By CordCutting.com Team
Nobody understands the need for lightning-fast internet more than heavy streamers and cord cutters. Fortunately, RCN internet delivers fast speeds and plenty of affordable deals. The only thing is RCN is a regional provider with availability in select areas. RCN’s internet, cable, and phone services are only available in parts of Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, DC Metro (including parts of Maryland and Virginia), New York, and the Lehigh Valley.
RCN Internet Deals
RCN Internet Deals for New Customers
Though speeds and rates vary by region, RCN offers new customers 12-month promotional rates that are usually $10-20 less than other internet provider’s starting prices.
RCN also offers a few extra benefits for new customers, but they vary by region. For example, you can get free installation and a $100 gift card by signing up for specific internet plans in Chicago (500 or 940 Mbps plan) and DC Metro (250 or 940 Mbps plans). New customers in DC Metro and Philadelphia can also get a free month of service, while customers in New York can get up to three months of service free of charge with any plan. If you live in Boston, you can get free installation when you sign up.
RCN Internet Deals for Existing Customers
It’s hard to find internet deals for existing RCN customers. The price of their plans is hard to beat as-is. If your prices increase after the first year, you could always try calling RCN to sign up for a new deal. Existing customers have a better chance of getting a new deal if they’ve been a customer for at least a year or more.
RCN Internet-Only Plans and Pricing
RCN internet-only deals vary by city or region. Below is a breakdown of which plans RCN offers in each area they’re available:
| Boston | Chicago | DC Metro | New York | Philadelphia | Lehigh Valley |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 100 Mbps – $24.99 per month
Up to 500 Mbps – $44.99 per month Up to 940 Mbps – $54.99 per month |
Up to 250 Mbps – $39.99 per month
Up to 500 Mbps – $49.99 per month Up to 940 Mbps – $59.99 per month |
Up to 25 Mbps – $19.99 per month
Up to 250 Mbps – $29.99 per month Up to 940 Mbps – $49.99 per month |
Up to 250 Mbps – $34.99 per month
Up to 500 Mbps – $34.99 per month Up to 940 Mbps – $49.99 per month |
Up to 25 Mbps – $19.99 per month
Up to 100 Mbps – $29.99 per month Up to 250 Mbps – $39.99 per month Up to 940 Mbps – $44.99 per month |
Up to 10 Mbps – $24.99 per month
Up to 100 Mbps – $34.99 per month Up to 250 Mbps – $44.99 per month Up to 940 Mbps – $54.99 per month |
RCN has seven internet-only plans, but there are usually only three available in each area RCN serves. Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley are the only areas with four plans; however, the up to 10 Mbps and up to 25 Mbps plans do not offer enough speed for a one-person household if you stream and work from home like me. RCN’s speeds vary by location but each area has access to speed up to 940 Mbps. As enticing as RCN’s regional deals are, I’m more impressed by their low pricing. Only AT&T Internet discount deals can match speeds up to 940 Mbps for less than $50 per month.
RCN makes it harder to say no to their deals by offering a great perk: All RCN internet plans come with the option to get one free month of Eero Enhanced Home Wi-Fi. If you choose to stick with Eero’s service, it will cost $9.95 per month once the free trial period has ended. One Eero unit can extend your Wi-Fi to an area up to 1,500 square feet. If you have dead or slow zones in your house, as I do in my garage, an Eero would ensure you have a strong Wi-Fi connection all-around your house. I’ll admit, paying RCN’s monthly fee for an Eero will cost you more in the long run than it would cost you to buy that same Eero system outright, but at least RCN gives you the option to test Eero out for free.
Speed and Data Caps
The range of speed for RCN internet plans is typical for cable internet providers, however, RCN is known to have faster speeds than most others. Most RCN customers get about 300 Mbps. With RCN, can stream on each of my laptops and TVs and play 2K20 online at the same time — and I won’t get video buffering problems or miss a shot on 2K because I’m lagging. And to top it off, RCN doesn’t have data caps on any of its plans.
Contracts and Fees
If your deal doesn’t include free installation, RCN charges $49.99 for professional installation. And if you decide not to keep the Eero system, RCN’s Wi-Fi router and modem combo costs $10 per month if you have the Gig (940 Mbps) plan or $8 per month for any other plan.
RCN offers all of its promotional rates and internet-only plans with no contract required. This makes RCN ideal if you want to try out their service on a month-to-month basis. And if you decide to cancel, you won’t have to pay early termination fees (ETFs). Most providers require an ETF even if you don’t have a contract — there are really no strings attached with RCN internet.
You still might have to pay higher rates after the promotional period ends. Since RCN offers different plans and pricing based on location, it’s difficult to predict exactly how much you will need to pay once the first 12 months are over.
Verdict: Is RCN internet good for cord-cutters?
Streamers and cord cutters in the Northeast, northern Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic are lucky to have RCN available in their area. Next to Frontier's discount deals, RCN's offers are the lowest-priced I’ve seen. Freebies like public Wi-Fi hotspots are nice but one or three months of free internet is a better deal to me. Plus, if Netflix and YouTube are two of your favorite streaming services, there’s no reason not to try RCN. Netflix and YouTube recognize RCN for delivering smooth, buffer-free playback.