Suddenlink Internet Review

The roots of Suddenlink Communications, or just Suddenlink for short, go back to 1992 and a company called Classic Communications. Today, Suddenlink is owned by Altice USA, and it’s one of the most popular internet providers in the South, Midwest, and Western regions of the United States.

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Suddenlink’s recipe for success is simple: offer affordable high-speed internet in areas that are not dominated by other internet service providers. In this review, we’re taking a closer look at each ingredient in Suddenlink’s recipe, providing you with all the information you need to decide if Suddenlink is a good choice for you.

Note: Altice USA, the owner of Suddenlink, has recently announced its decision to start rebranding Suddenlink as Optimum. It will take some time to complete the rebranding, but don’t be surprised if you see your local Suddenlink store become an Optimum store.

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Suddenlink Internet Plans and Pricing

Suddenlink Internet Coverage

Suddenlink Internet Fees & Bonuses

Suddenlink Customer Service & Satisfaction

Summary

FAQ

Suddenlink Internet Plans and Pricing

There are several readily available Suddenlink internet plans to choose from:

Plan	Maximum download speed	Maximum upload speed	Promo price	Full price	Data cap
Internet 100	100 Mbps	5 Mbps	$29.99 a month	$89.99 a month	None
Internet 300	300 Mbps	10 Mbps	$39.99 a month	$109.99 a month	None
Internet 500	500 Mbps	20 Mbps	$59.99 a month	$129.99 a month	None
Internet 1 Gig	940 Mbps	35 Mbps	$79.99 a month	$139.99 a month	None

Plan	Internet 100
Maximum download speed	100 Mbps
Maximum upload speed	5 Mbps
Promo price	$29.99 a month
Full price	$89.99 a month
Data cap	None
Plan	Internet 300
Maximum download speed	300 Mbps
Maximum upload speed	10 Mbps
Promo price	$39.99 a month
Full price	$109.99 a month
Data cap	None
Plan	Internet 500
Maximum download speed	500 Mbps
Maximum upload speed	20 Mbps
Promo price	$59.99 a month
Full price	$129.99 a month
Data cap	None
Plan	Internet 1 Gig
Maximum download speed	940 Mbps
Maximum upload speed	35 Mbps
Promo price	$79.99 a month
Full price	$139.99 a month
Data cap	None

The table above doesn’t show all Suddenlink internet plans because not all plans are available in all locations. That said, the plans we picked cover most Suddenlink's markets, and they illustrate the biggest problem we have with Suddenlink internet prices: the difference between the promo price and the full price is always severe.

For example, the cheapest plan Suddenlink offers in its so-called Gig Internet Markets (geographic areas where the Internet 1 Gig plan is available) starts at just $29.99 a month, but its price jumps all the way up to $89.99 a month once the promo period is over.

The good news is that Suddenlink internet plans don’t come with a contract, so switching to a different internet service provider is always an option. Another great thing is that Suddenlink unlimited internet plans are really unlimited, which means there’s nothing stopping you from download and uploading to your heart’s content.

If we were looking for an internet service provider in the South, Midwest, and Western regions of the United States and decided to go with Suddenlink, we would pick the Internet 1 Gig plan (assuming we could afford it). Why? Because it costs just $10 a month more than the Internet 500 plan, and it’s the only plan that comes with a half-decent maximum upload speed (35 Mbps).

Suddenlink Internet Coverage

Suddenlink internet services are available in the following states:

**Available in:**
Arizona	Louisiana	Ohio
Arkansas	Mississippi	Oklahoma
California	Missouri	Texas
Idaho	Nevada	Virginia
Kansas	New Mexico	West Virginia
Kentucky	North Carolina

The states where Suddenlink internet availability is the best are Texas, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Approximately 80 percent of buildings where Suddenlink home internet and Suddenlink business internet is available can enjoy 1 Gbps download speeds.

Like most internet service providers, Suddenlink is constantly expanding is availability, which you can check on its website.

Even though there are no Suddenlink WiFi plans, great WiFi coverage is something all Suddenlink customers can achieve by choosing a plan that includes the Smart WiFi 6 whole home WiFi solution.

This mesh WiFi system comes with a free WiFi extender, and it intelligently pairs with your main modem and router to provide seamless coverage — no networking switching required.

To improve your WiFi experience even more, you can use a wireless network analyzer like NetSpot to optimize the placement of your mesh WiFi system and WiFi router.

NetSpot can also help you troubleshoot common WiFi problems, such as those stemming from signal interference or poor security settings.

Tip: Perform a speed test of your Suddenlink connection whenever you make a change to your router placement or settings to verify that your Suddenlink internet speeds have improved.

