Spectrum (Charter) is one of the most widespread internet service providers in the United States. Covering over 41 states, the massive provider boasts over 32 million customers. But popularity doesn’t always translate to service, so do these spectrum internet plans provide what you need?
Below, you’ll find a complete breakdown of what Spectrum offers. That way, you can make an informed decision on whether Spectrum is right for you.
What is Spectrum?
Spectrum is a widespread internet provider known across most of the US. Its owner, Charter Communications, also owns Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.
The combo platter of companies makes Charter the second-largest cable operator in the United States. Consider subscribers, only Comcast plans and their subscribers outperform Charter on subscriber count.
Spectrum operates in states that have high-speed internet providers, but rarely make the top of the lists. On these, Xfinity internet plans (Comcast) often offer more speed. However, Spectrum offers speeds at and above what most families need.
You’ll also find that Spectrum has incredible bundling opportunities. Among internet provider services, Spectrum has some of the top options in the nation. Below, we will review those offers.
Spectrum internet only plans
Spectrum has a unique offering that focuses on not overwhelming their customer base. These offerings include three different speeds. These speeds focus on residential customers who need high-speed internet.
Below, you’ll find a breakdown between the three available plans:
- Internet
300 Mbps (Download Speed)
10 Mbps (Upload Speed)
Starting price - $49.99 per month (12 months)
Standard price - $74.99 /mo.
- Internet Ultra
500 Mbps (Download)
20 Mbps (Upload)
Starting price - $69.99 /mo. (12 months)
Standard price - $94.99 /mo.
- Internet Gig
1000 Mbps (Download)
35 Mbps (Upload)
Starting price - $89.99 /mo. (12 months)
Standard price - $114.99 /mo.
Among Spectrum plans, internet is its number one priority. However, there are other providers that do it cheaper.
For example, in our comparison of Cox plans, you’ll find them to be slightly cheaper. Other providers, which you can find by comparing RCN internet plans, offer better introductory rates.
However, there is one area that Spectrum excels at above others: additional costs. Below, you’ll see this in action.
Spectrum Internet fees and costs you should know about
Spectrum plans offer fewer options than most, focusing on those who seek high-speed internet. But among those, they have much lower fees than the average provider.
For example, the common equipment rental fee you get from internet providers averages at about $10 to $15. However, through Spectrum, this gateway rental fee is down to $5 per month. Saving $10 a month seems minute, but when you have to pay for the internet forever, it saves on long-term costs.
In addition, almost all internet companies offer activation fees. Through companies like Xfinity, activation and self-installation ranges around $50, but is $19.99 through Charter. Spectrum’s professional installation services also are cheaper, starting at $49.99.
Regardless of what you get through Spectrum, you might run into late payment fees. These are pretty generous, averaging at about $9 per period. However, you would need to be late by 30 days after the original payment date.
Does Spectrum charge overage fees?
Spectrum plans are all the same in this respect: There are no overage fees. All plans have no data caps, meaning you don’t have to pay extra for going over limitations.
For those who use the internet a lot, this can save you a lot of money. Standard data overage costs are $10 per month (up to 50 GB).
Does Spectrum offer discounts for smart home or home security?
No, Spectrum stays out of smart home technology. As a result, they do not offer home security and smart home features.
Spectrum includes a free antivirus with its internet packages. So it offers internet security through the Security Suite software for Windows. This is like what EarthLink offers, but without the required professional installation.
Instead, Spectrum focuses on its internet, television, home phone, and mobile phone packages. It also offers business internet solutions.
Does Spectrum require a contract?
Spectrum internet plans all follow the same no-contract focus. So regardless of you being in an introductory period, you can leave whenever. This means no termination fees.
Many customers leave after the first year of Spectrum once standard rates kick in. However, Spectrum customers used to the unlimited data might find themselves frustrated with other internet providers.
Does Spectrum offer good deals?
Spectrum is an ideal solution if you want to get out from under an oppressive internet contract. This comes from their willingness to pay up to $500 to get you out of a contract.
The contract buyout feature focuses on your early termination fee. If your internet provider sends you a charge outside of that fee, Spectrum won’t cover them. You’ll need to give your previous internet provider’s bill to take advantage of this.
The contract buyout feature also applies to TV services. For example, they will pay your ETFs when leaving DirecTV, a common staple of AT&T plans.
Spectrum internet plans and TV - Bundling discounts
Spectrum TV is the second largest cable provider in the US (behind Comcast). This means it offers some pretty good cable deals, also following the contract-free model.
Below is a breakdown of Spectrum TV offerings, including some that combine with the internet:
- Spectrum TV Select (No Internet)
Intro pricing - $49.99 per month (12 months)
Standard pricing - $75.00+ /mo.
125+ channels
Thousands of on-demand TV choices
Free app
- Spectrum Internet + TV Select
Intro pricing - $99.98 per month (12 months)
Standard pricing - $140.00+ /mo.
