Wow! Internet Review

Angelo Ilumba Senior Writer

Updated 04 December 2023

3.5 out of 5 overall

Fast cable internet starting at just $19.99

Unlimited data on all plans
Low introductory rates

View Plan & Pricing

Contents

In this guide:

WOW! Internet Plans
WOW! Internet Coverage
WOW! vs. Competitors
WOW! Bundles
Recap
FAQs

WOW!, or WideOpenWest, is a large cable company primarily serving parts of the South and Midwest regions of the country. WOW! provides its customers with cable internet at prices starting as low as $19.99/month.

We combed through the ISP’s internet plans (okay, so there are only four), and looked into its reliability, customer service ratings, and more to see how WOW! stacks up against other providers. Read on to see if WOW! is the right internet provider for you.

#1	WOW!	WOW! Internet 300 Cable 300/20 Mbps Unlimited Data $20/mo with AutoPay + $10 Upfront with AutoPay View Plan	$20/mo with AutoPay + $10 Upfront with AutoPay	View Plan
#2	WOW!	WOW! Internet 600 Cable 600/50 Mbps Unlimited Data $30/mo with AutoPay + $10 Upfront with AutoPay View Plan	$30/mo with AutoPay + $10 Upfront with AutoPay	View Plan
#3	WOW!	WOW! Internet 1 Gig Cable 1000/50 Mbps Unlimited Data $50/mo with AutoPay + $10 Upfront with AutoPay View Plan	$50/mo with AutoPay + $10 Upfront with AutoPay	View Plan
#4	WOW!	WOW! Internet 1.2 Gig Cable 1200/50 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: New customers get a $300 Prepaid Visa Rewards Card with this plan! $75/mo with AutoPay + $10 Upfront with AutoPay View Plan	$75/mo with AutoPay + $10 Upfront with AutoPay	View Plan

Is WOW! for you? Pros and cons

If you’re into high-speed internet at a low price, WOW! could be the provider for you.

What we love

Low introductory rates
High speeds
Unlimited data

What could be improved

Limited availability
Customer service

75/100

View Plan & Prices

WOW! Internet plans and pricing

WOW! offers four plans with max speeds ranging from 100Mbps to 1Gbps (1,000Mbps). The starting price of $19.99/month for the 100Mbps is uniform across all areas where its service is available. However, prices may vary depending on your location for the other three plans.

Are WOW! Internet plans cheap?

So, we like low prices. Sue us. (Actually, don’t. We don’t want to pay for lawyers.) WOW! internet prices start at a very low $19.99 for the 100Mbps plan. That is truly a bargain. After 12 months, you can expect a price increase, but the final rate will be reasonable—you shouldn’t feel like you are overpaying with WOW!. You can save even more money by taking advantage of a WOW! Internet deal.

Is WOW! Internet fast?

Cable internet is one of the faster connection options, and you can see that with WOW!’s plans. Its max internet speeds can reach up to 1Gbps, a top speed usually associated with fiber internet. The big difference with cable gigabit speeds is that most of the bandwidth remains reserved for download speeds, with much slower upload speeds. Still, this isn’t an issue for most people. If you have WOW! and wonder how fast your internet is, run your connection through our WOW! speed test.

Internet Speed Test

Is your internet fast enough? Test internet speeds at your location with a single click.

Does WOW! have unlimited data?

Unlimited data is another feature that tends to be reserved for fiber internet. WOW! doesn’t want you to worry about how much data you need— use all you want! Go ahead and fall asleep while streaming your favorite comfort sitcom on Netflix.

Does WOW! charge for equipment or any other fees?

Just like most providers, WOW! charges a rental fee for a modem/router. You'll pay $14/month for the equipment; however, you can use your own equipment to avoid the fee. Additionally, WOW! charges a $50 installation fee, but this too can be avoided if you opt for self-installation.

Is WOW! available in my area?

WOW! does not have a very big footprint. What’s more, WOW! is about to get smaller, as it is currently transferring over its networks in Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana to other ISPs. Connectivity is important, and we’d rather see more companies building out coverage instead of shrinking. You can check to see if WOW! is in your area by entering your address in our internet search tool below.

Does WOW! have good customer service?

Cable and internet companies are notorious for having bad customer service; WOW!’s customer service is not an exception (there really aren’t any). Customers complain about not being able to reach representatives, and when they do, the reps lack a level of care. The good news is that WOW! has some room to grow.

