WOW! Review 2024: Internet, TV, Landline, Mobile, & More

I want to find the best provider. This led me to write this review on WideOpenWest (WOW!). Not World of Warcraft.

You’ll find the following while reading:

• Pros & cons
• Residential internet plans
• TV plans
• Business internet plans
• Cellular plans
• Home phone
• Availability
• Bundles
• Deals
• How to get started 
• How it does against competitors

Let’s go.

WOW! Pros & Cons

Here are the pros and cons of using WideOpenWest (WOW!) internet, TV, and voice:

Pros:

• No contract
• Free modem rental for a year
• A lot of perks & freebies
• Higher data caps than other cable ISPs
• Plenty of speed tier choices

Cons:

• They have data caps in the first place
• Low upload speeds
• Not much information on their TV products
• High roaming charges for WOW! Mobile
• Not available in many areas

WOW! Internet Plans, Pricing, & Features

Here are the internet plans WOW! offers:

Tier	* Starting Price	Standard Price	† Max. Speed (DL & UL)	‡ Best For
Internet 50	$9.99/mo.	$19.99/mo.	50/5.0 Mbps	1–2 users
Internet 200	$29.99/mo.	$44.99/mo.	200/10 Mbps	4–10 users
Internet 500	$44.99/mo.	$54.99/mo.	500/500 Mbps	10+ users
Internet 1 Gig	$64.99/mo.	$74.99/mo.	1,000/50 Mbps	File backups & management
Internet 1.2 Gig	$94.99/mo.	NA	1,200 Mbps	File backups & management

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by ZIP code. Pricing already accounts for discounts when enabling automatic payments.

† Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

‡ These numbers come from the WOW! website. The actual number of supported devices varies by online task. For instance, more than 20 devices could simultaneously stream 480p video on the Internet 200 plan.

Here are important details to know about WOW! internet plans:

• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Contract-free
• Free modem rental for a year; costs $14 a month after that
• Symmetric speeds on 2 plans

Prices for all WOW! plans increase by $10–15 after the first year on most plans. Except for Internet 1 Gig. That pricing lasts for 2 years.

Tips on choosing the best plan.

Don’t get a plan just because it has higher speeds. Unless people in your home frequently download files. Internet 200 will accommodate most homes’ online needs. It could handle 8 devices streaming 4K UHD video at the same time.

Which requires some of the most bandwidth.

The upload speeds aren’t the best, though. These speeds are important for livestreaming, running home security cameras, and sending files to folks. Meaning Internet 500 is essential for remote workers and freelancers.

If you value time.

Many cable providers throttle internet speeds since many homes in a neighborhood share a fiber node. And when everyone uses the internet simultaneously, latency rises and speeds lower.

When I tried finding whether WOW! does so, I kept finding results for World of Warcraft (WOW). Since throttling is a weakness for cable internet, it’s something to know. Competitive gamers and those who frequently video chat may want to consider a different internet type.

Like fiber. Since it has lower latency and won’t throttle during peak usage times. By the way, latency is responsible for whether your online game or video call session will have lag.

Let’s talk about data allowances.

WOW! Data Cap

All WOW! plans have the following data caps, except Internet 1.2 Gig [1]:

Internet Plan	Data Cap (Gigabytes)
Internet 50	1,024 GB
Internet 100	1,536 GB
Internet 200	1,536 GB
Internet 500	2,560 GB
Internet 1 Gig	3,072 GB
Internet 1.2 Gig	Unlimited

You’ll incur data overage surcharges upon passing your data cap. $10 per additional 50 GB your household uses. And they’ll charge you for up to 250 GB ($50).

Let me reiterate.

Use as much data as your heart desires with the 1.2 Gig plan. The rest of the plans require you to at least pay attention to the amount of data you use.

Tasks that consume the most data include:

• File downloads/uploads
• High-definition cloud gaming
• 4K video streaming

Say you want to download World of Warcraft Dragonflight or the newest Call of Duty game.

More than 100 GB of data sucked from your bandwidth allowance. More than 200 GB if you download both games.

The Internet 50 plan would allow your household to stream less than 175 hours of 4K video on sites like Netflix and YouTube [2]. Or more than 350 hours of HD video.

Depending on how frequently folks download files, you likely won’t break through the data cap. Ensure your family or roommates coordinate large file downloads. For instance, maybe wait til later in the month to download a 100 GB game file.