300 Mbps (no contracts)
125+ channels
Thousands of on-demand TV choices
Free app
Spectrum also offers home phone services with introductory pricing at $15 per month. Below is how that will look when bundling with television services.
- Spectrum Internet + TV Select + Spectrum Voice
Intro pricing - $114.97 per month (12 months)
Standard pricing - $150.00+ /mo.
300 Mbps (no data caps)
125+ channels
Home phone calling
Thousands of on-demand TV choices
Free app
Spectrum doesn’t offer home phone service by itself. If you want the $14.99 per month home phone service, you’ll need to pay for the internet or TV.
Thanks to having good accessibility, Spectrum has some major variations from state-to-state. Much of these price changes come from local taxes and surcharges.
Unlike some cable or satellite television providers, Spectrum has a single package. This package includes 125 (or more depending on what your local station offers) channels.
Optionally, you can choose to enhance these plans with Spanish-speaking channels. The Mi Plan Latino costs $34.99 per month for 12 months, increasing by about $10 per month after the discount period expires.
Optional Spectrum TV add-ons
If you want more television from Spectrum, you have your choice of additional channels. You might prefer this over other providers, who bundle channels that include stations you might not want.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Entertainment View (includes OWN, Cooking Channel, NFL) - $12 per month.
- Sports View (NFL RedZone, MLB Network) - $6 /mo.
- Latino View (Mexico, Latin America, and Spain programs) - $12 /mo.
- HBO Max (includes eight HBO channels) - $15 /mo.
- SHOWTIME (both live television and on demand) - $10 /mo.
- STARZ (STARZ and STARZ ENCORE) - $9 /mo.
Spectrum also includes a free year of Peacock Premium, which normally costs $4.99 per month. So, if you want to check out episodes of The Office (or some other program), Spectrum has something that works for you.
Additional fees you get with using Spectrum TV
Spectrum plans get a bit more expensive when bundling television and internet. Charter includes much of these in separate contract sections. You’ll see a breakdown below.
First, the broadcast fee can add anywhere from $21 to $13 per month to your bill. This addition accounts for the cost of including local channels, which doesn’t include the initial 125.
The rental fee of a TV box is a bit more expensive, adding $9.99 per month to your bill. Each box will add the same amount, with no discounts for having multiple in your households.
DVR service is also not along with the pricing you see above. It’s optional, costing an average of $4.99 per month per device. However, you don’t need to pay for this bill.
Do you get discounts for combining Spectrum Mobile and internet services?
Similar to Xfinity, Spectrum also offers mobile services. While you can combine the two services onto one bill, you do not receive discounts for combining the two.
Instead, Spectrum plans stick to discounts that focus on volume. This is like how Verizon operates, which gives heavy discounts if you can get over 10 people on a mobile plan.
Your best discounts on bundling mobile services come in one of two forms::
- By the gig discounts are $14 per gigabyte per month, which is ideal for families who don’t use data services.
- Unlimited discounts offer $29.99 for two (or more) lines on the same plan, which is ideal for those who use data features on their phone often.
Unlike Verizon, Spectrum doesn’t offer 5G wireless speeds for its internet. However, a wired connection is often better, as it offers better internet stability.
Who is Spectrum Internet best for?
With a few Spectrum plans available, it is clear they focus on simplicity and faster speeds. Additional services made through television and phone can provide some great discounts as well.
Spectrum starts at 300 Mbps with unlimited data, ideal for households full of streaming TV bingers and video game players. In fact, you could say Spectrum is on the list of the best internet for gamers and large families who use a lot of data.
Xfinity and AT&T might have higher customer service ratings, but both of them have data caps. Thankfully, those caps are pretty high, but might be more frustrating to those who use a lot of bandwidth.
Spectrum’s promotional period also offers a bit more mercy compared to others. Charter does not attract you with long-term contracts. Instead, it focuses on low optional charges and no-contract offers.
How do I find Spectrum Internet near me?
If you are searching for the “best internet provider near me,” you need a tool that saves you time and money. This tool is the InternetAdvisor “Find a Provider” tool.
This tool allows you to enter your zip code, click search, and find all the internet providers in your location. This saves you the need of calling around and digging through Google to find providers that may (or may not) meet your needs.
Using the menu on the left, you can easily filter by your priorities: internet, television, phone, price, star rating, and promotions. It is the ultimate tool for eliminating options that don’t fit your needs.
If you want to find out the answer to the “what internet speed do I need” question, you can also use the InternetAdvisor Speed Wizard. This tool asks you important questions about your household, allowing you to better determine whether Spectrum is right for you.
Is Spectrum Internet good?
Spectrum isn’t the perfect internet, but it does well in offering what it does. Its two most powerful offerings include unlimited data and TV bundling features. When finding the best internet and TV provider, Spectrum is one answer.
Companies like AT&T and Xfinity have higher customer service results. This, and other companies offer faster fiber optic internet speeds. However, most of those faster speeds are unnecessary for the average family.
Because of this, Spectrum isn’t what you would consider premium internet. Instead, it is great for those who need unlimited data as a priority.
