Suddenlink Internet Review 2023

Thu, Mar 16, 2023 8:44 PM Internet Bundles Broadband Deals

Suddenlink could be one of your few options for high-speed internet if you live in Jonesboro, Abilene, or another small Southern city.

Suddenlink's goal seems to be to deliver low-cost, high-speed internet in areas where the major internet service providers (ISPs) do not yet have a monopoly. That's great news for someone who uses satellite internet, dial-up, or doesn't have access to the internet at all.

But before you hop on the Suddenlink bandwagon, make sure you're aware of the company's less flashy characteristics, such as price hikes, strange fees, and poor customer service. Let's take a closer look to see if Suddenlink internet is right for you.

Pros:

Fast speeds
Price for life on 1,000 Mbps plan
High-speed internet in rural areas

Cons:

Oddball fees
Price hike after one year for 100 and 300 Mbps plans

Plans and Pricing

Suddenlink's promotional rates are fair, and its 1 Gig plan has a set price for the rest of your life.

As compared to other internet service providers, Suddenlink provides internet plans with download speeds ranging from 100 to 1,000 Mbp, and its rates for such speeds are on the low end (ISPs).

Suddenlink's 1,000 Mbps plan also comes with no contract, no data limit, and a "Price for Life plans" guarantee. (Of course, as long as you remain a satisfied customer.)

SuddenLink Internet Promotional Prices

Internet 100

$34.99/mo.*
100 Mbps
Unlimited

Internet 300

$44.99/mo*
300 Mbps
Unlimited

Internet 400

$59.99/mo†
400 Mbps
Unlimited

Internet 1 Gig

$74.99/mo‡
1000 Mbps
Unlimited

Is it cheap?

Suddenlink's 400 Mbps plan is less expensive than Spectrum's 400 Mbps plan, and Suddenlink's Internet 100 plan is roughly the same price as Xfinity's 100 Mbps plan in the western United States.

If you need gigabit speeds, Suddenlink's Internet 1 Gig plan is an excellent value. The majority of gig-speed contracts cost about that amount per month, and others are even more expensive. Not to mention that Suddenlink guarantees the 1 Gig plan price for life as long as you don't make any adjustments to your service and pay your bills on time.

SuddenLink Internet Price Comparison

Suddenlink Internet

$44.99–$74.99^
300–1000 Mbps

Spectrum Internet

$49.99–$109.99°
100–940 Mbps

Xfinity Internet

$19.99–$79.99**
15–1000 Mbps

Where is it available?

Suddenlink offers internet access in 14 states, with the majority of its customers hailing from West Virginia, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

Speed and Data

Suddenlink's internet speeds have surpassed those of other major US ISPs.

Suddenlink's download speeds start at 100 Mbps and go all the way up to one gigabit per second (1,000 Mbps).

Those speeds are more than sufficient for most families to binge-watch Parks and Recreation or play a game of Overwatch together.

Unless you have a lot of connected devices in your house, such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, home protection systems, and smart TVs, or the next YouTube sensation streaming from your living room, the 100 and 300 Mbps plans should suffice.

However, if your family says yes to all of the above, or if you do a lot of streaming, file sharing, or work from home, the 400 or 1,000 Mbps plans are likely to be more suitable.

Suddenlink internet download and upload speeds

Internet 100

100 Mbps Download
10 Mbps Upload

Internet 300

300 Mbps Download
30 Mbps Upload

Internet 400

400 Mbps
40 Mbps

Internet 1 Gig

1000 Mbps
50 Mbps

In our study of the fastest ISPs in the United States, Suddenlink's speed score impressed us a lot. It earned a weighted score of 37.1 out of 100, which placed it ahead of rivals Frontier, AT&T, and Cox.

Suddenlink internet speed score

Suddenlink
11th out of 38 ISPs
5th out of 22 cable ISPs

However, it's worth noting that Suddenlink's weighted score does not reflect the real download speeds you'll get if you sign up for its service. Instead, the score is a combination of average download, upload, and latency speeds observed by Suddenlink users in over 1 million speed tests conducted in 2019.

You can experience days when your internet experience is a slog, just as with any other internet provider. As a result, we've compiled a list of internet-speeding tips to assist you.

Data Caps

Unlimited data is no issue for Suddenlink. When you go crazy with streaming and Steam downloads, you won't have to worry about storage overages or paying more for more data. And that's just what we want to hear.

Contracts, Equipment, and Fees

Suddenlink's 1,000 Mbps plan is simple, friendly, and attractive. There's no deal, no data limit, and you'll stay on the same plan for as long as you're a loyal Suddenlink customer.

The devil, however, is in the details when it comes to the 100, 300, and 400 Mbps plans.

It turns out that the low price for the 100 and 300 Mbps plans is only good for 12 months, whereas the 400 Mbps plan is only good for 24 months. That means your bill will increase after that period of time has passed. Yes, there is no promise of a price for life to be found here. Continue on your way.

Equipment and fees

Suddenlink rents a Wi-Fi modem or a wireless gateway for $10.00 per month. You should carry your own compatible modem if you'd rather spend the money on a loaded burrito instead.

The ARRIS SURFboard modem and Wi-Fi router, which are available on Amazon, are good options.

Service fees

Suddenlink's fine print reads like a spy book, with more twists and turns as you read on. The dreaded fees will be revealed next.

- Standard installation fee:

$99 but if you sign up online they might offer you a free installation deal.

- Premium installation fee:

They charge $149 to hardwire one device and help you set up Wifi on six devices. They will also assist you in creating your SuddenLink ID

- Activate Fee:

$40

- Upgrade Service Fee:

$25.It seems a little shady for an ISP to charge a premium just to upgrade your service plan, which is likely to be more expensive each month than what you were paying previously.

- Hourly Service Call Fee: 

$60. You better check if tech support can help you fix it over the phone instead.

- Network Enhancement Fee:

Suddenlink charges a $3.50 one-time fee for this, which we don't know what it is.

Customer Service

We anticipate the same poor customer service from Suddenlink as we do from other ISPs.

Unfortunately, dealing with the customer service representative can be less enjoyable than running out of toilet paper. Suddenlink, like the majority of ISPs, has a public relations problem.

Suddenlink, on the other hand, received a 57 out of 100 in the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey, while the average ISP received a 65 out of 100. This is a decrease from the previous year's ranking. Suddenlink seems to be in need of some instruction about how to offer customers what they want.

Suddenlink customer service score

ACSI 2019–2020
57 out of 100

You can contact Suddenlink online here:

1-877-794-2724
Online chat
Twitter: @SuddenlinkHelp
Facebook: @mysuddenlink

The best Suddenlink plan: Internet 400

It is best for small to medium size household that loves streaming and gaming together.

The Internet 400 plan offers download speeds of 400 Mbps. That should be more than enough to cover all your bases if you're watching The Mandalorian on Disney+ (baby Yoda!) or playing Hearthstone with a friend across the world.

Although the Internet 100 and 300 plans can accommodate all of that as well, they don't have the same two-year price guarantee as to the Internet 400 plan.

Conclusion:

Suddenlink might not be everyone's knight in shining armor, but it has a lot to give the right guy, such as low rates for high speeds in places that other ISPs have forgotten about.

Suddenlink, on the other hand, isn't without flaws. Its 100, 300, and 400 Mbps plans do not have a price guarantee, so the costs will increase after one year (two years for the 400 Mbps plan). There are a few strange rates, not to mention Suddenlink's poor customer service.

Overall, we believe the Suddenlink internet is a good value for residents of the small towns it serves. (In other words, it's still quicker and less expensive than satellite internet.)

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