Charter Spectrum VS Frontier Communications

Frontier and Charter Communications are both rapidly expanding broadband providers, with all the associated growing pains and big benefits. Both providers offer some of the latest technology, driven by high-quality fiber-heavy connections. With similar speeds and prices in many areas, picking a winner depends on your specific needs and desire for add-ons like TV and phone service.

Charter Spectrum
Cheap Internet
SETUP SERVICE

(844) 273-1634
  • PRICE RANGE $44.99 to $69.99 / mo.
  • TECHNOLOGY Cable
  • SPEED RANGE (DOWNLOAD) 30 mbps to 940 mbps
  • SPEED RANGE (UPLOAD) --

Charter Spectrum OVERVIEW

Charter Communications offers broadband Internet, TV, and phone service to consumers via their hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network.

Charter Spectrum TECHNOLOGY

Charter Communications offers broadband Internet, TV, and phone service to consumers via their hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network.

Hybrid Fiber Coaxial is a broadband infrastructure that uses fiber optic cables as it’s backbone, only resorting to slower coaxial cables for the “last mile” between customer residences and a local “optical node.”

The optical node translates optic signals into electric signals, which are generally distributed via existing cable TV networks. A node may serve anywhere from 50-2,000 homes in an area.

This type of connection is widely called a “cable” internet connection due to the use of coaxial cable, which was historically used to offer “cable TV.”

Charter Spectrum RATINGS AND REVIEWS

Cheap Internet
Cheap Internet
50.8% recommendation rating according to 48,673 verified Spectrum users.
Frontier Communications
Cheap Internet
SETUP SERVICE

(844) 319-1347
  • PRICE RANGE $24.99 to $35 / mo.
  • TECHNOLOGY DSL
  • SPEED RANGE (DOWNLOAD) 12 mbps to 100 mbps
  • SPEED RANGE (UPLOAD) Up to 100 mbps

Frontier Communications OVERVIEW

Frontier offers broadband internet, TV, and phone services through DSL and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connections.

Frontier Communications TECHNOLOGY

Frontier offers broadband internet, TV, and phone services through DSL and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connections.

Frontier’s DSL offerings leverage the company’s existing phone infrastructure to deliver internet access anywhere with landline access. While DSL is an older technology and offers correspondingly slower bandwidth speeds, DSL is generally more cost effective than its alternatives.

Frontier’s fiber or fiber-to-the-home connections, on the other hand, deliver a fiber optic connection directly to homes and businesses. This direct fiber connection is considered state-of-the-art, creating the fastest connection speeds and lowest latency when compared to other technologies like DSL and traditional cable Internet.

Frontier Communications RATINGS AND REVIEWS

Cheap Internet
Business Internet
34.3% recommendation rating according to 16,499 verified Frontier users.
Business Internet
TRIPLE PLAY, DOUBLE PLAY, AND SINGLE-SERVE

Picking the right bundle for your lifestyle

Promotional pricing is a common marketing tactic for Charter, Frontier, and most other broadband providers. If you plan to get TV and/or phone service in addition to Internet, keep an eye out for the terms “triple play” and “double play,” which refer to combination Internet/TV/phone and Internet/TV plans.

Thanks to streaming video services like Netflix and near-universal smartphone ownership, US consumers have been dropping cable TV subscriptions and phone service faster than ever. This is bad news for providers, but good news for customers who still want phone and TV service, since they’ll often offer double-and-triple-play deals for a fraction of the cost of independent services. In fact, they’ll sometimes even lower your overall monthly cost to stop you from dropping these services.

BUYING VS RENTING HARDWARE

Modem costs add up quickly

The cost of Internet isn’t usually that bad — it’s the miscellaneous fees, extras, and add-ons that push it up. One of the easiest miscellaneous fees to get rid of is the monthly modem/router rental cost, usually between five and ten dollars.[1]

Sure, it doesn’t sound like much, but buying your own modem and router instead will usually pay for itself within the year. After that, it’s just an extra hundred dollars or so a year in your pocket. Keep in mind, however, that providers usually have specific modem brands and models they’re compatible with. If you plan to switch providers or relocate regularly, renting hardware might be worth the cost.

Business Internet
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