RCN Corporation, originally Residential Communications Network, founded in 1993 and based in Princeton, New Jersey, was the first American facilities-based ("overbuild") provider of bundled cable telephony, cable television, and internet service delivered over its own hybrid fiber-coaxial local network as well as dialup and DSL Internet service to consumers in the Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. areas.

As of 2013[update] RCN's network offered coverage to approximately 3.8 million people, making it the 11th largest provider of cable Internet access in the U.S.[5] Its operations, as well as sister companies Grande Communications, and Wave Broadband are handled under affiliate Patriot Media Consulting.

RCN serves in or around the following locations: Allentown, Boston, Chicago (limited coverage), New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.[6] RCN (Residential Communications Network) was originally created in 1993 by developer David McCourt and Peter Kiewit Sons' Inc. Kiewit also owned MFS, a Competitive Access Provider (CAP).

[15] On September 13, 2006, Bloomberg News, citing two anonymous sources, reported that RCN hired the Blackstone Group to examine the possibility of putting the company up for sale.

[17] On May 22, 2017, RCN Corporation, Wave Broadband, and Grande Communications announced the combination of the three companies to create the sixth largest cable operator across seven of the 10 top US cities.

[18][19] On February 24, 2020, RCN Corporation announced its planned merger of EnTouch Systems, a provider of high-speed internet, video, voice and home security services to the Houston area.

[20] On November 2, 2020, the US cable operator group of RCN, Grande, Wave and enTouch, collectively known as Astound Broadband, was sold by TPG Capital and Patriot Media Management to Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners for $8.1 billion, including debt.