Cox Vs. Comcast

Comcast is the largest cable TV provider in the United States, with roughly 23 million customers as of December 2010. Comcast Cable is available in 39 states and the District of Columbia, and it offers digital telephone and high-speed broadband Internet service to accompany its cable TV packages. Comcast began re-branding its upgraded services in 2010 as XFINITY TV, XFINITY Internet and XFINITY Voice in certain markets. In addition, Comcast owns cable-based networks including the Golf Channel, Versus and E!, and completed a merger with NBC in 2011.

Cox Communications is the fifth-largest cable TV provider in the United States as of 2010, with roughly 5 million subscribers across the 14 states it serves. Cox also offers telephone and Internet service with cable TV, which, like Comcast, can be ordered separately or bundled together for a price savings. Also, its digital cable TV packages can include popular features and options, such as DVR, premium channels, interactive on-screen guides, pay-per-view and on-demand content. Both also give subscribers the ability to watch selected on-demand content online, though Comcast's Internet-based XFINITY TV also offers a mobile app for viewing on capable devices.

Cable TV providers tend to be quite similar in the types of packages and features offered, number of channels available and pricing plans. Actual monthly costs and any discounts or specials may vary by location, especially in markets with more than one cable provider. Customer service and satisfaction can vary as well, but a 2009 survey by the American Customer Satisfaction Index put Cox ahead of Comcast overall, with a 63 percent score compared to 59 percent for Comcast.

Both companies offer a variety of high-speed Internet packages as well, with varying prices to match. Comcast's plans boast connection speeds of up to 15 and 20 Mbps, while Cox claims its highest plan has a maximum 30 Mbps. One potential downside with Comcast is the 250GB monthly bandwidth cap the company imposes in certain markets, with loss of service for a month for exceeding that more than once. Plus, Comcast has been investigated for throttling and/or blocking BitTorrent data transmissions and websites on its network.