Frederick Jace
Cox Communications is currently the fastest ISP in Arizona according to July 2023 data on Ookla Speedtest. Cox was also the fastest ISP in Arizona in the second quarter of 2023, overtaking Xfinity from previous quarters on Ookla Speedtest Market Analysis. It was the second fastest ISP in the country, merely 1.24 Mbps slower than Spectrum in terms of median download speeds.
Cox provides pure fiber connections in some areas of Phoenix and Tucson. A hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) network is used to provide connections in the rest of the service areas. The ISP has updated 100% of its footprint to meet the DOCSIS 3.1 specifications. It has also deployed Remote PHY devices (RPDs) across more than 50% of its network to upgrade to a distributed access architecture (DAA) and enable mid-splits, both of which are prerequisites for DOCSIS 4.0.
In this article, we review Cox Internet plans and provide an overview of the service in Arizona. Let’s start by looking at how Cox compares to overall internet speeds in Arizona.
Cox vs. Overall Internet Speeds in Arizona
According to July 2023 data on Ookla Speedtest, expected speeds with Cox Internet range from 115 Mbps to 503 Mbps in Arizona. Expected speeds with Xfinity, the second fastest ISP in the state, start at a similar 114 Mbps but max out at 474 Mbps. Optimum and Sparklight go as far as 343 Mbps, while CenturyLink and Verizon top out at 220 Mbps and 192 Mbps respectively.
In the second quarter of 2023, the median download speed in Arizona with Cox Internet was 261.00 Mbps. That’s almost 45% higher than the state’s overall median download speed of 180.19 Mbps.
The following table shows cities with the fastest internet speeds in Arizona and compares the overall median speeds with Cox Internet median speeds. Data is taken from Ookla Speedtest Market Analysis.
| City | Overall Median Speed | Cox Internet Median Speed |
| Gilbert | 244.38 Mbps | 283.60 Mbps |
| Glendale | 217.30 Mbps | 269.50 Mbps |
| Mesa | 211.21 Mbps | 286.37 Mbps |
| Scottsdale | 181.78 Mbps | 247.51 Mbps |
| Phoenix | 173.72 Mbps | 251.78 Mbps |
Cox Internet Availability in Arizona
Cox Internet is available in 96.4% of Phoenix, 90.9% of Mesa, and 54.8% of Tucson. It’s also available in parts of Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Scottsdale, Peoria, Tempe, Surprise, and 40+ other cities in Arizona. You can ask Cox customer service if they serve where you live.
Cox Fiber Internet in Arizona
Cox’s fiber coverage is limited, but it is expanding to more areas. Cox fiber internet features symmetrical max speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 2 Gbps depending on the plan you choose. The monthly rates and details of Cox fiber internet are the same as Cox cable internet. Find more information in the offers section below.
Cox Cable Internet in Arizona
Cox Internet is provided via cable in most service areas in Arizona. The max download speeds available with Cox cable range from 100 Mbps to 2 Gbps. Max upload speeds range from 5 Mbps to 100 Mbps depending on your speed tier and the network architecture serving your physical address.
Cox Internet Offers in Arizona
Go Fast
Priced affordably at $49.99 per month, the Go Fast plan is ideal for households that need moderate internet speeds. This plan has a max download speed of 100 Mbps and Panoramic WiFi equipment is included. There’s no term contract required.
Go Faster
The Go Faster plan elevates your experience with a 250 Mbps max download speed at $69.99 per month. The new promotional offer on this plan adds Panoramic WiFi equipment at no extra cost for 24 months. The current rate for Panoramic WiFi for existing customers is $14 per month.
Go Even Faster
The Go Even Faster plan takes the speed up a notch with an impressive 500 Mbps download speed. At a competitive standard price of $89.99 per month, Go Even Faster is currently the most popular Cox Internet plan. There are no binding annual contracts or termination fees with this plan.
Go Super Fast
For those who want peak internet performance, the Go Super Fast plan brings an exceptional maximum download speed of 1000 Mbps. The standard rate is $119.99 per month, but a new limited-time promotion discounts it down to $109.99 per month for 24 months. As with all current Cox Internet offers, no annual contract is required.
