Hignell Rentals Blog

How to Choose Internet and Cable Providers for Local Apartments

May 13, 2020 / by Hignell Rentals Team

movie streaming on tabletYou’ve moved into your new place and everything is basically unpacked, so it’s time for a much needed break. You sit on your couch and try to pull up the next episode in your current binge watching pleasure on Netflix. That’s when you realize that while everything is pretty much unpacked, you didn’t get your cable or internet hooked up.

Face palm.

That’s okay, all you need to do is find the perfect provider with the plan that works best for you. Exactly how do you find out which providers are available in your area though? Maybe there’s a piece of paper in your welcome packet that states which one is the best for your complex. Maybe you decide to Google it. Maybe you asked your neighbor, from a respectable 6-feet-away, if they are happy with their current provider or wish to switch to a different one.

There are so many different ways to go about finding which providers are available in your area. While it is a good idea to get to know your neighbors, we understand that it can be uncomfortable to have your first encounter with them be about cable and internet providers. That's why we have compiled a list of the internet and cable providers for local apartments just for you!

Cable + Internet Options

There are two clear winners that have dominated the Chico area when it comes to internet and cable: Xfinity (Comcast) and DirectTV (AT&T). Depending on the complex you live in you may have no choice in providers so make sure to ask your manager. Each have different services and differ in prices when it comes to the plan you want to go with. The nice part about both Xfinity and DirectTV is that you can choose between just having internet, just having TV, just having phone, or a combination of two or three of them.

Spectrum (Charter) is your other option for when it comes to bundling your cable and internet together. They also give you the option to have a phone line hooked up.

Internet Only Options

Just looking to get internet in local apartments? While the companies above give you the option for just internet, here’s a list of other providers that have the main focus of making sure you can get the best internet access within your apartment!

If you decide to pick one of these companies make sure to double check that they will be able to service your apartment number as getting service for a specific apartment within a complex is more difficult than just getting service for a home. If for some reason these companies can’t service you, Xfinity or DirectTV will be the company you’ll want to go with.

Cable Only Options

For local apartments within the Chico Area DISH is the only company that solely does cable packages, although you can choose Xfinity, DirectTV, or Spectrum for just cable as well.

DISH and Xfinity are the only cable providers that give you the option to receive a remote that allows voice commands. This means you can tell your TV to change channels or record a show at the push of a button. While DirectTV has the ability to do voice commands, it does not come as a button on your remote. You are required to download the DirectTV App on your mobile device and it will give you directions on how to hook it up in your DirectTV box at home. The app also allows you to record a show when you are on the go and away from home.

There are so many options available for local apartments! Where do you start now that you have all this information? First things first, figure out how much you can budget for your cable/internet so that you aren’t tempted to stretch it when you see all the different plans offered. 

Now that you have unpacked everything and are starting the process of hooking up your cable/internet what’s next? Decorating? For our 13 tips on what to do after you’ve moved into an apartment download our guide below!

13 Things To-Do Immediately After Move-In

Topics: Apartment Living, Living in Chico, Rental Living

Hignell Rentals is Your Home for Northern California Rentals.

At Hignell Rentals we have been maintaining and renting properties in the North State since 1970. We value relationships and caring communities, honoring and encouraging one another, unwavering integrity, uncommon generosity, and growth and innovation. We strive to provide our residents with a quality living environment across the North State in Redding, Red Bluff, Chico, Oroville and surrounding areas.