Mediacom Internet Review: Our Honest Take on Cost, Plans, and More
Mediacom offers cable internet speeds up to 1,000 Mbps at competitive prices.
Is Mediacom internet worth it?
Mediacom offers fast internet plans with download speeds that reach up to 1,000 Mbps. That’s about the best speed you can expect from a cable internet provider, and its price tags for the first year are super cheap compared to much of the competition.
Mediacom also offers internet bundles with their Xtream TV and home phone services, which are only good options for people who want the convenience of all their services under one provider’s umbrella (and one simple bill).
But in our annual Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey, Mediacom landed a step behind competitors in overall customer satisfaction. Only 60% of Mediacom respondents said they were highly satisfied with the internet provider, so your Mediacom mileage may vary.
Mediacom deals and promotions: Mediacom currently offers free eero mesh Wi-Fi extenders, discounted installation with online orders, and a $100 bill credit when you sign up.
Compare Mediacom internet to the competition
Prices starting at
$19.99/mo.
Max download speeds up to
100 Mbps
Service Type
Cable
Prices starting at
$50.00/mo.
Max download speeds up to
8,000 Mbps
Service Type
Fiber
Pricing, speed and availability not guaranteed. Subject to change.
Mediacom internet packages offer high speeds, but watch out for data caps
| Package | Price* | Download speeds up to | Upload speeds up to | Data cap | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Internet 100 | $34.99/mo. | 100 Mbps | 10 Mbps | 350 GB | |
| Prime Internet 300 | $49.99/mo. | 300 Mbps | 20 Mbps | 1,500 GB | |
| Prime Internet 1 GIG | $54.99/mo. | 1,000 Mbps | 50 Mbps | 3,000 GB |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Plus, activation, installation and monthly modem rental fees.
Which Mediacom internet package is best? Well, that’ll depend on the person buying it. Mediacom has three main internet plans priced from $34.99–$54.99/mo..
You can do a lot of internet-ing—including HD gaming and streaming—with Mediacom’s Prime Internet 300 plan, which gives you download speeds up to 300 Mbps with a 1,500 GB monthly data cap. The internet speed on Mediacom’s midrange package is best for singles, couples, and smaller families with young children.
For digital adventurers who live for 4K gaming and streaming and share a home with like-minded relatives or roommates, we suggest the 1 Gig plan and its 1,000 Mbps maximum download speed. Although the plan doesn’t come with unlimited internet data, you’ll still have a whopping 3,000 GB data cap.
Although Mediacom’s Internet 100 is super cheap, and the internet speeds might be fast enough if you have only one or two folks at home, that 350 GB data cap is super small. Mediacom will charge you $10 for every 50 GB you go over each month, so you could rack up a lot in overage fees if you enjoy streaming TV.
With data caps in mind, we’d recommend Internet 300 as the better starting package. It comes with good internet speeds and a data cap that will get you pretty far.
Mediacom internet and TV packages don’t offer great options for those looking to bundle
Mediacom’s internet bundle options require a little bit of legwork to explain. For context, if you want a Mediacom TV plan, you must also have a Mediacom internet plan—no à la carte TV plans here.
To start, Mediacom offers three product families with varying features:
| Prime Internet | 360 Internet | Smart Internet |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
We’d recommend Prime Internet for most families because it’s Mediacom’s internet-only service tier. Once you lock down your internet tier, you can choose from one of three TV plans:
| Plan | Price | Channels | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local TV | Add $10.00/mo. | 50+ local channels | |
| Essential TV | Add $50.00/mo. | 125+ local/cable channels | |
| Variety TV | Add $70.00/mo. | 170+ local/cable channels |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*TV plans include monthly local broadcast station surcharge ranging from $14.13 to $21.53, monthly regional sports surcharge ranging from $1.64 to $12.00 and other monthly charges. Activation, equipment, and installation fees apply.
We don’t love any of Mediacom’s TV plans. Their channel offerings are lackluster, and don’t get us started on Local TV—you’d be better off paying a one-time fee for an over-the-air (OTA) antenna than paying for a Local TV subscription monthly.
If you must get a Mediacom Xtream TV plan, we recommend going with Variety TV, their top offering.
To find out what channels Mediacom does offer, check out our detailed channel lineup guide.
Xtream cable service is ok at best. Sometimes the cable goes out and it gets frustrating.
Mediacom internet comes with good features, but watch out for price hikes
No contracts
Once you sign up for most internet service providers, it’ll usually take a giant fee or finagling with a customer service rep to try to break your contract.
Mediacom doesn’t have internet contracts, so you won’t be required to stay with them for a full year. Without contracts, you’ll have the flexibility to sign up for Mediacom even if you need the internet for just a few months, and then you can cancel without early termination fees.
