The name Suddenlink came into being in 2006. Before that year, the company was called Cebridge Connections. Cebridge was founded in 2003 with headquarters in St Louis, Missouri. The company expanded by taking over other cable TV companies and buying sections of networks from larger companies. In 2015 Suddenlink was taken over by Altice, Dutch telecom multinational. Altice formed and American subsidiary called Altice USA. At the time of the purchase, Suddenlink was more or less the only asset of Altice USA. A year later, Altice took over Cablevision, which marketed into residential services as Optimum.
Altice is a fast-growing enterprise and invests in telecommunications systems all over the world, including mobile telephone providers.
The Suddenlink name might not be around for much longer. Altice is proceeding cautiously with its brand image and just introducing its name to the US public to establish familiarity. It started by renaming Optimum to “Optimum by Altice” and Suddenlink to “Suddenlink by Altice.” Eventually Optimum and Suddenlink will merge under the Altice brand.
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Suddenlink uses a hybrid fiber-coaxial network (HFC). This term refers to the type of cable used for the system. It is a good blend of fiber-optic and coaxial cable. The customer’s home is linked to the internet access point at the Suddenlink premises in two phases. From the house to a local exchange, the connection is carried by coaxial cable. The exchange sends all neighborhood transmission down the same cable for the trip onwards to the ISP.
That long-distance shared cable is called a trunk and it is carried over fiber-optics. Fiber-optic cable has a high capacity and great speed. The coaxial cable used for the last stretch to the home doesn’t have to meet as much demand because it only serves one household. So, it doesn’t need to have the capacity of fiber-optics.
The HFC blend of cable types is a very good idea because it creates a fast internet service at a lower price than a full fiber internet system. It isn’t quite as fast a fiber network, but people are prepared to compromise a little on speed in order to get a big saving. So, Suddenlink customers are getting a very good deal. However, by all reports, they don’t seem to be happy.
The ACSI Telecommunications Report 2019, published by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) reports on, among other things, the customer satisfaction ratings of the top internet service providers in the USA. The top score was gained by Verizon Fios and that was 70%. The average score of all of the ISPs in the survey was 62%. Suddenlink gets 61% in 2018, putting it in fourth place and 60% in 2019, which got it the joint fifth place, alongside Cox Cable.
Further investigation is needed to understand why customers who are getting good speeds at a low price aren’t satisfied with their internet service.
All prices are all subject to tax. Customers that choose the Internet 400 or Internet 1Gig plans will get a $50 Amazon gift card as a signing bonus.
The modem offered by Suddenlink includes a Wi-Fi router. You don’t have to rent a modem from the company, but if you connect your own instead, you need to get approval on the suitability of that modem from Suddenlink. Alternatively, Suddenlink will sell you a modem for $80. However, that doesn’t include a Wi-Fi router.
A straightforward installation is free. However, if you need a network socket fitted, or if you want multiple devices in your home set up, there is a charge of $50. Regardless of whether the new customer already has a modem and which installation type is chosen, the company will charge an additional activation fee.
There is no explanation on the Suddenlink website for the Network Activation Fee. It is hard to understand why that charge can’t be folded into the monthly fee for the internet service. Optimum makes the same charge, so it must originate with the policy of Altice, the parent company of both internet providers.
The discount period lasts for 12 months. The customer is tied into a contract for that period and will have to pay an early termination fee (ETF) for breaking the contract during that period. The ETF is up to $200, but reduces with each month that passes, leaving fewer months remaining on the contract at the point of termination. Suddenlink offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and those customers that use the option to backout in the first month don’t have to pay the ETF.
Altice Advantage Internet
Low-income households can get a special rate for Suddenlink internet services. This plan is called Altice Advantage Internet. This service costs $14.99 per month and that price includes a modem. The service has a typical speed of 30 Mbps.
Households qualify for the plan if they meet one of the following criteria:
- Eligible for or participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
- New York City resident and attends a New York City public school
- Eligible for or receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and 65 years of age or older
- Veteran receiving state or federal public assistance
Subscribers to the plan have to pay an installation fee of $20. The plan includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
