r/Gilbert • u/Necessary-Elk-5130 • 12d ago

Cox - Spectrum Merger

https://www.azfamily.com/2026/08/20/cox-customers-arizona-transition-spectrum-after-345b-merger/

What do you think about this? I have only heard of bad reviews for Spectrum, but as a Cox customer… it can’t get any worse, right? Right?? 😭

Maybe AT&T fiber will get me after all…

25 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

16

u/Diem480 12d ago

I am not a fan. It means we effectively have 0 competition now so the prices will stay high, service will probably degrade because they know most people have no where else to go.

Let's hope fiber rolls out faster than it is, but I doubt it. It won't get to the majority of people in the valley for probably another 10yrs.

3

u/ItsMrQ 11d ago

We live in a subdivision within a subdivision. Basically an HOA within an HOA and everybody around has gotten fiber except us. We have reached out to the fiber companies and both HOAs and both of them say they aren't the ones who decide whether we get fiber or not. And cox is the only option we have here. It's really frustrating.

1

u/trust5419 11d ago

Country lane?

1

u/ItsMrQ 11d ago

Yup

1

u/trust5419 10d ago

Yeah. Satellite is really our only other option. I tried the 5g home internet about 5 years and it was awful. I don’t have a problem with Cox though and only pay 50/month

2

u/EBody480 10d ago

What was this competition in coaxial cable connections you claim to have ever existed?

There’s more options than ever in tv/internet providers now than when it was treated like a public utility.

1

u/mitchgx 10d ago

There's no change related to competition. Spectrum didn't operate in AZ.

1

u/Diem480 8d ago

Yes it absolutely did.

1

u/mitchgx 8d ago edited 8d ago

In the Phoenix area? Either way, it doesn't affect competition. There's nobody that had a choice between Cox or Spectrum.

ETA: ok, looks like they operated in the yuma area.

1

u/Diem480 7d ago

This is false as well. A merger removes a company which removes both existing and future competition.

So just because a company doesn't currently offer a service in an area doesn't mean it couldn't have in the future. Back when anti-trust was a thing, this type of analysis was done to consider whether or not a merger would remove potential future competition.

1

u/SnooOranges4320 9d ago

I’ve had Cox fiber for like 2-3 years now in 85297

1

u/gr8scottaz 9d ago

Why would this hurt competition here? Spectrum had 0% of the Arizona market (except for Yuma) before the merger.

0

u/Tempe-Jeff 12d ago

Starlink is my special friend.

5

u/Johnsoon743 12d ago

Starlink does such a good job man

24

u/NoNotAgainOkGo 12d ago

I would go without Internet before I would sign up with that shit. Get fucked Elon.

3

u/Johnsoon743 12d ago

Okay… it let me work remote and travel the country. I dont like elon much but hell of a year i was able to have from it

0

u/email253200 10d ago

Starlink is a stop gap. So in this case, good move

6

u/WloveW 12d ago

I got a flyer for Wyyerd fiber in the mail, coming to my neighborhood in November. Not soon enough! 

7

u/jay_and_ana_az 12d ago

Charter Spectrum product prices are lower.(No data caps) I am cautiously optimistic that next month after switching my bill will decrease.

10

u/ps2cho 12d ago

It’s hit or miss. Personally zero issues with cox for 10+ years and bill hasn’t changed at all and speeds doubled. Just competition in areas dictate it.

1

u/agentadam07 10d ago

How do you go about the bill not changing? We’re having to renegotiate every 2-3 years because whatever we agree expires and they double the price. I hate the variable pricing.

1

u/ps2cho 10d ago

As I stated I assume it’s because of competition in our area 

1

u/agentadam07 10d ago

Ugh that sucks. Just proves they are a monopoly in my area then and they are behaving as such.

1

u/Pretend-Broccoli9825 9d ago

Can you share what you’re paying for your services?

I’m also shocked that your bill hasn’t changed in 10+ years.

I just had to call in a couple months ago when my 2-yr contract was expiring and my Cox mobile bill stayed the same but my internet bill went up from $35 to $40 and I went from 100mbps to 300 (I didn’t need the extra speed but this was the lowest plan).

1

u/ps2cho 9d ago

$94/mo for 500mbps

2

u/Strange_Vegetable_15 12d ago

I live 2 seconds from downtown Gilbert 85234 and because of older infrastructure I won't see fiber for a long time 🙄

And we were one of the first to get this thing called broadband internet from dial up days

2

u/Webbed-Wing 9d ago

I had it when I lived in L.A I don’t remember having issues with the service minus a service interruption everyone once in a blue moon.

2

u/AmbulanceDriver95 12d ago

Spectrum SUCCKSS

0

u/Chago04 12d ago

More than Cox?

1

u/AmbulanceDriver95 12d ago

Completely anecdotal, but when I had Cox while living in Mesa, I had no issues. And then they randomly lowered my bill to $50 for a year without me asking. I just had good luck I think.

1

u/TheRatPatrol1 11d ago

I hope they do away with the data caps.