Since the data limit will reset the following billing period.

WOW! scales its data cap by the speeds each plan provides, which makes more sense. Since you’ll likely use more data with a 1.0 Gbps plan than a 50 Mbps plan.

Unlike Xfinity and Cox. Who keep their data caps at around 1.2 terabytes (TB). No matter the package.

WOW! Internet Hidden Fees

Additional costs for WideOpenWest include:

Service or Add-on	Fee
Paper Statement Fee	$3.00/mo.
Returned Check	$30
Data Overage Surcharge	$10 per 50 GB ($50 max.)
Missed Appointment Fee	$50
Service Protection Plan	$5.00/mo.
Professional Installation	$99

The paper statement fee applies to customers who opt to receive paper billing statements.

The data overage charge incurs once you pass your data cap. They’ll charge you $10 per 50 GB used up to 5 times. Meaning you’ll pay $50 at max.

The service protection plan will cover costs when technicians install or repair new wiring or outlets. It’s a decent investment if you need frequent technician visits.

WOW! will send you a free self-installation kit if you order their stuff online. You’ll need to pay $99 if you want professional installation done.

WOW! Internet Equipment

Optional equipment rental costs include [3]:

Equipment	Fee
Optical Network Terminal (ONT)	$14/mo.
Modem Rental	$14/mo.
WOW! Whole-Home WiFi	$9.99/mo.
Whole-Home WiFi for Additional Devices	$5.99/mo. each
WOW! tv+ box	$10/mo.
Unreturned or Damaged Equipment	Up to $250

WOW! Internet equipment rental fees.

Not all cities will have to pay the ONT rental fee. You’ll need to ask the WOW! sales team for details.

WOW! will remove the modem rental fee if you use your own. We have a list of approved modems in a separate guide.

WOW! TV Packages, Pricing, & Features

WOW! tv+ costs $74.99–$119.99 a month (without taxes and fees) when bundled with their internet products. They aren’t very transparent with this pricing. As they require you to chat with an agent to order it and see the price.

You must have a WOW! Internet 100 Mbps or higher plan to access their TV service.

Pricing varies by whether you choose the Small, Medium, or Large TV packages. And likely varies by your ZIP code.

Features and important tidbits for the WOW! television plan includes:

• $10 a month for the WOW! tv+ box
• Includes 50 hours of cloud DVR storage

They offer cloud DVR storage upgrades to 100 or 200 hours. Again, they don’t provide the pricing.

You could watch WOW tv+ on iOS- and Android-based devices or Amazon Fire TV Sticks. But they still require you to get the TV box. These additional devices could save money if people in other rooms needed a TV box.

You can’t get separate sports packages. They require you to get the Large TV plan to access sports channels like NFL RedZone and SEC ESPN Network.

WOW! TV Channel Lineup

Here’s a channel guide for WOW! TV plans [4]:

Channel	Small TV	Medium TV	Large TV
Adult on Demand	⬤	⬤	⬤
Bounce TV	⬤	⬤	⬤
Broadcast TV OnDemand	⬤	⬤	⬤
C-Span	⬤	⬤	⬤
Circle	⬤	⬤	⬤
Daystar	⬤	⬤	⬤
EWTV	⬤	⬤	⬤
Grit TV	⬤	⬤	⬤
HSN	⬤	⬤	⬤
INSP	⬤	⬤	⬤
ION Mystery	⬤	⬤	⬤
Jewelry TV	⬤	⬤	⬤
Me TV	⬤	⬤	⬤
PEG Access	⬤	⬤	⬤
QVC	⬤	⬤	⬤
QVC2	⬤	⬤	⬤
Rewind TV	⬤	⬤	⬤
ShopHQ	⬤	⬤	⬤
TBN	⬤	⬤	⬤
PBS	⬤	⬤	⬤
NBC	⬤	⬤	⬤
The CW	⬤	⬤	⬤
CBS	⬤	⬤	⬤
ABC	⬤	⬤	⬤
FOX	⬤	⬤	⬤
A&E		⬤	⬤
ACC Network		⬤	⬤
AMC		⬤	⬤
Animal Planet		⬤	⬤
AWE		⬤	⬤
BBC America		⬤	⬤
BET		⬤	⬤
Bravo		⬤	⬤
C-SPAN 2		⬤	⬤
C-SPAN 3		⬤	⬤
Cars TV		⬤	⬤
Cartoon Network		⬤	⬤
Cheddar News		⬤	⬤
Cleo TV		⬤	⬤
CMT		⬤	⬤
CNN		⬤	⬤
Comedy Central		⬤	⬤
Cutting Edge On Demand		⬤	⬤
Decades		⬤	⬤
Discovery Channel		⬤	⬤
Disney Channel		⬤	⬤
E!		⬤	⬤
ES TV		⬤	⬤
ESPN		⬤	⬤
ESPN2		⬤	⬤
Food Network		⬤	⬤
FOX Business		⬤	⬤
FOX News		⬤	⬤
FOX Sports 1		⬤	⬤
FOX Sports 2		⬤	⬤
FOX Weather		⬤	⬤
Freeform		⬤	⬤
FX		⬤	⬤
FXM		⬤	⬤
FXX		⬤	⬤
Great American Family		⬤	⬤
Hallmark Channel		⬤	⬤
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries		⬤	⬤
Health & Lifestyles		⬤	⬤
Heroes and Icons		⬤	⬤
HGTV		⬤	⬤
History		⬤	⬤
HLN		⬤	⬤
IFC		⬤	⬤
Investigation Discovery		⬤	⬤
Just In On Demand		⬤	⬤
Justice Central		⬤	⬤
Lifetime		⬤	⬤
Lifetime Movie Network		⬤	⬤
MotorTrend		⬤	⬤
Movies On Demand		⬤	⬤
MSNBC		⬤	⬤
MTV		⬤	⬤
Music On Demand		⬤	⬤
MyDestination		⬤	⬤
National Geographic		⬤	⬤
Newsmax		⬤	⬤
NewsNation		⬤	⬤
Nickelodeon		⬤	⬤
OAN		⬤	⬤
OWN		⬤	⬤
Oxygen		⬤	⬤
Paramount Network		⬤	⬤
Recipe TV		⬤	⬤
SEC Network		⬤	⬤
Sundance Channel		⬤	⬤
SyFy		⬤	⬤
TBS		⬤	⬤
The Weather Channel		⬤	⬤
TLC		⬤	⬤
TNT		⬤	⬤
Travel Channel		⬤	⬤
truTV		⬤	⬤
Turner Classic Movies		⬤	⬤
TV Entertainment On Demand		⬤	⬤
TV Land		⬤	⬤
TV One		⬤	⬤
USA Network		⬤	⬤
VH1		⬤	⬤
WE tv		⬤	⬤
HBO Comedy			⬤
HBO Family			⬤
HBO Latino			⬤
HBO On Demand			⬤
HBO Signature			⬤
HBO Zone			⬤
HBO			⬤
HBO 2			⬤
5StarMAX			⬤
ActionMAX			⬤
Cinemax			⬤
MAXLatino			⬤
MoreMAX			⬤
MovieMAX			⬤
OuterMAX			⬤
ThrillerMAX			⬤
Flix			⬤
SHO 2			⬤
SHO Extreme			⬤
SHO Next			⬤
SHO Women			⬤
SHO x BET			⬤
Showtime Family Zone			⬤
Showtime On Demand			⬤
Showtime Showcase			⬤
Showtime			⬤
The Movie Channel Xtra			⬤
The Movie Channel			⬤
STARZ Cinema			⬤
STARZ Comedy			⬤
STARZ Edge			⬤
STARZ Black			⬤
STARZ Kids & Family			⬤
STARZ On Demand			⬤
STARZ			⬤
Playboy			⬤
Cheap Thrills			⬤
Playboy+			⬤
American Heroes Channel			⬤
BBC America			⬤
BET Jams			⬤
BET Soul			⬤
Big Ten Network			⬤
Boomerang			⬤
CBS Sports network			⬤
Destination America			⬤
Discovery Family			⬤
Discovery Life			⬤
Disney Junior			⬤
Disney XD			⬤
ESPN Deportes			⬤
ESPNU			⬤
Events On Demand			⬤
Exclusives On Demand			⬤
FYI			⬤
Golf Channel			⬤
Lifetime Real Women			⬤
Magnolia Network			⬤
MLB Network			⬤
MTV Classic			⬤
MTV Tr3s			⬤
MTV2			⬤
mtvU			⬤
NatGeo Wild			⬤
NFL network			⬤
Nick 2			⬤
Nick Jr.			⬤
NickMusic			⬤
Nicktoons			⬤
Pop			⬤
Positiv TV			⬤
Premium On Demand			⬤
Reelz			⬤
Science			⬤
Smithsonian Channel			⬤
Sports On Demand			⬤
TBN Inspire			⬤
TeenNick			⬤
Universal Kids			⬤
Viceland			⬤
FOX Soccer Plus+			⬤
NFL RedZone+			⬤
Outdoor Channel			⬤
Stadium College Sports			⬤

I didn’t include almost all the music channels. There are also many On Demand channels I didn’t list. And local channels—these will vary by area.

