Cable Service Deals
Comcast High Speed Internet
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Broadband Internet
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Charter Internet™
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Bright House Networks™ High Speed Internet
Get Bright House Networks High Speed Internet or bundle and save
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Optimum Online® High Speed Internet
Optimum Online makes everything online faster, easier and safer. Click now for specials!
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Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers |
Service Questions
- Where is cable modem service available?
- How much does cable modem service cost?
- How do I subscribe to cable modem service?
- Who are @Home and Road Runner?
- Must I be a cable TV subscriber to get cable modem service?
- Are cable modems available to businesses?
- How do cable modems compare to ISDN, ADSL and satellite services?
Back to Questions & Answers main page
Where is cable modem service available?
Cable modem service is available to 44 million homes in the U.S. and Canada, or about 40% of all homes equipped to receive cable TV service. To see if you can get service, visit our Service Availability page.
How much does cable modem service cost?
Cable modem service is typically priced from $40 to $50 per month for a package that includes rental of the cable modem, unlimited Internet access, and Internet software, such as a Web browser and e-mail applications. Large cable Internet service providers (ISPs), such as Road Runner, provide several e-mail accounts and free Web hosting for subscribers. They also supply a lineup of national and local content tailored to your high-speed connection.
Installation is usually priced from $50 to $150 to cover cable wiring, the insertion of an Ethernet card in your computer, and software configuration.
How do I subscribe to cable modem service?
Cable modem service is offered through a partnership between your local cable company and a dedicated cable ISP, most often Road Runner. Visit our Service Availability page to see if service is available in your area. If it is, contact your cable company, which will install your cable modem connection.
Who are @Home and Road Runner?
Recognizing that they knew far more about the television business than the Internet, leading cable TV companies pooled their resources a few years ago to create specialized ISPs to deliver cable modem services.
The largest cable ISP was @Home, which will cease operations on February 28, 2002. Another ISP, Road Runner, was created by Time Warner Cable and MediaOne, which AT&T recently purchased.
Cable companies serving 80% of all North American households signed exclusive service agreements with @Home or Road Runner. The fallout of the @Home bankruptcy is ongoing and the future of cable modem ISPs is unclear. AOL and Microsoft are both eyeing this field and could be big players in the future.
Do I need to be a cable TV subscriber to receive cable modem service?
Usually not. However, cable companies typically offer cable modem services to cable TV subscribers at a discount, making a subscription to both services more attractive.
Can businesses subscribe to cable modem service?
Yes, but it's not as widely available to them as it is to U.S. households. However, it's worth the time for a business to check with the local cable company due to cable modems' pricing and performance benefits. While a traditional T-1 telephone line offering Internet-access speeds of 1.5 mbps may cost as much as $1,500 a month, a cable modem connection will deliver the same service for a fraction of the cost. Visit our Service Availability page to connect to your local cable company.
How do cable modems compare to ISDN, ADSL and satellite services?
ISDN (integrated services digital network), available through telephone lines, offers a maximum speed of 128 kbps -- a fraction of the bandwidth available through a cable modem connection. ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) is a higher-speed alternative available over telephone lines, offering data rates of 1 mbps or more. That's comparable to a cable modem connection. Typically, however, ADSL services are more expensive than cable modem connections. Satellite services, such as DirecPC, offer up to 400-kbps download speeds, but require a dial-up modem for upstream communications, which is slow and cumbersome.
More than 1 million households subscribe to cable modem service, making it the most widely used high-speed-access option.
