cox’s home internet plans are a bit more expensive than other cable providers (like Xfinity and Spectrum), but the company has a good track record for customer satisfaction. Plus, the company’s data caps are reasonable and won’t throttle your speeds.

AT&T

AT&T is the largest telecommunications company in the United States. It offers wireless, Internet and media services as well as satellite TV.

AT&T also has a variety of non-contract prepaid plans that are less expensive than contract options. These plans come with a lot of features for a good price.

For example, AT&T’s $40/line plan includes unlimited talk and text with 480p video streaming, 35+ live TV channels, and discounts on other services.

For $75/month, the mid-tier AT&T Unlimited Extra plan adds in a few extra features including 50GB of priority data before your speeds may be slowed during times of network congestion. It also includes 15GB of mobile hotspot data per line, HBO Max, unlimited U.S. international texting, device security, fraud blocking and spam risk alerts.