Note: Cox Go Super Fast is not available in Douglas, Wickenburg, and Sierra Vista.
Go Beyond Fast
Go Beyond Fast is a new Cox Internet speed tier that features a max download speed of 2000 Mbps. Max upload speed with this plan is either 100 Mbps or 2 Gbps depending on the local Cox network architecture. For further details, reach out to Cox customer service.
Note: This plan is available in limited Cox service areas.
Details and Features
$44.99/mo. Discount with Cox Mobile
Cox has introduced a new promotion that adds a $44.99 discount to internet service if you also get a Cox Mobile line. This offer brings down the price of the 500 Mbps plan (Go Even Faster) to $45.00 per month and that of the 1000 Mbps plan (Go Super Fast) to $65.00 per month for 24 months.
A Cox Mobile Gig Unlimited line costs $45 per month. With the $44.99 discount, you’re essentially getting the mobile service free of cost for 2 years. The mobile plan also includes unlimited text and talk, 20 GB of 5G/4G data, and unlimited data at a max download speed of 1.5 Mbps (after 20 GB of usage). You also get access to 4 million+ Cox WiFi hotspots with Cox Internet, which can help you conserve your 5G/4G mobile data allowance.
Data Caps and Overage Fees
All Cox Internet plans have a 1.25 TB (1280 GB) data cap. An average American home is unlikely to use up this amount of data in a month. If you download a lot of large files in a given month and go over the cap, each additional 50 GB will cost you 10$ with a max overage charge of $100 in a month. Homes that regularly consume more than 1280 GB can add unlimited data to the plan with the “Unlimited Data” option.
Clear and Honest Pricing
Unlike its competitors Spectrum and Xfinity, which entice new customers by advertising promotional rates while making standard prices deliberately difficult to find, Cox markets its plans at standard everyday rates. It does often introduce new promotional discounts, but the standard prices are always mentioned on the offer pages. Additional costs are also fully disclosed so there are no surprises.
Elite Gamer
Most traffic on the internet does not require particularly low latency. Internet protocols route traffic to keep network congestion to a minimum and to provide subscribers with high bandwidth. When you’re streaming Netflix or downloading a game, a more roundabout route to the servers may provide greater bandwidth than a more direct route.
The case with gaming traffic is entirely different. Online games don’t consume much bandwidth but do need a low ping for a more responsive experience. This is where Elite Gamer comes in.
Elite Gamer is a gaming VPN that comes with Panoramic WiFi. It’s designed to reduce latency in online games by routing the traffic through a more direct path to the server. Elite Gamer currently supports 150+ popular online games including Elden Ring, CS:GO, FIFA 21, Fortnite, and No Man’s Sky.
Panoramic WiFi
Now included with all Cox Internet plans, Panoramic WiFi is powered by an advanced gateway that’s a modem and router combined into one compact device. You may get a different gateway depending on the plan you choose. PW6, PW7, and PW8 models feature WiFi 5, WiFi 6, and WiFi 6E technologies respectively, but they all have a DOCSIS 3.1 modem that optimally benefits from Cox’s fiber-powered network.
Panoramic WiFi also becomes a mesh WiFi network if you add Panoramic WiFi Pods, available at a one-time price of $129.99 each. If one router isn’t enough to provide wall-to-wall coverage in your home, you don’t need a separate mesh WiFi system. Panoramic WiFi Pods work with the gateway to cover the home from multiple locations, improving overall signal strength and eliminating blind spots.
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Cox extends a 30-day money-back guarantee across its internet, TV, and mobile offerings. Should you decide to discontinue the service within the initial 30 days of activation, Cox will refund the first month’s service fee, standard installation fee, equipment rental fee, and any expenses incurred on any equipment purchased from Cox.
The Takeaway
With upgrades to its fiber-powered networks towards multi-gig symmetrical internet, Cox has surpassed Xfinity to become the fastest ISP in Arizona. It already offers speeds up to 1 Gbps in all but a few cities while it’s working on bringing symmetrical all-fiber internet to more service areas.
