Suddenlink Internet Reviews 2020
Pricing & Packages | Modem & Router | Features | Customer Service | Final Recommendation
Suddenlink by Altice USA takes its place among the largest broadband internet service providers in the US. This ISP (internet service provider) is focusing on bringing high-speed internet access to rural areas, which is a welcomed change when compared to other providers.
The technology they employ to bring high-speed internet to your home is a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) infrastructure and HFC enables them to offer speeds up to 1000Mbps. The fiber part of the infrastructure runs throughout the streets and switches to coaxial TV cables for the last few feet that lead to customer homes.
Currently, their services are available to citizens and businesses of southern, western, and midwestern states, with the majority of customers being in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia. You can easily check out their website for the services available in each city or state, to see what’s in your area.
Pros:
- Super-fast internet connection
- No data caps for highest-speed plans
- No contract required
Cons
- Available only in select states, mostly rural areas and niche locations
- Installation and activation fees are high
- Deposit might be required based on customer credit score
Packages and Pricing
Suddenlink offers ten internet service packages to customers in their service areas which are divided into two categories: non-gigabit markets and gigabit markets.
Their non-gigabit market plans support speeds from 50Mbps to 150Mbps, with prices from $75 to $115, while their gigabit market plans offer speeds from 100Mbps to 1000Mbps (1Gbps), with prices from $75 to $125 per month. Note that new Suddenlink customers are eligible for up to 50% discount for the first twelve months of service.
A Note About ‘Realistic Speeds’
As with any other provider, the speeds vary depending on the area and how heavy the network usage is. While some won’t have any issues with having peak speeds at all times, other areas might experience slowdowns during peak hours – Suddenlink actively manages their network to ensure all users have optimal speeds. Most of the time, however, the slower speeds won’t be noticeable. One thing to keep in mind is that the only plans without data caps are the ones with download speeds of 400Mbps or above.
Incentives
Suddenlink also offer incentives for buying top packages in either category. For example, currently, ordering the 150Mbps or 1Gbps package gets you a $100 American Express Gift Card.
Transparent Fees
Suddenlink is very transparent about their fees, which is refreshing when compared with other providers. Their website lists all fees that you might face, from unreturned equipment costs to installation and service fees.
All their packages come with a $40 activation fee, and you will also have to pay an installation fee – standard installation costs $49 to $99, while premium installation costs $99 to $149.
Your Modem and Router
You can choose to lease or buy your modem with each plan. The Docsis 3.0 modem is standard for all their internet plans and costs $10 per month if you opt for a lease. You can also buy this modem for a one-time payment of $80.
There is an option to lease a wireless modem, which will cost you another $10 per month if you want to have Wi-Fi in your home. There doesn’t seem to be an option to actually buy a wireless modem on their website currently, but this might change in the future.
The most cost-effective option is to either buy your own wireless modem or purchase their Docsis 3.0 modem and combine with a wireless router. Particularly if you’re planning to stay with Suddenlink long-term.
Features and Benefits
Suddenlink offers several additional benefits internet plan users:
New Customer Discounts
If you are moving your services to Suddenlink or are a first-time buyer, you are eligible for up to 50% discounts for their internet plans. Note that this offer is valid for the first year of their service. After that, you pay the full price.
Bundle Deals
Suddenlink also offers television and phone packages that you can bundle with your internet plan. Availability of their services varies depending on the area. You can easily check the services available in your area by visiting their website and putting in your address, town, and ZIP code. You will get a personalized deal based on whether you are a new customer or you plan to move your existing Suddenlink services to a new address.
Premier Protection and Support
Suddenlink offers device protection and remote tech support services for $19.99 per month. If you choose this option, you get protection for all your connected devices (PC, TV, tablet) which also covers any type of mechanical faults. This isn’t a bad deal as it covers any and all devices, including those you purchase in the future whilst your support subscription is active.
Premium Installation
When you choose the premium installation package, the Suddenlink technicians will set up Wi-Fi configuration for up to six of your devices, hardwire one device, and assist you with creating your Suddenlink ID.
HelloTech
Suddenlink offers additional third-party on-demand tech support for your home devices. This deal covers any type of help with your devices, from setting up your home entertainment to smart home device assistance.
SafeGuard Plans
This protection plan ensures there will be no additional charges for service calls to fix Suddenlink installed wiring at your home.
Customer Service
You can contact Suddenlink customer support via phone, chat, or email. The help section of their website has great shortcuts, like:
- Checking outstanding service statuses
- Finding the nearest Suddenlink store
- Scheduling a move of their services from your old address to a new one.
Their website also has a self-service section that includes written and video tutorials, user guides about their TV, internet, phone, and home security services, as well as a standalone section that deals with frequent issues with billing and account settings.
According to the American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ASCI), Suddenlink scores at 61%, which is not overly good, but it’s not inherently bad either. Because you are not bound by a contract, it’s pretty easy to switch to another provider if you’re not satisfied with Suddenlink’s services.