WOW! TV Hidden Fees & Equipment

Here are the additional fees you may incur with WOW! TV [5]:

Equipment	Fee
Sports Surcharge	Varies
Paper Statement Fee	$2.00/mo.
Missed Appointment Charge	$50
Broadcast TV Fee	Varies

There’s no way to avoid the broadcast TV and sports surcharges. Unless you switch to a live streaming TV provider.

These costs will vary by region.

WOW! Business Internet Plans, Pricing, & Features

WOW! Business Internet packages are as follows:

Tier	* Starting Price	† Max. Speed (DL & UL)	Best For
30 Mbps	$30/mo.	30/5.0 Mbps	Light email usage
300 Mbps	$44.99/mo.	300/20 Mbps	HD video conferencing
600 Mbps	$44.99/mo.	600/50 Mbps	Guest Wi-Fi & eCommerce server
1 Gig	$99.99/mo.	1,000/50 Mbps	‡ FTP file sharing

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by ZIP code. Pricing already accounts for discounts when enabling automatic payments.

† Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

‡ FTP is an acronym for ‘file transfer protocol’.

These rates are for new customers who bound themselves to a 2-year agreement. They won’t charge you for a modem rental for the first 12 months. Or the installation fee.

WOW! Business internet is hybrid coaxial and fiber internet that doesn’t offer the highest speeds. But it’s affordable for growing businesses.

I recommend the 30 Mbps plan if you have a business with a single team member. Who uses the internet to check emails or browse the internet.

300 Mbps gives more leeway. For instance, watching Zoom in 720p HD for group calls requires 1.8/2.6 Mbps (download/upload) speeds [6]. Around 7 people in an office could use Zoom simultaneously.

The 600 Mbps plan doubles that number and gives you more flexibility when offering guest Wi-Fi. But I wouldn’t use that plan if your team frequently downloads massive files.

Say someone wants to download an hour-long 4K video. The 45 GB file will take the 600 Mbps plan 10 minutes to download [7]. 6 minutes with the 1.0 Gbps package. While minuscule, the time you’ll save could make an enormous difference with time crunches.

Add-ons WOW! offers for their business internet products include:

Equipment or Add-on	Fee
Business Phone (Unlimited Long Distance)	$20/mo.
Basic Lines (Unlimited Local Calling)	$18/mo.
Modem Rental	$11/mo.
Whole-Business WiFi	$19.99/mo.

Whole-Business Wi-Fi lets your business support more devices. And separates your network from guest Wi-Fi. Get this add-on if you offer guest Wi-Fi. That way, guests can’t peep in on your team’s online activities by using your network.

WOW! Business allows you to use your own modems to shave the $11 monthly rental fee off your bill. They specify modem or gateway must meet these requirements:

• Up to 100 Mbps: DOCSIS 3.0, Channel 4×4
• Up to 200 Mbps: DOCSIS 3.0, Channel 8×4, or Channel 16×4
• Up to 600 Mbps: DOCSIS 3.0, Channel 24×8, or Channel 32×8
• Up to 1,000 Mbps: DOCSIS 3.1

Find the differences between DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 in a separate guide. Understand what you’re buying to get the most out of your internet.

They have plenty of internet add-ons they provide no details on. For instance, static IPs, dedicated internet access up to 10 Gbps, and fiber optic connectivity. You must call in to find the rates of these products and add-ons.

