Xfinity vs RCN: Side by Side Comparison

Xfinity offers service to approximately 112.1 million people, making them the largest cable internet provider in the nation. Their fiber internet is also one of the most widely available, providing service to 19,000 customers. Xfinity has many bundling options that provide internet download speeds ranging from 15-2,000 Mbps, TV with their 4k streaming device, the Xfinity X1, phone, and home security services—which is not typical of many ISPs.

RCN provides service in 8 states to an estimated 4.2 million people and is the 8th largest cable provider in the United States. Their internet download speeds of 25-940 Mbps along with TV and phone bundling options make them a very competitive option. RCN also has no mandatory contracts, uses TiVo for tv equipment, and features no data caps on their plans.

Xfinity vs RCN: Extra Fees and Contracts

Installation

Xfinity offers an easy to use self-install kit which can be picked up at any Xfinity store for no additional cost or be delivered to your residence for $15-29.95. They also offer professional installation at $90.

RCN has no self-installation fee and can be installed within 24 hours of ordering a new service. They also offer professional installation, normally priced at $49.99, but there are several plans and coupon codes available that offer discounted or waived fees.

Contracts, Equipment Fees & Fine Print

Xfinity requires a one-year term agreement if you are a new customer taking advantage of one of their promotions.

These contracts have an early termination fee of $110, which if canceled, is prorated for the length of service at $10 a month. Xfinity also offers no-commitment plans but they do not take advantage of any promotion so your rate for service will be higher per month depending on the plan. Their internet speeds consist of download speeds of 15-2,000 Mbps and upload speeds of 2-2,000 Mbps. To access their service, an xFi gateway (Xfinity’s wireless modem and router) can be rented for $14a month, or Xfinity’s mesh network and unlimited data can be added with Xfinity’s xFi Complete for $25 a month. You may use your own compatible modem and wireless router for no additional fee, though options like tech-support and advanced security will be unavailable to you and unlimited data will cost an additional $30 a month.

RCN has no mandatory contracts, so service can be canceled at any time without incurring early termination fees that many ISPs have.

Additionally, they also have a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied with your service. RCN’s internet speeds have download speeds of 25-940 Mbps and upload speeds of 4-20 Mbps. Because of their different bundling options, there are many different types of equipment that RCN can provide such as a WiFi modem combo for $10 a month, a WiFi router for $8.95 a month, a modem for $10 a month, or a whole home Wifi for $9.95. You may also opt to use your own modem and router as long as it’s compatible with RCN’s service.

Data Caps

A data cap of 1.2 TB is implemented on all of Xfinity’s plans. You can get unlimited data if you have Xfinity’s GigabitPro plan or if you use your own modem then unlimited data can be purchased for an additional $30 a month. You may also add an xFi Complete which uses Xfinity’s xFi Gateway (Xfinity’s wireless modem) to get unlimited data for $25 a month. If you are using an xFi Gateway already, you can upgrade to xFi Complete for $11 a month to get unlimited data. If you do not want unlimited data but you exceed your data cap, you will be charged $10 for each additional 50 GB used, up to a maximum of $100 per month.

RCN has no data caps with any of its plans, so there is no need to worry about overage fees.