The Best Guide to Cable Packages and Alternatives

Cable One Internet Packages

Cable One internet packages provide a number of options, catered specifically for both business and home use.


Cable One internet packages provide a number of options, catered specifically for both business and home use.
There are certain advantages to Cable One internet packages not found with most other companies. For example, one of their notable features is the super high speed internet available for their Elite and Preferred members, offering speeds of up to 50 Mbps for fairly good prices.

Economy and Standard Plans

Listed for home use, the Economy Plan is offered for as little as 20/month+tax. (Prices will increase in the case of obscure locations, high usage, or extra fees if additional wiring is required.) This includes 1.5 Mbps download speed, 150 kbs upload speed and two email accounts. This package is only recommended for very low internet use, such as email and occasional web browsing. Any downloading will quickly result in a breach of the 1 GB/month limit resulting in very large fines per each additional GB. Usage between 12 at night until 8 the next day, however, will not count against your meter.
The second plan recommended for home use, the Standard Plan is offered for as low as 50/month including all of the possible, aforementioned additional costs. The maximum speed for this internet is 5 Mbps download speeds (not available in all areas) and usage is capped at a 5 GB data plan. A fairly standard speed, this is well suited for someone who plans on slightly more usage than the economy plan, though again, this option is not recommended for anyone planning on downloading or watching videos.

Business and Data Plans

Cable One’s internet packages for business are equipped for a growing business, their fiber-based data plan allowing businesses to connect remote locations to a single network and continue to add bandwidth as the organization grows. These packages offer services such as Static IPs, web hosting/storage, and e-mail. Depending on the package speeds can range from 5 to 50 Mbps, and allowance of monthly data usage from 100 GB to unlimited. Cable One boasts 24 hour network monitoring for more reliable service.
For more information on business and home packages, see the official website.

The Elite and Preferred Upgrade Speeds

At 50 Mbps, the Elite and Preferred Upgrade speeds are ten times faster than the standard speeds. This option is available to customers under contract with Cable One and requires a DOCSIS 3.0 modem. There are many varieties of these plans and packages available for use in combination with various phone and cable options.
What should be considered before signing on with the Elite and Preferred Speeds?

  • Users are often surprised by conditions and costs not fully clarified before entering in a contract with Cable One. However, Cable One does offer a 90 day period in which the customer may drop the plan free of charge. (During the first ninety days they will cancel any overuse charges, but don’t let that make you too comfortable.)
  • Users are often disgruntled with the fifty GB monthly budget. Formally, once exceeded, speeds would be cut down to ‘Standard Speed’ for the user (roughly 5 GB). This is no longer the case, though there is a charge of 50 cents per extra GB. Many hold that Cable One is a bad choice of provider for internet users interested in downloading. Though the prices are cheaper, the monthly limit is easily surpassed. Consider the Elite and Preferred Upgrade speeds as a trap that can push you past the monthly limit that much faster.
  • Cable One provides a tool for estimating your internet usage. Though not an exact science, it is good to get an idea before you sign on to a 50 GB of data/month deal.

And speaking of measuring usage, once signed on to the contract, Cable One will provide you with the ‘My Brandwidth’ graph in order for you to keep strict track of their monthly usage. They also send out a notification when you are near exceeding their limit. These features seem desirable as they could help any careful user remain within their monthly budget. However, a great deal of time spent monitoring usage could easily become irritating and time consuming. Excessive worry about exceeding the monthly limit may be indicative of the need for more usage allowance. (http://help.cableone.net/HSD/MyServices/MyBandwidth/Graphs_Default.aspx)
Hours between 12:00 midnight and 8:00am are not counted towards usage.

Conclusion

When considering signing on with any of the Cable One internet packages, one must not agree to anything too quickly simply because the price may seem low. Doing the research and determining how much internet you will use a month can certainly save money in the future. Remember to also check their terms of agreement.