Cox Cable vs. Frontier DSL

Choosing an internet provider can be a process, especially with so many choices out there. This article will take a look at comparing Cox Cable vs. Frontier DSL. From data comparisons to availability to which is better for home use vs. business use, we will walk you through the ups and downs of each to help you decide which provider is best for you. But first, a brief overview of each company.

Cox Communications has a history going back to 1898, although they wouldn’t enter the internet market until it emerged nearly a century later. What started as a news company is now one of the nation’s top providers for high-speed internet, offering many other communication services as well.

Frontier Communications got its start in 1935. A little later than Cox but still well before the era of the internet began. Frontier began as Citizens Utilities Company, back in 1935, providing utility services and products in Minneapolis. Fast forward to modern-day, and Frontier Communications is one of the leading brands in the telecommunications industry, offering everything from high-speed internet to modern television services.  

Cox Cable vs. Frontier DSL comparison 

Company	Internet Type	Price	Data Caps	Speeds	Contracts	Check Availability
	Cable	$39.99	1 TB	Up to 940 Mbps	12 months	Check Availability
	DSL	$27.99	None	Up to 25 Mbps	0, 12 or 24 months	Check Availability

Cox Cable vs. Frontier DSL data comparison

A vital component of any internet plan is data. How fast, how much, overage fees; these things help you determine which provider and plan will best suit your needs.

Cox Cable

Cox Cable has data caps set at 1 TB, but for an extra $50 a month, you can remove the cap and gain unlimited data. If you don’t select the unlimited data amount and you go over your data cap, then Cox will add another 50 gigabytes to your account for the month and charge you a $10 fee. For everyday use with things such as internet browsing, video streaming and remote working, the base 1 TB of data should be more than sufficient. However, for more data-intensive activities, such as gaming, you may want to consider going for an unlimited data plan.

 Frontier Communications

In contrast, Frontier Communications does not place data caps on its internet plans. As a result, the amount of data you expect to use doesn’t figure into which internet plans will work best for you. Instead, the variables you’ll want to consider are primarily internet speed and availability.

 Cox Cable vs. Frontier DSL: Internet speeds

Along with data caps, speed is one of the most integral parts of any internet package. As you can see below, Cox Cable and Frontier are remarkably similar when it comes to the range of its offered internet speeds.

Cox Cable

Cox Cable internet plans come in speeds ranging from 10 Mbps to 940 Mbps. There are five plans to choose from, each with a different price and speed. The entry plan includes a download speed of up to 10 Mbps and is suitable for less than three devices used primarily for internet browsing. After that is a plan that provides download speeds up to 30 Mbps and is good for three to five devices that use the internet for low data activities, such as browsing and emails. 

Next is a plan with download speeds up to 150 Mbps, which is good for five to seven devices ranging in use from browsing to internet gaming. Fourth on its list is for download speeds up to 300 Mbps, which is good for seven to nine devices with heavy data usage. The top tier plan offers download speeds up to 940 Mbps and is excellent for nine or more devices using substantial amounts of data.

Frontier DSL

Frontier DSL internet plans come in three tiers. The entry-level plan is for speeds up to 6 Mbps and is recommended for email and social media use. Its middle-tier plan has speeds up to 25 Mbps and is suitable for photo uploads, internet browsing, email and social media use. The top tier of DSL provides speeds up to 45 Mbps and is ideal for the same as the previous plans, plus remote work and using multiple devices on the network. 

Internet speeds winner

Cox Cable vs. Frontier DSL: Availability

No matter how fast the speeds or how high the data cap, an internet plan won’t do you much good if it isn’t offered for your location. Below is an outline of the comparative availability of internet plans between Cox Cable and Frontier DSL.

Cox Cable

Cox Cable has internet plans available in 19 states, in various forms. Within these states, service availability varies, so to be sure of which plans are offered for your specific address, check the Cox address tool.

Check Availability

Frontier DSL

Frontier internet plans are available in 29 states. As with Cox, availability within covered states can vary by city and address. To see which plans are offered in your area, use the Frontier availability tool.

Check Availability

Availability winner

Frontier

Cox Cable vs. Frontier DSL: Customer service

When it comes to determining how a business treats its customers, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) are two of the most trusted sources. The BBB aims to evaluate company trustworthiness while the ACSI uses metrics to determine how satisfied customers are with a given company.

Customer service winner

Cox

Cox Cable vs. Frontier DSL: Bundled services

When purchasing an internet plan, it’s possible to save some money by bundling multiple services together. Both Cox Cable and Frontier DSL offer packages that include things like internet, TV and phone service. Going with the bundle option often allows you to pay less than if you were purchasing each of these services independently.

Cox Cable bundles

Frontier DSL bundles

Cox Cable vs. Frontier DSL: Affordability

When comparing prices between internet providers, it’s important to look at the ratio of Mbps per dollar of cost. Across the range of internet plans each company has, based on tiers of speed, Frontier has slightly more expensive plans on the low end than Cox does. While Frontier DSL doesn't offer plans comparable to the higher-speed ones provided by Cox, we can see from available plan comparisons that Cox charges less per Mbps of speed than Frontier does.

Affordability winner

Cox