Why I Cut the Cord with Spectrum After 5 Years and Chose i3 Broadband: A Business Owner’s Perspective
For most households, internet downtime is an inconvenience. For business owners like me, it’s much more than that—it’s lost productivity, lost revenue, and lost trust with clients. After five years as a Spectrum customer, I finally decided to switch to i3 Broadband.
What tipped me over the edge wasn’t just a recent five-hour outage that cost my business over $1,500—it was the realization that I was paying $150 per month for barely 400 Mbps download and just over 200 Mbps upload speeds, while Spectrum’s customer service made it clear they didn’t care about their customers.
By contrast, i3 Broadband offers fiber internet at 2,000 Mbps download and 2,000 Mbps upload for only $65 per month. That’s five times the speed, less than half the price, and infinitely better support. For me, the choice became obvious.
Five Years with Spectrum: Settling for “Good Enough”
When I first signed up for Spectrum’s business package, it seemed like the best available option. At the time, speeds of 400/200 Mbps sounded decent. The price wasn’t cheap, but I justified it because my business depends on reliable connectivity.
Over time, though, the cracks began to show. The speeds weren’t always consistent, the service wasn’t always reliable, and the support was, at best, indifferent. Still, I tolerated it. After all, switching internet providers can feel daunting—installation hassles, potential downtime, and uncertainty about whether the new provider will actually deliver.
That inertia kept me locked in with Spectrum for five years, paying premium prices for subpar service. But that came to a screeching halt with one five-hour outage.
The Breaking Point: A $1,500 Downtime Disaster
When Spectrum went down for five hours straight, the impact was brutal. At a burn rate of $300 per hour, my business lost more than $1,500 in revenue.
This wasn’t about streaming a show or browsing social media—it was client meetings, project work, file transfers, and deadlines that couldn’t wait. For a business like mine, downtime means real money out the door.
But as painful as the outage was, what truly pushed me away from Spectrum wasn’t the technical failure—it was how they handled it.
The Customer Service That Sealed the Deal
I reached out to Spectrum’s customer service, expecting at least some acknowledgment of the impact this outage had caused. After all, I was paying them $150 every month for “business-class” internet.
Instead, I was met with indifference. No urgency. No empathy. No ownership of the issue. The message was clear: “We don’t care.”
That’s unacceptable. Especially for a provider charging premium rates for speeds that, in 2025, aren’t even competitive.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Spectrum vs. i3 Broadband
Here’s where the decision became a no-brainer:
Spectrum: $150/month for ~400 Mbps download and ~200 Mbps upload
i3 Broadband: $65/month for 2,000 Mbps download and 2,000 Mbps upload (fiber)
Think about that. For less than half the cost, i3 offers five times the speed—symmetrical fiber internet, which is a game-changer for businesses handling video calls, large file transfers, and cloud-based work.
Why was I paying premium rates for second-rate service? The answer: inertia. I had settled for “good enough” without realizing how much I was overpaying for what I was getting.
The Switch to i3 Broadband: A True Upgrade
When I started researching alternatives, i3 Broadband stood out immediately. Not only did they offer fiber speeds Spectrum couldn’t match, but their pricing was almost too good to be true.
But beyond the numbers, i3 made me feel like more than just an account number:
Local Focus – i3’s customer base is their community, and they act like it. Their reputation depends on caring about the customers they serve.
Responsive Support – From my first call, I felt the difference. Their support wasn’t robotic or scripted; it was empathetic and solution-oriented.
True Business Reliability – Fiber internet isn’t just faster; it’s more consistent. That matters when every dropped call or failed upload translates into lost credibility and revenue.
Trust and Transparency – When issues do occur, i3 communicates clearly and takes ownership—something Spectrum never managed to do.
The Hidden Cost of Staying With the Wrong Provider
Looking back, I realize how much I lost by staying with Spectrum for as long as I did. It wasn’t just the $150/month bill. It was:
The hidden cost of inconsistent speeds.
The opportunity cost of downtime.
The frustration of dealing with a company that didn’t value my business.
With i3, I not only cut my monthly bill by more than half, but I upgraded my internet to speeds that put Spectrum’s package to shame.
Lessons Learned for Business Owners
If you’re a business owner relying on internet service, learn from my mistakes:
Don’t Pay Premium for “Good Enough” – Technology advances quickly. If you’re still paying high rates for old speeds, you’re falling behind.
Calculate the True Cost – Add up downtime, opportunity loss, and overpayment. The real number may shock you.
Expect Empathy – If your provider doesn’t treat you like a partner, you’re with the wrong one.
Switching Is Worth It – Don’t let fear of change keep you locked into a bad deal.
Why i3 Broadband Earned My Business
After five years of Spectrum charging me $150/month for 400/200 Mbps service and treating me like a number, I finally switched. i3 Broadband now provides me with 2,000/2,000 Mbps fiber internet for $65/month—at less than half the price, five times the speed, and with infinitely better support.
The five-hour outage that cost me $1,500 in lost revenue was the wake-up call I needed. Spectrum didn’t just lose my business because of downtime; they lost it because they showed me they didn’t care.
Today, with i3, I have not just faster, more affordable internet—I have a partner who understands the importance of reliability, respect, and customer care.
And in business, those things make all the difference.