Spectrum was formed through the merger of Time Warner and Charter communications. Spectrum internet is a well established player in the market with an expansive service territory. Much like Comcast, Spectrum is often accused of monopolistic practices including buying out competitors or briefly pricing competitors out of the market until they fail, only to then raise prices. For these reasons among others, many people are interested in an alternative to Spectrum internet.
Breezeline is the doing business as name in the United States for Cogeco Communications. Breezeline is considered the 8th largest cable operator in the United States. Breezeline is a multi service operator which currently offers TV, Internet and phone services using a modern coax fiber hybrid network architecture.
Breezeline is estimated to have approximately 700,000 broadband customers located in twelve different states: Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Delaware, West Virginia, Virginia, Florida, and South Carolina.
Most areas likely have spectrum or Breezeline available but not both at the same service address. However some areas, especially in the Columbus, Ohio region do have access to both services. This is largely where Breezeline acquired the former WOW communications customers.
Breezeline vs Spectrum Internet Speed
Generally Spectrum internet is fast and reliable, with speeds of 1 Gbps available in most areas. Cable internet utilizing DOCSIS 3.1 technology is generally the next best thing to fiber based internet. Spectrum and Breezeline both utilize the latest DOCSIS 3.1 technology.
If you happen to live in a Verizon Fios coverage region or have access to fiber based internet from your local telco operator, that can also be a great choice. Generally fiber internet has the absolutely lowest latency and the highest upload speeds. Spectrum upload speeds are a fraction of your download speeds but generally fast enough for most people. Upload speeds with Spectrum currently max out at 35 Mbps.
Breezeline offers several internet plans in 2022 ranging from 100 Mbps up to 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps). I have personally used both their 200 Mbps plan and their gigabit plan. Both plans delivered the advertised bandwidth the vast majority of the time.
Of course a gigabit internet plan really mazes out at about 945 Mbps of usable throughput. This is the same as with Spectrum or any other provider. This is a limitation of the gigabit ethernet standard itself, and not unique to any provider.
With the current gigabit plan, I consistently see speeds of between 920 and 945 Mbps. This includes during peak hours when many people are all online. Breezeline has done a decent job of limiting the number of connections per cable node, This is essential to getting the best performance out of any cable (DOCSIS) based internet connection.
Upload speeds are advertised as up to 50 Mbps on their gigabit plan. This is higher than what is currently offered by Spectrum, which maxes out at 35 Mbps.
Actual upload speeds (tested using speedtest.net) generally hover around 53 Mbps. This is actually slightly higher than what they are advertising.
Winner: Breezeline Due to Faster Upload Speeds
Breezeline vs Spectrum Internet Latency (Ping)
Latency is not generally an issue with Breezeline or Spectrum internet. Both services offer a stable ping of 10 – 20 ms measured to Google’s (8.8.8.8) or to Cloudflare’s public DNS servers (1.1.1.1). This is very similar to what you can expect with a fiber based internet connection. The stability of the ping is also very impressive, especially with Breezeline.
If you are a gamer the stable low latency offered by Breezeline or Spectrum Internet is ideal. Generally connections to popular game servers are 30 ms – 40 ms or less in latency. This is ideal for lag free gaming.
Breezeline and Spectrum are also ideal for gaming because they do not use carrier grade NAT (CGNAT) and instead give every customer a proper publicly routable IP address. This means no double NAT issues for gaming, and port forwarding is a breeze to setup.
Winner: Tie
Breezeline vs Spectrum Pricing
Pricing with Breezeline during the promotional period usually of 6 or 12 months is excellent. Pricing ranges from about $19 per month on up to $60 per month during the promotional period. This is cheaper than what is currently offered by Spectrum during the promo period.
After the promo rate expires, you can expect to see a substantial increase in monthly cost. The pricing generally ranges from $59 – $109 per month after the promotions run out. This is slightly above average pricing for each speed tier.
The real kicker with Breezeline Internet is the modem rental fee. If you choose to rent their modem router combo unit it will cost you an additional $14.99 per month.
Honestly I would just pass on this anyways. It is generally preferable to purchase your own modem and router rather than renting. Not only can it save you money in the long run, it also generally offer better performance.
When you buy, you know what you are getting and that it is new. When you rent a modem you do not know what you are getting. ISPs have been known to take modems from one house to another without even testing them out thoroughly.
Spectrum offers slightly higher pricing during the promo period in exchange for slightly lower rates after the promo period ends. The approximate price you will pay during the promo period is $49.99- $89.99 per month, depending on the plan you choose.
One real advantage with Spectrum is that the modem and router is included with your monthly service. There is no rental fee. This is great if you do not wish to purchase your own equipment. For best results you may still wish to use your own equipment with Spectrum.