There’s no hidden or early termination fees either, although you should always double-check with a customer support representative before terminating your service. Netflix also count Suddenlink as among some of the top ISP providers who offer the best streaming experience.
Ways to Save on Suddenlink
Bundle Up
In addition to their high-speed internet packages, Suddenlink offers phone and television services too, so you can bundle up to get the most out of it. For example, you will pay $54.99 per month for their Internet 400 package, but if you choose television and phone with it, you will only pay an additional $20 per month. For that, you will get over 225 channels, as well as phone service with free caller ID, call waiting, and call forwarding.
Outside of the bundle, these three services would cost you over $150 per month individually.
See Which Plans Are Available in Your Area
The pricing tiers for Suddenlink gigabit and non-gigabit markets are almost identical, but download and upload speeds vary a lot between the two markets.
Before you choose a plan, check whether you are in their gigabit market area, as this will bring you multiple benefits. First off, you’ll pay the same price and get a better speed – for $85 per month, you will get 75Mbps download speed if you’re in the non-gigabit market, but you can get 200Mbps for the same price if you’re in the gigabit market area. On top of that, you will also get a free installation with the latter, which means another $49 to $99 saved!
Free Installation with Online Purchases
If you choose your internet plan on their website, you won’t have to pay any installation fees. Make sure to check with their sales representative before you finalize any online purchases so you know exactly what you will be getting.
Check Which Packages Have Data Caps
All Suddenlink packages that are below 400Mbps download speed come with a data cap of 250GB. Higher speed packages don’t have the cap, so make sure you choose a plan without a data cap if you use streaming services heavily and connect a lot of devices.
Inform Yourself About Additional Fees
While Suddenlink is forthcoming about additional fees that you will have to pay, make sure to check what these include. The prices of additional fees vary greatly, with installation fees being from $0 to $99, all the way to $149 for premium installation. There are also activation fees for each package, as well as fees pertaining to unreturned equipment, HD receiver fees, and so on.
Pay On Time
Suddenlink will check credit scores of their customers and keep a close eye on their payment history, which can affect eligibility for some of their exclusive deals and offers. Make sure to pay all your bills on time to be in good standing with them, so you can get the best prices and deals for your services.
Our Recommendation
Suddenlink focuses on bringing high-speed internet to rural areas that are otherwise often skipped by other service providers. They are actively working on building networks for their services and expanding their coverage.
Their internet packages have outstanding pricing, making them a sure pick for many residents in rural areas. Still, their availability is limited currently, as they are mostly focusing on southern and western states. If you are lucky enough to live in one of their gigabit markets, you can get some of the fastest broadband connections available.
One thing you should keep in mind is that their lower speed plans have data caps, most commonly set to 250GB per month. This is more than enough if you just browse the web, play a few games, and have up to ten devices you connect to your network. But, if you’re a gamer or a streamer, look elsewhere or at the higher tiered uncapped packages.
The Suddenlink gigabit plan is definitely our favorite pick – it doesn’t have a data cap, and Netflix loves it too. You’ll be able to download and upload everything you want, stream movies in 4K resolution, and enjoy games at low latency. With that package, you’ll get the highest speeds for a very affordable price, especially if you are a new customer as you’ll get 50% off for the first year to try them out!
Leo Russ - August 15, 2019 @ 19:49
Slow speeds (up to 20mbs down), regular service interruptions, and then this:
The outfit hiked the price of service without informing via email, phone, or snail mail about it, no statement has ever been sent to me either. Six months later, they disconnected service without warning and now want to charge late fees and re-connection fee.
I requested that the account was cancelled on Aug 12, 2019, called back three days later (Aug 15) to verify but the account had not been cancelled, and there was nothing on the account about my request.
Slow speeds (up to 20mbs down), regular service interruptions, and then this:
The outfit hiked the price of service without informing via email, phone, or snail mail about it, no statement has ever been sent to me either. Six months later, they disco
RaNae - September 28, 2019 @ 01:16
Horrible company, don’t use if you have an option. Had since moving to Texas 5 yrs ago. Keeps jacking up the prices. Basic cable is NOTHING, you’ll have to get packages.
WORST PART the service. I have a home automation that alerts me when it goes down. Yesterday, it went down 5 times within 2 hours. And, this isn’t the worst service I’ve had.
Unreliable internet, horrible customer service. Wish I could go elsewhere, but nothing available. I’d leave them in a heartbeat if I could.
Horrible company, don’t use if you have an option. Had since moving to Texas 5 yrs ago. Keeps jacking up the prices. Basic cable is NOTHING, you’ll have to get packages.
