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Cable internet remains one of the most widely used web access methods. Offered by internet service providers (ISPs) across the nation, cable internet competes with alternative broadband types like satellite, digital subscriber lines (DSL), and fiber internet.
Unlike DSL, which uses phone lines, and fiber internet, which uses fiber optic lines, cable internet utilizes copper coaxial lines first built to deliver content to televisions. If you have multiple connection types available where you live and need help deciding, read on to learn more about cable internet and how it compares to other broadband internet options.
Though cable and DSL offer a similar geographic reach across regions, cable provides higher speeds and more reliability. Fiber may offer the fastest speeds, but cable remains an affordable and accessible option nationwide.
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Cable and DSL are two of the most widely available internet services, each covering almost 90% of the U.S. population. While fiber infrastructure continues to expand in urban and suburban regions, providers like Spectrum, Xfinity, and Cox remain some of the most accessible cable options for Americans.
Check out our best local internet service providers in your area.
The cost of cable internet varies widely depending on speed, data limits, the ISP, and your location.
According to our ISP cost and speed survey, internet costs $89 per month on average in the U.S. While this includes all broadband internet connections, a comparison of the cable plans in our rating shows the cost of cable internet as low as $19.99 per month for 75 Mbps, or megabits per second, with Xfinity. Up to 2 Gbps, or gigabits per second, is the top speed you can get from Cox for $149.99 per month.
As mentioned, costs may vary based on your address, and some of the faster speeds might not be available where you live.
Cable internet works through a network of copper coaxial cables initially placed to bring cable television to homes across the United States. Jay Anderson, chief technology officer and chief engineer at FiberLight, a fiber network builder for businesses, notes, “As the demand for the internet emerged, technology was developed to leverage that infrastructure to provide internet services using the same coaxial infrastructure.”
These insulated cables sit underground, connecting ISPs to neighborhoods and households. Within homes, businesses, and other buildings, you can connect the coaxial cable to a combined modem and router capable of delivering internet services to wired and wireless devices in the immediate proximity.
Unlike DSL, which delivers dedicated internet services directly to homes using the same wiring for telephone connections, ISPs share cable internet services between neighbors. This shared bandwidth between households means users can experience slower speeds during peak usage hours.
The most common metric for measuring the speed of internet services is megabits per second (Mbps). However, advancements in delivery mean speeds of 1,000 Mbps, equaling 1 gigabit per second (Gbps), are readily available today. Cable can reach gigabit speeds, though they’re most common and fastest in fiber optic connections.
All broadband plans offer customers specific download and upload speeds. For cable customers, this speed range can range from 50 Mbps to 2 Gbps for downloads and from 5 Mbps to 100 Mbps for uploads, based on the data from cable providers in our rating. Some may offer faster speeds, but these are likely via separate fiber optic connections.
Cable is generally faster than DSL but slower than the top speeds offered by fiber internet services. Cable internet users are capable of most internet activities, including browsing the web, sending email, playing games, and streaming videos.
The latency range of cable internet similarly sits between DSL and fiber connections. Cable companies in our rating have latencies between 18 milliseconds (ms) and 26 ms, which are quite good.
To raise the bar for reasonable internet connectivity in America, the FCC changed its definition of broadband in March 2024. Today, the benchmark for high-speed fixed broadband is 100 Mbps for downloads and 20 Mbps for uploads, which is quadrupled from its previous standard. While this is still on the low end of the speed ranges available from most companies, most ISPs offer starter plans in this range.
Check out our rating of the fastest ISPs for more information.
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By buying equipment, you can avoid additional monthly fees, install it yourself, and manage or replace it as needed. This also means researching and selecting the appropriate equipment, making the initial purchase, and following the manufacturer and ISP instructions for enabling internet activity for your home.
Renting puts the onus of managing equipment on the ISP, including technical support and replacement of devices. Nathan Nelson, vice president of solutions architecture at 46 Labs, a digital connectivity company, states there are no advantages to purchasing your equipment amid ever-changing technology. He says rental equipment can be updated by the operator.
“As a consumer, you would be stuck with outdated equipment that may not meet standards.” — Nelson
