Comparison of Cox Cable and AT&T U-verse

Cox offers subscribers a choice of four digital television service packages, all of which include local stations and basic cable. These range from TV Essential, which includes up to 103 channels, to Advanced TV Ultimate, which includes access to DVR, high definition programming, On Demand and channel packs such as Movie, Latino and Variety. Cox television service also allows you to watch cable online wherever there is an Internet connection. AT&T; U-verse offers several digital cable service options, which range from basic local cable channels only to premium packages that include 410 channels or more. Sports, Spanish-language or movie channels as well as DVR service, high definition (HD) and 3-D access are available as add-ons. The Wireless Gateway makes it possible to watch digitally recorded shows on any television in the house.

The high-speed Internet access offered by Cox is available in four different download speeds: 3 Mbps, 12 Mbps, 20 Mbps and 50 Mbps. All but the slowest speed are available with PowerBoost, which can speed your connection by up to 5 Mbps. Each plan comes with extra features such as the Cox Internet security suite, 20 MB of personal web space and 10 email accounts. U-Verse's Wireless Gateway connects your Internet service to your cable service and allows you to remotely control Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as networked printers, as well as your cable digital video recorder. Internet access is available in several download speeds from 3 Mbps to 24 Mbps. All service plans come with 11 email accounts and an Internet security suite that protects your computer from spyware and viruses.

Cox offers two basic phone plans. The Essential plan offers unlimited local calling and Caller ID, while the Premier plan allows you to talk as much as you want to anyone in the United States and Canada. The latter also includes extra features such as three-way calling, call forwarding and voice mail. U-verse allows you to see your voice mail entries remotely from your computer or smartphone and listen to them in any order you want. Plans range from 250 minutes to unlimited, from local calls only to long distance, and all of them include standard features such as caller ID and call waiting. The Wireless Gateway also includes an emergency battery backup.

Cox services are available in 19 states, including Rhode Island, Oklahoma and Nevada. To find out whether you can receive Cox services at your home, navigate to cox.com and enter your zip code. AT&T; U-verse is available in areas across the country. To find out if it is available in your area, you must visit att.com and enter your home address because AT&T; has not published a map of its service areas.