How Does Suddenlink Compare to Other Internet Accounts?
Suddenlink provides internet service to around 20 states, with its biggest areas of coverage in the states of Texas, Louisiana and West Virginia. Available to nearly 7 million people, Suddenlink is one of the top-10 largest cable internet providers in the United States.
While the coverage area of this internet service provider (ISP) is smaller compared to industry giants such as Comcast, its strength lies in making affordable high-speed internet available in small-town areas where bigger companies’ services aren’t available. If you’re considering switching ISPs to Suddenlink, it helps to learn more about where this company shines in terms of its offerings.
How Do Suddenlink’s Internet Speeds Stack Up?
Speed is one of the main talking points when it comes to ISPs, and Suddenlink can deliver when you need a super-fast connection. In some areas, download and upload speeds as high as 100 Mbps are available. At this basic internet connection speed, a typical American household will have no issues streaming 4K videos or playing online games while also still enjoying their regular online activities such as emailing, browsing the web and chatting via video conferencing, which is particularly useful for people who work from home.
What’s also particularly notable about Suddenlink’s internet services is that this ISP brings gigabit speeds into many rural areas and small towns in the states where it has the greatest coverage. Suddenlink’s subscribers in many cases can enjoy its guaranteed speeds because the ISP uses fiber service and hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) service connections.
Fiber and HFC internet networks are significantly faster than digital subscriber line (DSL) connections, which is what most of the giant ISPs have long been offering in small-town areas. Population density, which can hamper internet speed, is almost a nonissue in rural areas, which should, in theory, make Suddenlink’s guaranteed download and upload speeds more reliable.
Does Suddenlink Offer Affordable Internet Deals?
Compared to bigger ISPs, Suddenlink offers internet deals that are sometimes cheaper by a few dollars, although they appear to be relatively similar to competitors’ prices. For instance, SuddenLink’s Internet 100 Plan for 100 Mbps is about $35 per month, which is slightly less expensive than Spectrum’s offering for the same internet speeds. This plan is also less expensive by about $15 than the 100 Mbps plan from another rural ISP powerhouse, CenturyLink.
Suddenlink internet plans are also available with 400 Mbps and 1 GB speeds, although these are subject to change as new technology emerges. The deals for these plans, which cost about $55 and $75 a month, respectively, may still be better options for some subscribers as other ISPs only offer the fastest available internet speeds in a given area at a flat rate. Most of the time, these are DSL connections that are unlikely to go past the 100 Mbps speed range.
You can argue that Suddenlink’s gigabit internet speed plan may not be the cheapest offering, but just like this ISP’s other plans, there’s no data capping. It also doesn’t require a contract that will lock you into service for a set length of time. It does come with a Price for Life guarantee. This means that as long as you maintain good standing with the company and pay your bills on time, the gigabit plan’s cost will remain the same as long as you maintain your uninterrupted subscription to it.
Keep These Other Bundles and Fees in Mind, Too
Suddenlink’s internet services are also available bundled with phone and TV services for more convenience. Add $10 or so monthly to all the deals mentioned earlier and you can sign up for the phone package, which includes unlimited long distance calls to anywhere in the United States.
Another advantage of Suddenlink’s HFC network is that it lets you access affordable TV bundles along with the internet and phone package — without slowing down your service. The internet, phone and TV bundles range from around $80 to $150 or so, depending on the packages you choose, and some bundles include up to 340 standard and premium cable channels. Note that Suddenlink charges an extra $10 a month as rent for the router that you’ll use to access your services.
To subscribe to Suddenlink’s services, you’ll need to pay for setup costs initially. These can include either regular or premium installation services. There’s also a one-time charge for a “network enhancement fee.” Of all the internet deals from Suddenlink, the Plan 400 may be the best deal for small- to medium-sized families. The 400 Mbps speed is enough to provide seamless high-definition to 4K streaming and low-latency online gaming. And with unlimited data and no annual contract, it’s simple to pay for without hidden costs.
