Cox claims to be no. 1 for streaming video according to Nielsen data and an analysis done by Ookla of Speedtest Intelligence data. Likewise, Cox offers the fastest speeds everywhere (in locations where Cox is available), access to over 3 million wifi hotspots while travelling, a free security suite, and Gig speed connections. However, Cox is more than just an internet provider as it vies to compete with the likes of Sling, Hulu, DirecTV, and YouTubeTV as an OnDemand TV provider.   
Cox says it’s committed to bringing the fastest speeds to its customers. In October of 2019, Cox announced an automatic increase in speeds for the Connect2Compete customers, the low-cost product targeted at first-time internet subscribers. On the other end of the spectrum, Cox launched its EliteGamer service to enhance the gaming experience and improve connections between servers and players across its footprint in June 2020. 
Despite efforts to bring faster speeds to all tiers of customers and services, Cox has been imposing slowdowns to internet speeds in effort to curb excessive usage despite unlimited data. All Cox internet plans include 1.25 TB per month of data usage, but users with exceptionally high data usage are being asked to curb their usage or face termination of service.

Cox Internet Plans and Prices

Data effective 9/28/2020

  • Package availability depends on location, prices may vary

Cox vs. Other Providers

*Prices for stand-alone internet service, current at time of publication. Prices may vary by location. Contract length may vary and it’s subject to the starting price presented above.  Once you select a service, the website will walk you through “customizations” to your service by offering additional products and rental internet equipment. Finally, you will enter your personal information to create a profile and verify your identity and perform a routine credit check. 

Contracts and fees

A 12-month contract is standard for Cox internet plans — pretty standard for the industry. If this sounds like a big commitment, Cox does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you’ll have some time to try the service out. You can also opt for a month-to-month contract for $10 more per month. Cox doesn’t have many other fees. It’ll cost $11 per month for the Panoramic WiFi Gateway, and if you bundle TV and internet, there may be a $50 installation fee. 

Notable fees

$10 charge for up to 50 GB of additional data$11/mo Panoramic WiFi Gateway$5/mo Additional Elite Gamer Connections$10/mo Cox Complete Care$50 Installation Fee (on TV/Internet bundles)

*Sometimes waived for certain packages or online orders.

TV bundles

You can add a TV package to your internet service for between $16 more per month. The channel packages range from 75 to 250 channels. The Contour TV Ultimate plan, the 250+ channel package, includes NFL RedZone, HBO, Cinemax, and Playboy. Otherwise, these channels are optional on a channel-by-channel basis to the Contour TV plan (140+ channels) only. 

Customer service

Cox earns pretty average satisfaction ratings compared to other ISPs. In J.D. Power’s 2020 survey, it scored right around the industry average in all three regions it covers. The study polls customers’ opinions on performance, cost, billing, and communication. Cox received lower scores in cost of service and communication, but overall, the company does as good a job as most providers.