With the evolution of the internet, all of our work and entertainment-related activities are heavily dependent on it. Be it browsing, socializing, gaming, streaming, or downloading, we cannot stay disconnected for a long time.
Even if we think of disconnecting ourselves, our daily life activities would come to a halt. For instance, you cannot send money from one country to another without steady internet access. Similarly, if we think of means of entertainment, cable TV has gone rather obsolete and is replaced recently by streaming services. Apart from a few providers like Spectrum, Optimum, Suddenlink offering cable subscriptions, people are mostly shifting from cable to streaming service due to low cost, ease, and convenience.
In recent times, the internet has spread throughout the world. When we talk about the United States, the figure has surged in the past two decades. In 2000, only 1 percent of adults had access to high-speed internet. However, in 2021, the surge was seen going as high as 77% according to Pew Research Center.
No doubt, over the years, the internet has reached every home, but still, a whole lot of consumers is not getting access. The major reason is low income, racial gaps, and the non-availability of infrastructure in remote areas. It is estimated that people making over $75,000 per year are more likely to have internet access. However, it is also true that some of the service providers like Spectrum offer discounts to low-income households under the Spectrum Internet Assist program.
The top States for Internet Access
State | Percentage of Households with Internet Access | Fast Download Access |
North Dakota | 84.1 Percent | 43.4 Percent |
Kansas | 85.2 Percent | 38.8 Percent |
Texas | 86.3 Percent | 34.9 Percent |
Washington | 91.2 Percent | 8.7 percent |
California | 89.8 Percent | 21.3 Percent |
Georgia | 85 Percent | 47.3 Percent |
New Hampshire | 89.2 Percent | 26.6 Percent |
Utah | 90.8 Percent | 31.0 Percent |
Hawaii | 88 Percent | 54.7 Percent |
Nevada | 85.6 Percent | 76.8 Percent |
Top Internet Service Providers in the United States
If you are hunting for the best internet service providers in the United States, here is a brief about them. Let us look at it.
Mediacom
Mediacom was founded in 1995 and has more than a million subscribers across the United States. It is ranked as the fifth-largest cable provider offering high-speed internet along with cable and home phone. Mediacom has invested money in developing a fiber-optic network to offer faster internet to consumers.
Mediacom offers low price plans for its new customers. However, once the year is completed, there usually is a price hike for most of its plans. However, that is not an issue, as the service provider does not bind you in a long-term contract. If you are a heavy gamer, avid streamer, and hardcore downloader, you might need to consider data caps. For most of its plans, the data limit is enough to keep you busy streaming, gaming, and downloading. For instance, the 200Mbps plan offers you a 2Tb data limit while 1Gig offers a 6Tb data limit. The lowest data limit is on a 60Mbps plan offering only 400 GB of data.
Spectrum
Spectrum is also one of the top internet service providers in the United States. If you are living in the coverage area of Spectrum, just subscribe to it without thinking for a minute. Download speed starting from 100Mbps way up to 1Gig. In short, Spectrum is a treat for every household looking forward to streaming, gaming, or downloading. However, do keep in mind that the prices will increase after a year. The only advantage you would get by subscribing to Spectrum is that it comes contract-free. You can cancel it anytime without paying an early termination fee. In addition, you will be getting unlimited data caps on all the plans offered by Spectrum.
Spectrum not only offers high-speed internet but also cable TV and a home phone connection. If you are thinking of saving some money, Spectrum bundles would help you do just that. Some of the bundles offered by Spectrum include Spectrum Select Triple play, Spectrum Silver Double Play, and Spectrum Gold Triple Play.
Cox
If you want to keep your internet bills under $120, Cox is the best option to go for. Cox currently offers three-speed plans including 150Mbps for $49.99, 500Mbps for $69.99, and 940Mbps for $99.99. However, data caps are limited to 1.25Tb on all of its plans, which is not bad to keep you hooked to streaming, downloading, and gaming for an entire month. Even if you are running multiple devices including smart devices, the data limit will not end anytime soon.
Cox is currently available to over 60 million households. Some of the coverage areas include the East Coast, Santa Barbara, District of Columbia, and Cleveland. If you are living in any of these areas, search for Cox and subscribe to it without thinking too much. However, don’t forget that you might need to pay an early termination fee of up to $120 because of Cox’s contractual bindings.