RCN Speed Test - Check Your Speed

Test your RCN internet speed in major metros. Note: RCN is now part of Astound Broadband. This free speed test accurately measures your download speed, upload speed, and latency for your RCN cable, fiber, or DSL connection.

About RCN

RCN was founded in 1993 as one of the first competitive cable overbuilders, targeting dense urban markets dominated by legacy monopolies (Comcast, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable). RCN built its own coaxial and fiber infrastructure in select neighborhoods, offering an alternative to incumbent cable companies. The company focused on high-density markets where infrastructure investment could reach thousands of customers per mile of cable—primarily large apartment buildings, condos, and townhouse complexes in NYC, Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

In 2021, RCN merged with Wave Broadband (Pacific Northwest provider) and Grande Communications (Texas provider) under private equity ownership (Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners) to form Astound Broadband. The combined entity serves approximately 1 million customers across 7 states plus Washington D.C., operating 31,000+ miles of fiber-coax hybrid network. Despite the 2021 Astound rebrand, RCN continues to operate under its legacy brand name in Northeast markets due to strong brand recognition and existing customer contracts.

RCN's infrastructure model differs from national cable operators: instead of blanketing entire cities, RCN selectively builds in high-density corridors (specific apartment buildings, condo towers, and neighborhood clusters) where economics justify infrastructure investment. This creates a "patchwork" coverage pattern—RCN may serve one building but not the building next door. Approximately 70% of RCN's footprint is cable (DOCSIS 3.1), 25% is fiber-to-the-building (FTTB), and 5% is legacy DSL (being phased out).

RCN Plans and Services

RCN offers several internet plans across different technologies and price points.

RCN/Astound offers four primary internet tiers: 50 Mbps ($30/month promotional, $50/month standard), 250 Mbps ($40/month promotional, $65/month standard), 500 Mbps ($50/month promotional, $75/month standard), and 1 Gig ($60/month promotional, $90/month standard). Promotional pricing typically lasts 12 months, after which prices increase 40-70% unless customers call retention to renegotiate. Upload speeds on cable plans are asymmetric: 50 Mbps plans deliver 5-10 Mbps upload, 250 Mbps plans deliver 10-20 Mbps upload, 500 Mbps plans deliver 20-35 Mbps upload, and 1 Gig cable plans deliver 35-50 Mbps upload.

Fiber plans (branded as RCN Gigabit Fiber) offer symmetrical speeds up to 1,000/1,000 Mbps but are available only in select buildings (primarily newer construction in Boston, Chicago, and DC metro). Fiber availability is address-specific—even within RCN's footprint, fewer than 30% of serviceable addresses have fiber access. DSL service (5-50 Mbps) remains available in legacy markets (Lehigh Valley PA, suburban Boston) but is no longer actively marketed.

Equipment fees: $14/month for gateway rental (DOCSIS 3.1 modem + Wi-Fi 5 router), or customers can use their own modem (RCN maintains compatibility list at astound.com/support). Installation fees: $50-100 for professional install, or $0 for self-install kit (available if building is pre-wired). No data caps on any RCN plan. No contracts required (month-to-month available, but promotional pricing requires 12-month commitment). Bundling with RCN's IPTV service (Astound TV) can save $10-20/month but requires TiVo set-top boxes ($10-15/box/month rental).

RCN Coverage by Region

RCN performance varies by location. Coverage density, local infrastructure, and network congestion affect speeds in each market.

New York City (Lehigh Valley, Queens, Brooklyn)

RCN's largest market by subscriber count. Coverage is highly selective—RCN serves specific buildings in Astoria, Long Island City, Williamsburg, Park Slope, and Lehigh Valley (Bethlehem, Allentown) but has minimal presence in Manhattan below 96th Street. Typical speeds: 250 Mbps cable plans average 230-270 Mbps download, 15-20 Mbps upload. 1 Gig cable plans average 850-940 Mbps download, 40-50 Mbps upload. Peak-hour congestion (6-10 PM) can reduce speeds by 10-20% in large apartment buildings (200+ units sharing a single node). Latency averages 8-15 ms to NYC servers, 12-20 ms to NJ servers. Main competitor: Verizon Fios (where available) offers symmetrical fiber at similar pricing ($60-80/month for gigabit) but with better upload speeds (940/880 Mbps typical). RCN competes primarily on price—retention deals often bring 1 Gig pricing down to $50-60/month vs Verizon's $70-80/month. Customer satisfaction is mixed: network performance is reliable, but customer service has long hold times (15-30 minutes) and limited technician availability (3-7 day wait for service calls).

