Spectrum Internet offers 300 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload speeds. It doesn’t have a contract and costs $49.99/mo. for the first year.
After which, it will cost $74.99/mo. There’s no data cap. And the plan works best for homes with 7 or fewer high-bandwidth users. An example of “high-bandwidth” includes streaming 4K videos.
I want to find an internet plan that’ll offer the most value. I’ve aggregated information from around the web into this guide.
As you read this review, you’ll find the following:
- Wins and loses
- Plan overview
- Who should get it
- Uses for the network speeds
- Pricing
- Where it’s available
- How to get the plan
- Promotion
- Bundle options
- Versus other Spectrum plans
- How it does compare to competitors
Keep reading. We have much to cover.
Spectrum Internet 300 Mbps Pros & Cons
Here are the pros and cons of the Spectrum 300 Mbps plan.
Pros:
- Free modem rental
- No contract
- No hard data cap
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons:
- Low upload speed
- 40% price increase after 1 year
What Is Spectrum 300 Mbps Internet?
Spectrum Internet is the ISP’s lowest-tier internet plan. It offers a maximum of 300 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload speeds.
You’ll find the following perks with this broadband internet package:
- No modem rental: you still need to rent a router to access Wi-Fi
- No contract: dump your service without cancellation fees
- Over 500,000 Wi-Fi hotspots: access Wi-Fi outside your home
- Free antivirus software: not worth emphasizing on
- Access to Spectrum Mobile: a cellular provider who uses Verizon’s towers
- No data cap: watch as much 4K video as you want
Spectrum uses hybrid fiber-coaxial cable internet. This means they’ll use fiber optic cables to deliver the last mile of their services. The ‘last mile’ refers to the distance from Spectrum to your home.
Once the fiber reaches your home, it converts to coaxial cables (cable broadband internet).
It’s not 100% fiber optic internet like Verizon Fios. But it’ll deliver faster and more reliable speeds than DSL and satellite internet services.
No matter the Spectrum internet plan, you’ll need to pay $5.99 monthly to rent a wireless router. You can buy an internet router and waive this fee.
We have a guide reviewing many great routers for Spectrum.
Let’s see who should get this plan.
Who Is the Spectrum 300 Mbps Plan Best For?
Spectrum Internet 300 Mbps internet plan is best for the following scenarios and people:
- 4K streaming
- Casual, competitive, & cloud gaming
- General internet usage
Most internet plans are good for 4K UHDTV1 streaming. Since this resolution requires 25 Mbps of bandwidth [1]. But 300 Mbps could support 12 devices simultaneously streaming 4K.
300 Mbps is more speed than most households would need. Thus, you’ll have no problem gaming, watching stuff online, and browsing social media with this internet package.
I’ll cover some extreme examples next.
What Can You Do With 300 Mbps Download Speeds?
Here’s what you can do with Spectrum’s 300 Mbps download speeds (and 10 Mbps upload) [2]:
| Online Activity | Speed Req. (DL) | Speed Req. (UL) |
| 7 Devices Watching 4K Netflix | 175 Mbps | NA |
| 3 People Casually Gaming On Pcs | 6.0 Mbps | 1.5 Mbps |
| 4 People Browsing Google | 8.0 Mbps | 4.0 Mbps |
| 1 Person Using Nintendo Switch Online | 3.0 Mbps | 0.05–3.0 Mbps |
| 3 People Using Xbox Cloud Gaming | 60 Mbps | NA |
Online activities you can do with 300 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload speeds.
You’ll have no issues with casual gaming, streaming, or website browsing.
And you’ll have an extra 48 Mbps of downstream bandwidth available. You may want to leave a buffer to accommodate background updates on devices and other downloads.
If you want to get into competitive gaming, that’s where you’ll likely need to upgrade. You’ll want 50/10 Mbps of network speeds for an almost guaranteed uninterrupted session.
In reality, every gamer’s situation will differ because of latency. That’s not something I want to discuss in this post.
Let’s talk about the weak upload speeds.
You’ll need around 4.0 Mbps of upstream bandwidth for each home security camera you install. Per device.
You could run 2 cameras max. Then you’d have 2.0 Mbps of available upload bandwidth.
Still interested in this plan? Great. Let’s talk about costs.
Spectrum Internet 300 Mbps Price
Spectrum Internet 300 Mbps costs $49.99 monthly for the first 12 months. That’s $0.16 per megabit. These costs don’t include sales tax.
From month 13 on, you’ll pay $74.99 ($0.24/megabit).
In most circumstances, you can’t get the new customer pricing again. You’d need to open a plan under a roommate, relative, or partner’s name. So long as they’ve never used Spectrum.
