[ev1]

I've updated my reply a bit to take these into account. The last time I used Comcast it was something like 400 Mbps down, advertised 10-15 Mbps up (reality sub-5). The Comcast site no longer shows upload speeds anywhere - I remember they used to at least do that. I don't think Comcast has any upload tier above 35 Mbps in 2020, though.

When I was in Europe these were considered DSL speeds.

The atrocious thing I remember while ISP-searching is that virtually all cheap plans would demand you provide proof of assistance, like if you just wanted to sign up for a 10 Mbps plan for backup, there was no such thing, Comcast would demand documentation[0] of low income.

[0] https://internetessentials.com/

[cptskippy]

Additionally, the major cable providers (e.g. Comcast, Spectrum) all support BYOD and actively maintain lists of certified devices you can purchase.

I was on Comcast for over 15 years and never once used their equipment.

[ev1]

The equipment thing is in reference to their latest cap rollout universally (it's now applied everywhere, instead of just the areas they don't really have competition in) - $30/m addon to remove the cap or $10 (13?)/m if you rent their gateway.

Anecdotally, I used to get an obnoxious amount of robocalls and emails asking to rent their modem back in the day ("We've noticed that you have an older modem that isn't giving you the best service possible.") when I was on a low plan as a backup service. I wonder if they still do that.