Boston metro (Cambridge, Somerville, Allston)

RCN entered Boston market in mid-1990s, building fiber-coax hybrid network in dense neighborhoods near universities (Harvard, MIT, BU, Northeastern). Coverage concentrated in Cambridge, Somerville, Allston, Brighton, and Jamaica Plain—primarily targeting student and young professional demographics. Typical speeds: 500 Mbps cable plans average 480-530 Mbps download, 25-30 Mbps upload. Fiber plans (where available, ~20% of footprint) deliver symmetrical 940/880 Mbps. Peak-hour congestion is noticeable during academic year (September-May) when students stream heavily, but summer months (June-August) show minimal congestion. Latency averages 6-12 ms to Boston servers, 15-22 ms to NYC servers. Main competitors: Comcast Xfinity (ubiquitous coverage, higher pricing) and Verizon Fios (limited to select neighborhoods). RCN's pricing advantage ($40/month promotional for 250 Mbps vs Comcast's $60-70/month) makes it popular with price-sensitive renters, but Verizon Fios is preferred by upload-heavy users (streamers, content creators, work-from-home professionals) due to symmetrical speeds.

Chicago (North Side, Loop, Lakeview)

RCN serves Chicago's North Side, Loop, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, and Wicker Park neighborhoods, focusing on high-rise apartments and condo towers. Coverage is building-specific—RCN negotiates exclusive or semi-exclusive access agreements with building owners, sometimes preventing competitors from entering. Typical speeds: 250 Mbps cable plans average 240-280 Mbps download, 12-18 Mbps upload. 1 Gig plans average 900-950 Mbps download, 35-45 Mbps upload. Upload bottlenecks are common complaint among work-from-home users—15 Mbps upload struggles to support 2+ simultaneous Zoom calls plus background cloud uploads. Latency averages 5-10 ms to Chicago servers, 18-25 ms to NYC servers. Main competitor: AT&T Fiber (expanding aggressively since 2020) offers symmetrical 300/300 Mbps for $55/month and 1,000/1,000 Mbps for $80/month, forcing RCN to offer retention discounts ($20-30/month off standard pricing) to prevent churn. RCN's advantage: pre-existing building access (AT&T Fiber requires building owner approval for new installation, which can take 6-18 months).

Philadelphia metro (Center City, University City)

RCN serves Philadelphia's urban core, targeting Center City, University City (near UPenn, Drexel), and select suburbs (Cheltenham, Abington). Coverage is fragmented—RCN may serve one city block but not the adjacent block. Typical speeds: 500 Mbps cable plans average 470-520 Mbps download, 20-28 Mbps upload. Peak-hour congestion during major sports events (Eagles games, Sixers playoffs) can reduce speeds 15-25%. Latency averages 8-15 ms to Philadelphia servers, 12-18 ms to NYC servers, 18-25 ms to DC servers. Main competitor: Comcast Xfinity dominates Philadelphia market (Comcast's corporate headquarters is in Philadelphia), offering ubiquitous coverage at premium pricing. Verizon Fios has limited availability in select neighborhoods. RCN competes on price ($50/500 Mbps promotional vs Comcast's $75-90/month) and lack of data caps (Comcast enforces 1.2 TB/month cap with overage fees). Customer satisfaction varies: network reliability is solid (99%+ uptime), but billing errors are common complaint (double billing during Astound rebrand, promotional pricing not applying correctly).

Washington DC metro (Arlington, Alexandria, DC proper)

RCN serves Washington DC metro including Arlington VA, Alexandria VA, and select DC neighborhoods (Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Shaw). Infrastructure is mix of cable (60%) and fiber (40%), with newer buildings typically receiving fiber-to-the-building deployments. Typical speeds: 1 Gig cable plans average 880-940 Mbps download, 40-50 Mbps upload. 1 Gig fiber plans deliver symmetrical 920-960 Mbps download/upload. Peak-hour congestion is minimal compared to other RCN markets due to lower subscriber density per node. Latency averages 5-10 ms to DC servers, 12-18 ms to Baltimore servers, 15-22 ms to NYC servers. Main competitors: Verizon Fios (strong presence in Arlington/Alexandria), Comcast Xfinity (ubiquitous), and Cox (Virginia suburbs). RCN's fiber offering is competitive with Verizon Fios on price and performance, but coverage is limited to specific buildings. Customer service issues: DC market has longer technician wait times (5-10 days) compared to Boston/NYC markets (3-5 days).

Test Your RCN Speed

Run a free speed test to check if RCN delivers the speeds you are paying for. Test during peak evening hours for the most realistic results. Compare your results against RCN advertised speeds above.

RCN Speed Test FAQ

How fast is Rcn internet?

Speeds vary by plan and location. Run a speed test to check your actual Rcn connection speed and compare it with advertised speeds.

How do I test my Rcn speed?

Click Start Test above to measure your Rcn download speed, upload speed, and ping latency. The test takes about 30 seconds to complete.

Why is my Rcn internet slow?

Common causes include network congestion, WiFi interference, or distance from the router. Try testing with a wired ethernet connection for the most accurate results.