Suddenlink Internet Fees & Bonuses

In addition to regular prices being much larger than promo prices, there are several other potentially unexpected expenses that all Suddenlink customers should know about.

The standard installation fee is $99, but you can easily avoid paying it by taking advantage of various special online sign-up deals, which are easy to find. You can also pay $149 for premium installation and have a Suddenlink technician set up your internet connection and connect up to six devices to your new WiFi network.

If you have your own modem/router, then you can avoid paying $10 a month to rent one from Suddenlink, but it must meet Suddenlink’s requirements otherwise it won’t work. Unfortunately, customers who choose to use their own equipment can’t take full advantage of technical support, which is understandable but potentially frustrating.

To improve your online security, you can pay $50 a month for Suddenlink Security, an anti-malware and anti-phishing solution that can seamlessly protects all devices connected to your network. While capable and reliable, Suddenlink Security is also very expensive, and there are countless third-party security solutions that cost much less.

There are various Suddenlink internet packages that bundle internet and TV subscriptions to save money, and Suddenlink also offers mobile services through its parent company, Altice USA. Depending on which plan you choose, you may also get several free months of HBO Max.

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Suddenlink free internet plans were available in some areas, but they’re all gone now. Fortunately, Suddenlink still pays new customers up to $500 to help cover the cost of leaving their existing providers.

Suddenlink Customer Service & Satisfaction

You can get in touch with Suddenlink’s customer service by:

Dialing 1-877-794-2724
Visiting your local Suddenlink store
Using the online chat feature
Sending a direct message on Twitter
Messaging the company on Facebook

There’s a huge problem with Suddenlink internet customer service: it’s getting worse and worse. In 2017, it was ranked the highest in the the American Customer Satisfaction Index survey of ISPs across the nation. Just four years later, it ranked 55 out of 100, which means that it now sits roughly 10 points below the industry average.

In the South region, Suddenlink narrowly avoided the label of the worst internet service provider in terms of customer service — J.D. Power picked HughesNet instead.

Why does Suddenlink internet customer service get so much hate? Because any customer who, for example, performs a Suddenlink internet speed test and discovers that they’re not getting the speeds they should be getting is likely to experience a dismissive attitude — if they manage to reach a customer support employee in the first place.

Just read some Suddenlink internet reviews from ConsumerAffairs :

They have been charging me for 5 months at my old address. Was told it was canceled 6 different times and now have a 415$ bill. Even had a supervisor call me and say they took off the charges and still didn't. People need to go on strike against this company...they are doing people wrong knowingly.

• Jennifer of Nixa, MO

We have had the blessing of being under a Suddenlink monopoly for 7+ years. My bill continually increases, my service decreases, and I can't get a CS tech to talk to me. They literally sit in silence, then hang up. When I asked to be transferred to the retention department, they laugh at me and place me on hold, never to come back to the call. I have attempted to get service through other providers, and they tell me that Suddenlink is my only option. We need to stop the monopoly that businesses like this have created.

• Jennifer of Huntsville, TX

I called Suddenlink because of over cap data charges and they promised credit for 3 months never got it. And then I called back to ask about credit and they hang up on me. I wouldn’t recommend using them period.

• Jody of Snyder, TX

Summary

Suddenlink would be an excellent option for people who live in the South, Midwest, and Western regions of the United States if it wasn’t for its worsening customer service. The huge jump from its promo prices to its regular prices isn’t pleasant either, but Suddenlink isn’t the only internet service provider whose introductory prices are far more attractive than its regular prices.

Since there are no contracts to worry about, you can always leave before your bill gets too high. Overall, we recommend Suddenlink to all avoid internet users who live in rural areas where providers with better customer support don’t operate.

FAQ

Is Suddenlink good for streaming?

Suddenlink offers many different plans, and most of them are good for streaming. Just know that Suddenlink’s plans are not symmetrical, so you’re far less likely to experience problems when watching streamed content than you are when streaming your own content for others to enjoy.

Is Suddenlink unlimited internet really unlimited?

Yes, Suddenlink unlimited internet is really unlimited, but it’s not available in all regions where the internet service provider operates.

What is the highest internet speed for Suddenlink?

The highest internet speed for Suddenlink is 1 Gbps.

What type of internet connection is Suddenlink?

Suddenlink uses dedicated cable lines and, in some areas, also provides fiber internet.

Suddenlink Internet Review

Suddenlink Internet Plans and Pricing

Suddenlink Internet Coverage

Suddenlink Internet Fees & Bonuses

Suddenlink Customer Service & Satisfaction

Just read some Suddenlink internet reviews from ConsumerAffairs :

Summary

FAQ

Is Suddenlink good for streaming?

Is Suddenlink unlimited internet really unlimited?

What is the highest internet speed for Suddenlink?

What type of internet connection is Suddenlink?

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