ZoomTown Vs. Time Warner Broadband

At the time of publication, Cincinnati Bell offered two ZoomTown high-speed Internet plans. The 5 Mbps service provides download speeds of up to 5 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 756 Kbps. A second plan features download speeds of up to 768 Kbps and upload speeds of up to 384 Kbps. While the slower speed plan is sufficient for casual browsing and email, the higher speed plan is ideal for users who frequently use the Internet and who also download large files or stream videos. With Fioptics, Cincinnati Bell offers five plans with download speeds of up to 10, 20, 30, 50 and 100 Mbps.

In the Cincinnati market, Time Warner Cable offered five Road Runner Internet plans at the time of publication. Download speeds range from 768 Kbps to 30 Mbps. Time Warner Cable also offers Wideband Internet powered by DOCSIS 3.0 technology running over a fiber-optic network with download speeds of up to 50 Mbps. In a study on connection speeds conducted by PC Magazine in 2010, the Road Runner service ranked first in the Midwest with average surf speeds of 866 Kbps. In a survey of 24 Internet service providers, Time Warner Cable ranked 12th in overall customer satisfaction in PC Magazine's 2011 Readers' Choice Awards.

The Road Runner service offers up to 25 email accounts, depending on which plan you select. All plans include free 24-hour technical support and remote access when you are traveling, as well as a free Internet security suite with virus scan, parental controls and pop-up blocker software. Subscriber also have access to online content, including videos, music, online games and a photo center. ZoomTown offers email accounts with up to 50 MB of storage space and 10 GB of online data storage. Fioptics plans feature free email accounts, access to Wi-Fi hot spots and 3 GB of online data storage. For ZoomTown and Fioptics plans, you can purchase additional online storage space and an Internet security suite.

ZoomTown's 786 Kbps service was available at the time of publication for $25 per month, while the 5 Mbps service was offered for $35 per month. Fioptics plans range from $40 per month for download speeds of up to 10 Mbps to $300 per month for download speeds of up to 100 Mbps. Time Warner Cable rates vary depending on your location. For example, at the time of publication, the Road Runner service with download speeds of up to 7 Mbps was available in Cincinnati area for $35 per month for the first 12 months and $45 per month for the 15 Mbps service.