Overall pricing with Spectrum or Breezeline is roughly on par with each other and will vary depending on any current promotions available when you sign up. If you want to use your own modem and router, Breezeline may be slightly cheaper, and if you plan to rent the equipment Spectrum may be slightly less expensive.
Winner: Tie
Breezeline vs Spectrum Customer Support
Customer support is a common criticism of virtually all internet service providers. Breezeline and Spectrum are no exception. The support offered by both providers is about average within the industry. There is certainly better, but there is also much worse.
Generally with Breezeline and Spectrum, the wait times for technical support are longest during the evening hours. If you are able to call off hours, you will generally get through to a support agent much faster. Breezeline and Spectrum both also have to option of using the live chat support feature on their website. Getting though to technical support is generally a waiting game with both services. Breezeline was slightly better on some occasions.
Billing and account support appear to usually have shorter wait times. The wait to get through to an account representative is usually minimal. Spectrum appears to be slightly faster on average, yet Breezeline appears to be slightly easier to work with.
Once again the support is about average. Nothing to write home about, but good enough to get the job done. This is the case with both services.
The best thing about the support with both Breezeline and Spectrum, not needing them very often at all. Generally everything works as it is supposed to, bills can be paid online, and generally there is no need to reach out to customer service. If you do, be prepared for a lengthy wait, especially for technical issues during peak hours.
Winner: Breezeline (Slightly)
Tips For Saving Money With Breezeline or Spectrum
- Ask Breezeline or Spectrum about any promotions for existing customers.
- Bundle any Breezeline or Spectrum services together.
- Consider your phone options, do you really need a landline?
Saving money on internet, phone, and TV service is defiantly something that interests most people. Rates seemingly go up every year and the level of customer support seemingly goes down every year. There are however a few techniques that can save you a substantial amount on your Breezeline bill each month.
If you see your price suddenly increase, call customer support. Ask them about any available promotions for existing customers. In many cases you will be able to lower your month bill by 20% or more this way. It really pays to give it a try.
This is especially a good idea at the end of your new customer promo period. At the end of the promo period your rates will roughly double overnight. This can be a great time to ask for any discounts / promotions. You will likely still end up paying more than during the promo, but not nearly as much as if you did not call and ask.
If you currently have a combination of services such as TV, Internet, and Phone with Breezeline or Spectrum, you need to bundle them to get the best pricing. Do not expect that they will automatically do that for you. You need to call and ask them to bundle your services in order to get the best pricing. This is also a great time to ask about any current promotions available for new customers.
Another way to save money with Breezeline or Spectrum is to drop services you no longer really need. For example if you have Breezeline or Spectrum home phone service, ask yourself the question. Do I really need a landline? You may just have one out of habit and find that you do not really use it very much at all.
Many people prefer to use their cell phone for everything. By canceling your landline service you could easily save $20 per month or more, even with bundle pricing.
Still want to keep your landline? You could also consider moving your landline over to an over the top VoIP service such as Ooma Telo. This could save you some money on your monthly bill.
Alternatives to Breezeline or Spectrum Internet
Depending on where you live, you may have several alternatives available to you for internet service in addition to Breezeline or Spectrum. Comcast (Xfinity) and Cox are also big players in the cable internet space. Generally most Breezeline or Spectrum areas are not served by one of these other cable giants. However that is not always the case.
Breezeline vs Xfinity Internet
Fiber internet may be available to you depending on your location. These are often services such as Verizon Fios or AT&T Fiber, additional local option may be available. If fiber internet is available to you, it is worth a consideration, especially for the ultra fast upload speeds and low latency.
5G home internet from companies such as T-Mobile and Verizon are also expanding in footprint. At this time I would hesitate to recommend 5G home internet if you have access to anything better.
Breezeline and Spectrum are definitely superior options to 5G home internet at this time. Starlink, similar to 5G is also an option in many places but lags behind cable and fiber internet both in terms of speed and stability. If you have access to either Spectrum or Breezeline, skip the 5g or Starlink, at least for the time being.
Check out some of our internet service comparisons to learn more about other options.
Spectrum vs T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
AT&T vs T-Mobile Home Internet
Verizon 5G Home Internet vs AT&T Internet
Conclusion
Breezeline vs Spectrum Internet, which is better?
Breezeline and Spectrum both offer very similar services at very similar price points. Most areas do not have access to both services. If you happen to have access to both. You will be well served by going with either. If we had to declare a winner it would be Breezeline due to the faster upload speeds and slightly better customer service.
However if you wish to rent your modem / router from your ISP, Spectrum includes it in the monthly cost whereas Breezeline charges $14.99 for the rental.