Or you could call and negotiate. I’ll talk more about negotiations later.
Let’s see whether Spectrum will sneak additional costs into your plan.
Spectrum 300 Mbps Internet Hidden Costs
Here are hidden costs for Spectrum internet plans:
| Charge | Amount |
| WiFi Service | $5.00/mo. |
| Spectrum WiFi Pods | $3.00/mo. per pod |
| Data Overage Charge | No Charge |
| Unreturned Wireless Router fee | $76 |
| Unreturned Modem fee | $60 |
| Unreturned Spectrum WiFi Pod fee | $64 |
| Unreturned EPON ONU fee | $95 |
Additional fees for charter Spectrum internet services.
You can easily avoid every listed fee. Return your equipment on time and request a return receipt to avoid the unreturned equipment fees.
If you’re in a home with many Wi-Fi dead spots, consider buying the following networking devices:
- Powerline adapter
- Wi-Fi extender
- Mesh Wi-Fi router
- MoCA adapter
We have a separate guide that talks about some of these devices in detail.
Those who don’t have to worry about dead zones will want to consider getting a third-party internet router. I’ll emphasize this point when I cover ways to lower your Spectrum bill.
Spectrum Internet 300 Mbps Availability
Spectrum Internet 300 Mbps is available in the following 41 states:
| Alabama | Arizona | California |
| Colorado | Connecticut | Florida |
| Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho |
| Illinois | Indiana | Kansas |
| Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine |
| Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan |
| Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri |
| Montana | Nebraska | Nevada |
| New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico |
| New York | North Carolina | Ohio |
| Oregon | Pennsylvania | South Carolina |
| Tennessee | Texas | Vermont |
| Virginia | Washington | West Virginia |
| Wisconsin | Wyoming |
States that support Charter Spectrum internet.
You’ll need to navigate Spectrum’s website to ensure they support your county or city. For instance, if I’m in Seattle, WA, I’d want to visit Spectrum.com/services and click ‘Washington.’
From there, you’d see this:
I see Seattle. I can use Spectrum. Hooray.
Now that you know whether your city has this service, you’ll need to know how to order your plan and set up your internet.
How To Get Started With Spectrum 300 Mbps Internet Plan
To use Spectrum 300 Mbps internet, visit your nearest Spectrum store and tell them you want to use their services. Or order the plan online.
You’ll need to choose whether you want self-installation or a professional to do everything. The former option costs $19.99 and will require you to order a getting started kit.
Meanwhile, the latter costs $49.99 and requires you to schedule an appointment.
Picking professional installation won’t require any more of my help. You’re in the hands of the technician now.
For those who don’t want to pay an extra $30, you’ll need to wait until you receive your getting started kit. Then follow these steps.
Upon receiving it, set up your modem. Plug it into an Ethernet port and a power outlet.
Visit Spectrum.net/selfinstall to activate your device. Or download the My Spectrum app. In my experience, following the link would make your life easier.
The app could crash, then you have to wait for the app to download.
Follow the on-screen prompts and finish activating your modem. If you’re using a third-party modem, you’ll need to enter your device’s Media Access Control (MAC) or Cable MAC (CMAC) at some point.
You will find this number at the bottom of your device.
Once all the lights on your modem glow, connect your router and your modem using an Ethernet cable.
Wait for your router’s lights to power on, then set up your Wi-Fi.
Before you order your kit, let’s see whether Spectrum offers promotions.
Spectrum 300 Mbps Internet Promotions
Spectrum offers all existing and new Internet customers a free Peacock Premium subscription for 90 days [3].
During this time, you’ll save $15 and can access hundreds of movies, series, and live TV.
Otherwise, Spectrum doesn’t have any promotions on its internet products. Visit our deals page to stay updated with their specials.
You can save money with your internet plan, though. Let’s explore your options.
How To Save More on the 300 Mbps Internet Package
You can attempt to get your promotional pricing again by following these steps:
- Call 833-267-6094
- Request to speak to someone from the retention department
- Tell them you’re considering switching to a different provider because your bill’s too high
- Listen to whether they offer promotions in an attempt to keep you with Spectrum
The retention department’s goal is to prevent customers from leaving Spectrum. They may offer you promotions in an attempt to keep you.
If this isn’t the case during your call, try calling back another day. See whether you reach someone more knowledgeable about deals.
Don’t request to speak to a manager. That won’t get you anywhere.
You can also save $5.00 monthly by purchasing a third-party router. You can use almost any router. But there’s a caveat.
You’ll need to ensure it supports at least 300 Mbps maximum wireless speeds. And you’ll need to research a router that’ll give you the best bang for your buck.