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WOW! Internet Coverage

We already stated that WOW!’s availability needs some improvement, so you shouldn’t be too surprised to hear that WOW!’s coverage is lacking. After finalizing the transfer of services in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, WOW! will be available in parts of just six states. That’s so few states we can actually list them out here. WOW! has coverage in these states:

WOW! vs. Competitors

Let’s take a look at how WOW! stacks up against major cable companies Xfinity and Spectrum.

AT&T Internet vs. other ISPs

	WOW!	Xfinity	Spectrum
Connection type	Cable	Cable Fiber	Cable
Speeds	100Mbps-1Gbps	15Mbps-1Gbps	200Mbps-1Gbps
Data caps	Unlimited	1.2TB (cable) Unlimited (fiber)	Unlimited
	Starting at $19.99/month	Starting at $35/month	Starting at $50/month

WOW! vs. Xfinity

Xfinity’s footprint spans over 30% of the country. WOW!’s prices start a little lower than Xfinity, but that gap isn’t so wide once the 12-month introductory period ends. Xfinity provides more plan options than WOW!, but its cable plans include a data limit. All WOW! plans are unlimited. WOW! might have a slight edge over Xfinity when it comes to cable; however, if your choice is between Xfinity fiber—with more reliable speeds and service—and WOW!, you might want to give Xfinity a shot.

WOW!

3.5 out of 5 overall

Low rates
Unlimited data
Limited availability

Xfinity

4 out of 5 overall

Good coverage
Budget prices available
High activation and installation fees

WOW! vs. Charter Spectrum

Charter Spectrum is another one of the largest cable companies in the country. Like WOW!, Spectrum offers only cable internet, and its plans are unlimited. Spectrum’s starting prices are much higher than WOW! and WOW! remains a better option even after the introductory rate expires. While WOW! doesn’t have a reputation for great customer service, it isn’t quite as bad as Spectrum's. Unfortunately, Charter Spectrum regularly receives national recognition for its poor customer service. Customer service issues aside, Spectrum has a big edge over WOW! with availability, and it gets better marks for having fewer service interruptions. Despite the disparity in price, we think this is a real toss-up.

WOW!

3.5 out of 5 overall

Low rates
Unlimited data
Limited availability

Charter Spectrum

4 out of 5 overall

Strong coverage
Fast speeds
No fiber

WOW! Bundles

In addition to high-speed internet, WOW! also offers cable TV service. You can bundle WOW! TV and internet for the best pricing. If you’re feeling really old school, you can even throw in a landline. Several different combinations of bundles are available, giving you plenty of options to suit your household. For example, you can combine WOW! Large TV with the 1Gbps plan, the WOW! Medium TV with the 500Mbps plan, or the WOW! Small TV with the 200Mbps plan. Prices vary depending on the number of channels included, the max speed of the internet connection, and location.

Recap: Is WOW! for You?

Given its small footprint, we could say WOW! is not the right choice for you simply because it’s unavailable. However, if you are in an area where WOW! is available, it could be worth looking at. WOW! provides fast speeds and unlimited data, which are very appealing qualities on any internet plan. If your choice is between WOW! and a DSL or satellite provider, we’d recommend WOW! simply because cable is the superior connection type. On the other hand, if you are debating between WOW! and a fiber provider, we think the extra price you pay for fiber could be worth it.

Methodology

To rate WOW! Internet, we looked at the internet service provider’s offerings and compared them to similar plans from other ISPs. We factored in price, speeds, and connection type. We also considered WOW!’s customer service reputation and the reliability of its service. We will update these rankings as necessary.

WOW!: Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of internet is WOW!?

WOW! is strictly a cable internet provider. Unlike many other similar providers, WOW! is not building out fiber infrastructure.

What do I do if WOW! is leaving my area?

WOW! sold its cable lines in Illinois and Indiana to RNC and its Ohio lines to Breezeland. All companies involved are working to make the transition as simple as possible for you. However, you may need to take steps such as changing your email address to remove the association with WOW!.

How fast is WOW! internet?

WOW! offers four different internet plans with maximum speeds of 100Mbps, 200Mbps, 500Mbps, and 1Gbps.

Xfinity Review

Spectrum Review

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Angelo Ilumba

Senior Writer

Angelo is a highly experienced writer for WhistleOut, specializing in unraveling the complexities of the mobile and tech world so that readers can easily understand what is relevant to them. Angelo has been featured on several publications such as MoneyTalksNews, Yahoo Finance, NPR and more.

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