Mediacom low-income internet service
Mediacom Connect-2-Compete offers internet plans starting at $9.95 a month for low-income families. To qualify, you have to have at least one student in K–12 living at home who qualifies for the National School Lunch Program.
Apply on the Mediacom Connect-2-Compete page, and check out our info on low-income internet programs for tips on getting free internet.
Free Wi-Fi extender, equipment fees
Mediacom has a monthly rental fee of $14 a month, but you can contact Mediacom’s customer service to sign up without a modem rental and choose a compatible modem to bring instead. When you purchase service online, you technically won’t have a way to remove the modem rental fee. But according to Mediacom, their technician can cancel the rental charge once they confirm you have a compatible cable internet modem.
Additionally, Mediacom bundles at least one mesh Wi-Fi system eero Pro 6 with every internet plan. More units are available when you upgrade to 360 Internet and Smart Internet or you can add them a la carte throughout the activation process.
Price increases
Mediacom’s internet plans have promotional pricing for your first two years, but afterward, your monthly bill will jump up by at least $10 per month. Mediacom is far from the only cable ISP to use promotional price hikes, so make sure to keep an eye on your bill and discounts before your two-year mark kicks in.
Mediacom internet has speeds that are reliable enough for the average internet user
| Test | Score |
|---|---|
| Average latency | 23.84 milliseconds |
| Internet reliability approval rating | 62% approval |
| Internet speed approval rating | 69% approval |
Around 62% of the Xtream by Mediacom customers we surveyed in our annual Internet Customer Satisfaction Survey were satisfied with the ISP’s reliability. While that’s not a great rating, Mediacom does have solid marks for internet speed satisfaction, with 69% of customers being satisfied with their internet speeds. That’s a solid showing for a cable provider, whose speeds can rarely match fiber internet’s.
We also take latency into account when rating our ISPs. Latency refers to how long it takes for data to physically reach your computer—the lower the number, the better. According to our partners at HighSpeedInternet.com, Mediacom has an average latency of around 24 milliseconds. That’s a great speed and will be more than fast enough for scrolling, streaming, and Zoom calling.
Cable internet, which Mediacom offers, is less reliable than fiber but is leagues beyond satellite internet providers like Viasat and Hughesnet. (Really, check out our survey. Viasat and Hughesnet soundly occupy the bottom two spots nearly every time.) If your choices are limited, Mediacom is a solid bet.
Mediacom’s customer satisfaction falls short
In our annual internet customer satisfaction survey, just 60% of Xtream by Mediacom respondents said they were highly satisfied with the internet provider. That put Mediacom 19th out of 25 providers—not a great showing.
Mediacom’s strengths include the ease of working with them, at 67% satisfaction, and customer satisfaction with their internet speeds, at 69% satisfaction.
Their highest showing was concerning the ease of their installation and setup process, at 73% satisfaction—but when looking at other cable internet providers, Xtream by Mediacom had a comparatively weak showing. You’ll have to decide if their lower prices and lack of contracts make up for these shortcomings.
[Mediacom] barely even come[s] out half of the time to fix the internet and then have the audacity to say that we the customer that is in use of your product are not only in the wrong but then proceed to raise your voice to the customer who is having these concerns […] I am forced to either go through [Mediacom] or find a new place to live, and really don't want to have to do that, so above all else Mediacom just needs to do better.
Mediacom internet FAQ
How much is internet through Mediacom?
Mediacom has three cable internet plans. They cost anywhere from $34.99 to $69.99 a month (for the first two years) and have internet speeds up to 1,000 Mbps.
Is Mediacom internet unlimited?
Mediacom internet is not unlimited. You’ll be charged $10 for every 50 GB block of data you go over your plan’s data cap:
- Internet 100 ($34.99/mo.): 305 GB
- Internet 300 ($49.99/mo.): 1,500 GB
- Internet 1 Gig ($54.99/mo.): 3,000 GB
However, Mediacom’s 1 Gig Unlimited plan offers unlimited data and 1,000 Mbps download speeds for $69.99 monthly with AutoPay.
Can you get Mediacom internet without cable TV?
You can get Mediacom internet without cable TV, and don’t have to bundle TV. Mediacom offers three cable and local TV plans for an additional charge.
What is Mediacom Xtream?
Xtream is Mediacom’s name for its TV, internet, and home phone services.
How much is Mediacom internet after the first year?
Mediacom prices increase by around $10 to $60 a year after your first or second year, depending on your plan’s exact guarantee discounts.
Why you should trust us
CableTV.com’s internet and TV experts log dozens of hours researching Mediacom and other internet and TV providers. We compare plans, pricing, features, reliability, promotions, and more in order to help our readers make informed buying experience. To learn more about our process, see our How We Rank page.
