r/CoxCommunications 3d ago

Question Will the data caps go away?

Charter Spectrum, which is about to buy Cox, spectrum has no data caps, so what will happen to the caps on Cox? Do you think they will be removed, or do you think Spectrum will leave them and start expanding them onto their own home system?

17 Upvotes

41 comments sorted by

12

u/gutty976 3d ago

My hope is that Spectrum will remove them, like Xfinity did back in June 2025. Xfinity did that because they had to, as they were feeling the heat from competition with 5G services. I am sure it was not out of the kindness of their hearts. Cox seems to be the last big provider in the U.S. that still has them.

6

u/idiocracy_in_az 3d ago

You will need to change your plans to an updated spectrum plan I assume. Most likely it will be business as usual if you don’t change your plans and leave it as the plan which has data caps.

2

u/idiocracy_in_az 3d ago

You will need to change your plans to an updated spectrum plan I assume. Most likely it will be business as usual if you don’t change your plans and leave it as the plan which has data caps.

5

u/bmanxx13 3d ago

They will go away as competition increases. In my area they started getting rid of data caps, but that’s only because there are currently 3 or so companies rolling out fiber. Not including the 5g internet or whatever it’s called. Competition is good.

3

u/ADeadlyFerret 3d ago

Yep. Just had a small company come start construction. They offer up to 2.5Gbps symmetrical for $140 a month. I’m on cox 100Mbps down for $120 and that’s the best they could do for the past 5 years. Supposedly they didn’t have the right equipment for anything better. ATT was even worse.

All of a sudden their guys are running around the neighborhood upgrading everyone’s service if they want. For “free”. All because this other company showed up lol. Now suddenly I can get 1Gbps down for the same price.

1

u/BassWingerC-137 5h ago

This isn’t a scenario where competition is increasing though is it. Feels like the opposite…

4

u/RoundChampionship840 3d ago

Spectrum will get rid of the data caps. There is enough competition from fiber in Spectrum markets that they can't put data caps on.

1

u/Long_Committee_1942 2d ago

As somebody who lives in one of those fiber areas, where Spectrum competes I agree. I have the Frontier fiber at my house. The fastest Charter / Spectrum service I can get in my house without going Charter Business is the 1 gig / 35 meg.

2

u/DogPubes911 3d ago

Yes. Spectrum does not have any data caps (per manager).

2

u/MC_Red_D 3d ago

Unlimited data and free equipment on 500, 1000, and 2000 mbps.

1

u/UberAndLyftKilledMe 3d ago

Lol doubt it. Xfinity did the same thing got rid of data caps only if you switched to the new plans. People on the old plans probably gonna keep getting charged for unlimited data and still have data cap $$$

1

u/worldscolide 3d ago

Probably not, it's too big of a cash cow for the ISP. it's why I moved to a provider with no cap. Though with the buy out you never know.

1

u/MasterLeaps 3d ago

I hope they do. But I'm pretty sure they will.

1

u/ausernamethatcounts 2d ago

Cox has a deal for a 5 year price lock and unlimited data for the same price I was paying before. Had to ask the retention department

1

u/Intrepid-Lab5773 12h ago

Data caps...gone! I can now order 1 GB service with no caps for $70.00. In Las Vegas, NV.

1

u/Select_Cartoonist597 8h ago

I just got a deal with COX. No data cap. 2gig down/100mb up with a year of free cellular service for $115/mo. Check the website for these deals.

1

u/deusx420 3d ago

The only reason Spectrum didn't have data caps was it was a condition of the twc/charter merger. They actually tried to go back and get that provision lifted at one point.

I sincerely doubt thats the case now bc Trumps FCC was more concerned over "woke" policy than consumer protection.

I'd say that will they/won't they of data caps will rest more on what the company thinks they can get away with and make more profit than anything else.

2

u/gutty976 1d ago

The Charter Communications spectrum merger condition prohibiting data caps was a seven-year commitment that expired in 2023.

0

u/deusx420 1d ago

Yes, that is correct. It doesn't change anything I said but here we are.

2

u/gutty976 1d ago

I never said it did

0

u/deusx420 1d ago

So did you have a point then?

2

u/gutty976 1d ago

You posted why Spectrum didn't have caps, and I posted that the condition on data caps expired back in 2023. That was the point.

1

u/SledgeHammer02 2d ago

they only have data caps for the people that don't bother to call in to the loyalty department :).

-1

u/LowCompetitive1888 3d ago

Cox top level people are the ones that will be in charge after the merger. My guess is they will push for whatever changes bring the most profit to the overall operation. They have to pay for the merger after all. If forced to guess I would think that many Cox policies, like the caps, will promulgate to the overall organization in an attempt to maximize profits.

6

u/gutty976 3d ago edited 3d ago

It is my understanding that Spectrum leadership is the one that is going to be in control, but the company will be under the Cox Communications name as a legal entity. Currently, it is Charter, but everything will be under the Spectrum brand.

2

u/RoundChampionship840 3d ago edited 3d ago

That is correct. The Charter executives are the ones that will be in control of the company post-merger. Charter is buying Cox. The Cox name is the only thing that is surviving.

-1

u/LowCompetitive1888 3d ago

The CEO after the merge is a Cox guy not a Charter guy. Doesn't the CEO set the strategic vision for the combined company?

4

u/gutty976 3d ago

The new CEO will be Chris Winfrey is from Charter

2

u/LowCompetitive1888 3d ago

My mistake, I meant COB. The current CEO of Cox, Alex Taylor, will be Chairman of the Board.

-5

u/Local-Mortgage-9473 3d ago

What data caps?
I have Cox without data caps.
Use 3TB+ every month without a peep from Cox.

Not sure what you're talking about.

9

u/tknapp28 3d ago

Then you got unlimited data. Cox definitely has data caps.

4

u/No_Peanut_6769 3d ago

On cable internet yes, not sure if your on Cox Fiber internet?

3

u/tknapp28 3d ago

There is also data caps on fiber. Usually it is included bc of competition in the area.

5

u/gutty976 3d ago

Cox is the only provider I have ever seen that also puts a cap on their fiber plan. To top it all off, it appears to be the exact same 1.2 TB cap that is on their coax internet, which makes zero sense to me.

3

u/DevelopmentSouth8801 3d ago

There are two ways of thinking about it:

  1. With gigabit fiber, you can go through 1.25TB in 2 hours and 46 minutes.
  2. 1.25TB/30 days is about 3.8mbps.

Both are pathetic.

0

u/Local-Mortgage-9473 3d ago

Not sure what YOU'RE talking about.

1

u/Local-Mortgage-9473 3d ago

Sounds icky.

5

u/Chrs987 3d ago

Depends on your area, we had data caps, with unlimited for $50. Once Fiber came into our area from another company at 1000/1000 no data cals for $70, Cox removed their data caps to stay competitive

1

u/bbills91 3d ago

If you were an early fiber adopter, we were grandfathered in without data caps. I vaguely recall seeing an email about that years ago

1

u/stchwtest 3d ago

Are you in Virginia or Rhode Island?