WOW! Mobile Plans, Pricing, & Features

WOW! Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses Reach to deliver their services and includes these plans:

Tier	* # of Lines	** Price	Data
Basic 1GB	1	$15/mo.	1 GB
Moderate 3GB	1	$25/line per mo.	3 GB
Moderate 3GB	2	$20/line per mo.	3 GB
Moderate 3GB	3	$19/line per mo.	3 GB
Moderate 3GB	4	$18/line per mo.	3 GB
Moderate 3GB	5–6	$17/line per mo.	3 GB
People’s Choice 8 GB	1	$35/line per mo.	8 GB
People’s Choice 8 GB	2	$25/line per mo.	8 GB
People’s Choice 8 GB	3	$22/line per mo.	8 GB
People’s Choice 8 GB	4	$20/line per mo.	8 GB
People’s Choice 8 GB	5–6	$19/line per mo.	8 GB
All-in Unlimited 20 GB	1	$45/line per mo.	20 GB
All-in Unlimited 20 GB	2–6	$30/line per mo.	20 GB

* WOW! Mobile allows up to 6 lines.

† Pricing doesn’t include taxes or other factors.

Tidbits to know about WOW! Mobile include:

• Contract-free
• Bring your own device: requires an unlocked phone
• * Does not support eSIM-only devices

* I talked to WideOpenWest’s customer support, and they told me WOW! Mobile will support eSIM in the future. But said her company didn’t provide any set dates.

Let’s talk about international rates.

WOW! charges AT LEAST $10 per 0.5 GB used [8]. These rates vary by country and can go past $50 per 0.5 GB. Don’t use WOW! Mobile while traveling outside the U.S.

While abroad, expect to pay more than $0.28 per minute when calling. More than $0.05 per SMS received, and $0.44 per SMS sent.

Your WOW! Mobile plan gives you up to $5.00 to put toward outbound calls from the U.S. From thereon, expect to pay more than $0.30 per minute.

WOW! Home Phone Plans, Pricing, & Features

WOW! Home Phone is a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) service that’s $9.99 monthly. When bundled with their TV or internet products. Home phone products are still helpful when you need a backup way to call people if your cellular signal is terrible.

Features WOW! phone will provide include:

Anonymous Call Rejection	Auto Call Back	Call Return	Call Forwarding
Caller ID Name & Number	Caller ID For Call Waiting	Distinctive Ringing	Remote Access To Call Forwarding
Robocall Blocking	Select Call Acceptance	Selective Call Rejection	Selective Call Forwarding
Unlimited Number	Unpublished Number

You’ll have unlimited calling when dialing local numbers. WOW! offers 100 minutes of long distance calling. Upon passing this threshold, you’ll pay $0.05 per minute.

Rates for calling international landlines will cost more than $0.05 per minute. Terminating on international mobile numbers will also result in rates more than $0.05 per minute.

WOW! Internet Coverage Map & Availability

WOW! Internet and TV are available in some areas throughout these states:

Alabama	Florida	Georgia	Illinois
Ohio	Indiana	Michigan	South Carolina
Tennessee

WOW! was nice enough to provide all the cities they service [9]:

• Alabama
  • Auburn
  • Dothan
  • Huntsville
  • Montgomery
  • Valley
• Florida
  • Panama City
  • Pinellas
• Georgia
  • Augusta
  • Columbus
  • Fort Gordon
  • Newnan
• Illinois
  • Chicago
  • Chicagoland
• Ohio
  • Cleveland
  • Columbus
• Indiana
  • Evansville
• Michigan
  • Detroit
  • Mid-Michigan
• South Carolina
  • Charleston
• Tennessee
  • Knoxville

Here’s a WOW! coverage map:

Regarding WOW! Mobile coverage. They use Reach. And Reach operates under T-Mobile’s network.

Here’s coverage throughout the mainland United States:

Alaska and Hawaii 4G LTE and 5G coverage:

WOW! Internet & TV Bundles

I couldn’t find any solid numbers on the pricing for WOW! Internet and TV bundles. But here are estimates I’ve aggregated from other sources [10]:

Package	* Price	Max. Download Speed	Channel Count
Small TV + Internet	Up to $99/mo.	1.2 Gbps	80+
Medium TV + Internet	Up to $109.99/mo.	200 Mbps	130+
Large TV + Internet	Up to $144.99/mo.	500 Mbps	160+
Internet 50 + Landline	$19.98/mo.	50 Mbps	NA
Internet 200 + Landline	$39.98/mo.	200 Mbps	NA
Internet 500 + Landline	$54.98/mo.	500 Mbps	NA
WOW! Mobile Basic 1 GB + Internet 50	$24.99/mo. (1 line)	50 Mbps	NA

* Pricing likely isn’t accurate at all. Actual prices will vary by ZIP code. You must call their sales department to get a quote.