We’ve compiled a list of the best Spectrum routers. If you don’t like any of those, we have plenty of guides throughout our site that show the best routers for various scenarios and groups.
Spectrum 300 Mbps Internet Bundles
Group Spectrum Internet 300 Mbps and get Advanced WiFi and one Spectrum Mobile unlimited line free for the first year. You’d only pay $49.99 monthly for all 3 services.
From month 13 on, you’ll need to pay $109.98 monthly.
Because now you’re paying for a Spectrum Mobile line, the router rental, and a 40% higher Internet 300 Mbps plan.
Will you get a discount when bundling Spectrum Internet with voice and television services?
You won’t. The only reason you’d want to bundle broadband internet is to condense your billing. Or if you want more of your home’s ecosystem to revolve around Spectrum.
For your convenience, here are some example bundles you can consider:
| Bundle | Promo. Pricing | Post Promo. | Percentage Increase |
| Internet + TV Select | $109.98/mo. | $154.98/mo. | 33% |
| Internet + TV Select + Voice | $129.97/mo. | $174.97/mo. | 29% |
| Mi Plan Latino + Internet | $89.98/mo. | $129.98/mo. | 36% |
Charter Spectrum bundles compared.
How does Internet do when compared to other Spectrum plans?
Spectrum 300 Mbps vs. Other Spectrum Internet Plans
Let’s compare Spectrum’s other home internet plans before you hit that ‘Add to Cart’ button:
| Tier | Promo. Price | Post Promo. | Percentage Increase | Speed (DL/UL) |
| Internet | $49.99/mo. | $74.99/mo. | 40% | 300/10 Mbps |
| Internet Ultra | $69.99/mo. | $94.99/mo. | 30% | 500/20 Mbps |
| Internet Gig | $89.99/mo. | $114.99/mo. | 24% | 1,000/35 Mbps |
Spectrum home internet plans compared.
In most cases, you won’t need above 300 Mbps download speeds. Refer to my above example when I talked about use cases.
You will want to consider upgrading if you require higher upload speeds. It’s a shady means of getting customers to get a better plan.
Instead of offering more meaningful incentives like perks. Here’s an example of a perk they could offer. Get Peacock Premium free for 6 months instead of 3 months if you use Internet Ultra.
Consider Spectrum’s competitors if you want higher upload speeds yet don’t want to pay more for your bill.
Charter Spectrum Internet 300 Mbps vs. The Competition
The following compares Spectrum internet to competing providers with the same download speed:
| Tier/Provider | Post Promo. Price | Upload Speed | Data Cap? | Price Per Megabit |
| Spectrum Internet | $74.99/mo. | 10 Mbps | No | $0.24 |
| AT&T Fiber 300 | $55/mo. | 300 Mbps | No | $0.18 |
| Verizon Fios 300 | $49.99/mo. | 300 Mbps | No | $0.16 |
| Xfinity Performance Pro | $70–89/mo. | 10 Mbps | Yes | $0.23–$0.29 |
300 Mbps internet plans compared.
Spectrum’s your best option for 300 Mbps internet if you can’t access Verizon Fios or AT&T Fiber.
AT&T Fiber and Verizon Fios offer equal download/upload speeds, have no data cap, offer the lowest rates, and don’t have contracts.
They have by far the best value. But are limited to a handful of cities.
Another competitor in this tier, Comcast Xfinity, doesn’t offer the best value.
You have a 1.2 terabyte (TB) data cap AND the same upload speeds as Spectrum. In my experience, Xfinity’s data cap didn’t affect my online experience.
But I never streamed 4K content. Thus, I’m not an accurate benchmark in this situation.
In Xfinity’s Western Division, you’ll pay the lowest price per megabit. Only when comparing Spectrum and Xfinity.
With Xfinity, you get the free 4K streaming box, but that’ll trap you into feeding a lot of data into your data cap.
I cover states each provider overlaps in a separate guide.
FAQs: Spectrum Internet 300 Mbps
Keep reading to find frequently asked questions for Spectrum’s 300 Mbps broadband internet package.
What Is the Best Modem for Spectrum 300 Mbps?
The best internet modem we tested for the Spectrum 300 Mbps internet plan is the Arris Surfboard SB8200 DOCSIS 3.1. Read our review of this modem to see why.
Conclusion
Spectrum’s 300 Mbps internet plan offers the most value in many states in its speed tier. It has wide availability, no data caps, and doesn’t need a contract.
However, the upload speeds could use improvement. If that’s not an issue for you, I recommend trying Spectrum Internet.
Before you do, I suggest learning everything about Spectrum’s services beforehand. Know what you’re getting yourself into.