WORST PART the service. I have a home automation that alerts me when
Mark Phillips - September 30, 2019 @ 18:48
You we feel good twice with Suddenlink; once when are a new customer ordering and twice when you finally get rid of them. 8 days after install I cancelled service because I didn’t like the Guide Interface and the Altice One Box was all in one and didn’t let me use my Google Mesh System unless I went to higher Internet speeds. I was told on the phone; when I signed up that, “It would work” but the installer said, “otherwise.” Here is where the real fun starts; trying to cancel. During the initial cancel phone call I was constantly asked to rec-consider even after explaining I already had a new provider, the account retention person was very rude and said, “Well if we can’t have a reasonable discussion about retaining me, then were done,” and hung up. I had to call back to find out how to return the equipment and to verify the account was closed. I had to call back several times to understand why I was still being charged $120. I struggled to get through, had hold-times and call back times that exceeded an hour on at least three occasions. This morning I’m waiting on a 20 minute call back and its going on two hours. I didn’t receive a call back so I drove 20 miles the Suddenlink Store and there were 50+ customers waiting in line. I finally decided my sanity was worth the additional payment of $25; btw , their payment system only takes about 4 minutes.
You we feel good twice with Suddenlink; once when are a new customer ordering and twice when you finally get rid of them. 8 days after install I cancelled service because I didn’t like the Guide Interface and the Altice One Box was all in one a
Austinjot - October 12, 2019 @ 17:39
After holding for 1:45, was told to take Tivo to an office in Georgetown for replacement. Since the person on the phone barely spoke English, I called again and did the call-back thing. I waited about two hours for the callback. The second person verified I could take it in for replacement or wait about 10 days for a tech. I drove all the way to the office and waited for 30 minutes. Then was told they didn’t have them there! Now the tech is supposed to be here between 11:00AM and 2:00PM. The “where’s my tech” feature is saying sometime between 3:00PM and 4:00PM.
After holding for 1:45, was told to take Tivo to an office in Georgetown for replacement. Since the person on the phone barely spoke English, I called again and did the call-back thing. I waited about two hours for the callback. The second person v
Joretta Comer - December 30, 2019 @ 14:53
This is absolutely the worst customer service I have ever encountered. We called to have our bill reviewed and adjusted in November because it keeps going up for no reason. It creeps us a few dollars every once in a while. The service guy came out and changed out our modem, per the suggestion of customer service, and plugged the line into the wrong portal in the modem. We then lost phone service. Another guy came out and plugged it into the right portal and charged us a $60 service call for their mistake. Our phone was still spotty. It worked sometimes and other times didn’t work. Another guy came out to tried to fix that and now we have not had phone, internet, or cable for almost two weeks. They had another guy come out and he determined the line from the pole to the house needed replaced. Two service calls have been set up to replace the line, for which my husband stayed home and waited for over six hours each, and they never called nor showed. Now a third service call is set up for Wednesday, January 1st. The entire holiday season has been without service….so no football….no nothing. Now New Years will be without service….Sudden Link should be ashamed of their service. Someone needs to get this under control.
This is absolutely the worst customer service I have ever encountered. We called to have our bill reviewed and adjusted in November because it keeps going up for no reason. It creeps us a few dollars every once in a while. The service guy came out
Fed up, soon to be uncustomer - February 6, 2020 @ 15:21
They get zero stars.
Prices raised without explanation or notification. Equipment fails easily and often; repair guys do not show up, do not call. Slower speeds, unreliable service. Unprofessional customer service will lie to get off of the phone, because they do not understand not speak English well, or to appear to be doing something for you. We no longer receive statements, and are verified Not paperless. Bill has increased $40/mo without us knowing for three months. I just pay what we’re supposed to for the last 6mo, which apparently has been the wrong amount, but we have no clue why. Customer service said we would be credited the difference and any fees removed since we didn’t receive statements. No credits were issued. I called back to ask why. After being transferred 5 times, back and forth between departments that each stated that’s not their department, and one rep that relentlessly tried to sell me altice mobile phone service (I let them know if it was free, I still would not switch due to the horrible customer service, they couldn’t pay me to switch) I requested to talk to a supervisor, who told me costumer service and/or billing dept cannot grant credits and that we would not be getting one. We were also told they’d resend the statements we didn’t receive, but if course, that never happened either. I told supervisor that reps need to be trained better, be able to understand English well, and be reprimanded when they lie to customers as it makes the company look bad. She want really concerned. Sad (this is only one recent incident; problems with suddenlink have been going on for at least 3-4 years, we’d switch but they have a contract with our city hall, monopoly)
They get zero stars.
Prices raised without explanation or notification. Equipment fails easily and often; repair guys do not show up, do not call. Slower speeds, unreliable service. Unprofessional customer service will lie to get off of the phone, be
Richard - March 12, 2020 @ 19:47
Suddenlink brings you in with a guaranteed for life price. It is a lie. They increase the price other places. This company sucks. Guess I will give Dish a try.
Keith Smoyer - March 22, 2020 @ 18:54
The customer service stinks as I have been waiting a day and a half for a tech to get here. Do not use sudden link at all costs!