WOW! is more secretive with its bundle pricing than Xfinity’s regional pricing scheme. I tried ordering the bundles online. But you can only get the WOW! tv+ products by calling their sales department.

I did my best to find concrete sources. I even dove into the internet archives for WideOpenWest’s website back in 2020. No results.

I don’t have the most faith in the source I listed. WideOpenWest’s website gives us a sliver of information [11]. Stating, “Get TV and internet for as low as $65.99 monthly.”

You must have a 100 Mbps or faster internet plan. At the least, you could get Internet 200 plus Small TV for around $65.99.

WOW! Internet, TV, & Voice Deals

All WOW! (except 1.2 Gig) Internet plans cost at least $10 less for the first year. The Internet 1 Gig promotional pricing lasts 2 years. It’s their new customer pricing scheme.

Each internet plan will come with the following Visa Rewards Card:

• Internet 200: $50
• Internet 500: $100
• Internet 1 Gig: $200
• Internet 1.2 Gig: $300

The 1.2 Gig and 1 Gig plans include HBO MAX free for a year. Saving you around $120. Internet 500 has it for 6 months. After which, you’ll pay $9.99 monthly so long as you keep your subscription.

It wouldn’t be a deals section if I didn’t mention the Affordable Connectivity Credit (ACP). It’s a government benefits program, but could save you $30 monthly on your internet bill.

To qualify, you must participate in at least one of these programs:

• Women, Infants, Children (WIC)
• School Breakfast Program (SBP)
• Head Start
• Medicaid
• Food Stamps (SNAP)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance
• VA Survivors or Veteran’s Pension
• Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Tribal TANF
• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
• Federal Pell Grant
• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance

Visit affordableconnectivity.gov to see if you’re eligible. If so, call WOW! at 888-815-1718 to apply the ACP credit to your plan.

The $30 credit will result in a free Internet 50 plan. Or apparently, a free Internet 100 plan mentioned nowhere else on their site [12]. If you qualify for the ACP, ask the WOW! sales department whether Internet 100 is available in your area.

If they think you’re crazy, refer to the link I mentioned in the previous paragraph. So long as they haven’t changed the information we published this piece. Otherwise, I’ll look stupid.

How to Contact WOW! Internet Customer Support

Use these channels to reach WideOpenWest’s customer service:

• Sales: 833-970-2486
• Customer support: 866-496-9669
  • Available 24/7
• Chat: wowway.com/chat
  • Available every day 7:00 AM–11:45 PM (Eastern Time)
• Twitter: @WOWCare
• Privacy policy questions: [email protected]
• Receive a WOW! accessible receiver:
  • Residential: 866-496-9669
  • Business: 888-969-4249

I chatted with their customer service, and they answered my question immediately. No beating around the bush. Everyone’s experience will vary, though.

How to Get Started With WOW! Internet

Order your WOW! service online and choose whether you want professional or self-installation. The former will cost $99, while the latter doesn’t cost a penny. Regardless of the installation method, you’ll need to schedule an installation time.

A technician will bring the self-installation kit to your home and activate the cable lines outside if you decide to self-install.

Open your kit and unpack all its contents. Connect the modem to your coaxial port and power outlet. Wait for all the lights to emit a solid glow. Try another coaxial cable port in your home if these lights aren’t solid after 10 minutes.

Or unplug your device for 10 seconds to wipe its cache. It could have accidentally stored an error.

Once your device powers on, visit wowway.com/selfinstall and follow the prompts to activate your device. You’ll need the last 4 digits of your account number to proceed. Find this in your welcome email.

Or the sticker on the outside of your box.

At some point, you may need to enter a MAC (or CMAC) address. You’ll find these numbers on stickers on the side or bottom of your modem or gateway. Use this number to verify your device.

It’ll take around 5 minutes for the activation to complete. Once done, connect an Ethernet cable to a PC, visit an internet speed test site and see how fast your internet goes. It should match the plan you’re using. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to troubleshoot.

Use an Ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi to ensure the most accurate speed test results. Using cables over wireless connections provides an overall faster internet. Due to having no wireless or physical interruptions.

To speed up slow WOW! internet, follow these troubleshooting steps:

• Use Ethernet cables
• Turn off VPNs: these slow your internet up to 20%
• Check for internet outages
• Ensure your router supports your plan’s download speeds
• Don’t connect too many devices to the internet at once
• Speeds may lower during peak hours

If you still have slow internet, reach out to WOW! customer support for further help.

WOW! Internet vs. The Competition

Check out how WideOpenWest fares against the competition:

Provider	* Starting Price	Max. Speed (DL) †	Internet Type	Best For
WOW!	$9.99–$94.99/mo.	50–1,200 Mbps	Cable & fiber	Highest data caps
Xfinity	$19–$299/mo.	10–6,000 Mbps	Cable & fiber	Highest speeds offered
Spectrum	$49–$89/mo.	300–1,000 Mbps	Cable	4K video streaming
AT&T Fiber	$55–$180/mo.	300–5,000 Mbps	Fiber	Home server management
Frontier	$28–$149.99	6.0–2,000 Mbps	Fiber & DSL	Affordable fiber

* Does not include taxes and other fees. These will vary by region. Pricing already accounts for discounts when enabling automatic payments.

† Actual internet speed will vary by connectivity method (e.g., Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) among other factors.

The following sections will compare WOW! internet to its competitors.

Alabama	Florida	Georgia	Illinois
Ohio	Indiana	Michigan	South Carolina
Tennessee

WOW! Internet vs. Xfinity

Choose WOW! internet if:

• More data to work with
• Higher upload speeds without paying more

Choose Xfinity Comcast internet if:

• More straightforward pricing with bundles
• Ability to remove data cap (with money)

WOW! doesn’t offer the most coverage. But it offers much higher data caps and upload speeds than Xfinity. If your home frequently downloads massive files, you won’t want Xfinity. Unless you pay an extra $20–25 monthly to remote the data allowance.

Xfinity Comcast and WOW! internet provides support in these states:

Alabama	Florida	Georgia	Illinois
Ohio	Indiana	Michigan	South Carolina
Tennessee

WOW! Internet vs. Spectrum

WOW! internet is a better option for these reasons:

• Higher upload speeds
• More speed tier choices

Choose Spectrum if:

• No data caps
• Access to Wi-Fi hotspots

WideOpenWest offers more speed tiers at affordable rates. And more upload speeds to manage smart home devices and make online calls. Spectrum may be a better choice if you’re frequently out-and-about because of the wireless hotspots.

These will reduce the strain you put on your cellular plan’s soft or hard data limits.

You have to choose between Spectrum and WOW! in these states:

Alabama	Florida	Georgia	Illinois
Ohio	Indiana	Michigan	South Carolina
Tennessee

WOW! Internet vs. AT&T Fiber

Pick WOW! internet if:

• More affordable
• More availability

AT&T is better for these reasons:

• Higher internet speeds available
• Symmetric internet
• Lower latency (on average)

Pick WOW! to save money and if your home doesn’t need the fastest internet. However, fiber internet will always have faster speeds and lower latency. Making it ideal for remote workers, online gaming, and home server management.

You’ll need to choose between AT&T Fiber or WOW! internet if you live in one of these states:

Alabama	Florida	Georgia	Illinois
Ohio	Indiana	Michigan	South Carolina
Tennessee

WOW! Internet vs. Frontier

WOW! is a better pick for these reasons:

• More availability
• WOW tv+
• Better value than Frontier DSL plans

Pick Frontier internet if:

• Symmetric speeds
• Fiber internet

Most WOW! internet plans cost less than Frontier’s DSL plans. When comparing speeds to what you pay. However, the latter provider’s fiber optic plans will deliver lower latency and much higher upload speeds without the risk of throttling.

As mentioned when comparing WOW! to AT&T, fiber results in less lag and buffering for online tasks. If that doesn’t matter to you, then WideOpenWest’s lower-end plans will better suit your needs.

Frontier and WOW! compete in these states:

• Alabama
• Florida
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Michigan
• South Carolina
• Tennessee

FAQs: WOW! Internet & TV

Explore these WOW! FAQs. You might find important information.

Conclusion

WOW! surprised me with the number of speed tier choices. And despite forcing data caps on customers, they at least offer more data than major players like Cox and Xfinity. However, since WOW! uses cable connections, you’re susceptible to throttling.

A weakness fiber optic and DSL connections don’t have.

Don’t run your credit card through WideOpenWest’s website yet. Explore other internet service providers we’ve reviewed. Ensure your home gets the best ISP.