Suddenlink Internet Review: Decent Promo Prices, but Poor Customer Satisfaction Scores

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Suddenlink home internet service rating

How we calculated our rating

6.4/10

CNET Score

We score internet providers for speed, value and customer care. Our data sources include the FCC, J.D. Power, The American Customer Satisfaction Index and extensive in-house research.

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6.4

/ 10

SCORE

Speed

7/10

Value

7/10

Customer Care

5.5/10

Pros

• Fast speeds with appealing promo pricing
• No data caps or contracts
• Equipment rental included in monthly rate

Cons

• Steep price increase after the first year
• Customer satisfaction numbers have steadily declined in recent years

See more pros and cons

Spoiler alert: This article has become obsolete. Why? Because Suddenlink's parent company, Altice USA, has rebranded Suddenlink. It will be fully folded into the company's Optimum broadband line by the end of this year. 

Suddenlink home internet, which has over a million customers, features some aggressive promo pricing for cable internet and also features some nice perks -- hello, free HBO Max -- as well.  

Additionally, you have no contracts, a money-back guarantee and, in most markets, no data caps. How can you go wrong? 

Alas, it's not all roses and sunshine. Despite the excellent intro pricing, Suddenlink suffers from fading customer satisfaction rankings and a significant second-year price increase. Even though most of its footprint has access to gigabit service, some areas don't see those fast speeds.     

That brings us back to the familiar mantra you've heard from us time and again regarding internet service providers -- the value of a provider often comes down to what it offers at your specific address. 

Here's where you can get Suddenlink

Suddenlink provides home internet service to communities in 17 states:

Among those states, Suddenlink has its highest concentration of service areas within Texas (over 100 markets), West Virginia (40), Oklahoma (30), Arkansas (29) and Louisiana (28).

Suddenlink is actively expanding its footprint

When we reached out to Suddenlink to ask about its cable hybrid network, a spokesperson highlighted parent company Altice's commitment to broadening its reach, saying it's "continuously looking for strategic ways to expand our footprint, including new builds, fiber upgrades… to bring our advanced suite of connectivity products to even more customers."

Further, Suddenlink currently offers its gigabit service to over 80% of homes within its reach and has upgraded up to 300,000 homes to max download speeds of 400Mbps or even gigabit speeds where the max was previously 150Mbps. 

Suddenlink internet plans and pricing

We've listed below the plans available in approximately 80% of Suddenlink's markets, but speeds will vary by location and some areas may not offer all three options. In some markets, you may have only one or two plan choices. 

Here's an overview of what you'll commonly find.

Suddenlink internet plans

The starting price rocks, but a steep increase looms

There's very little to complain about with Suddenlink's introductory pricing. It's excellent. While the exact plans and pricing you'll get are dependent on your address, the promotional deals it offers are extremely competitive no matter where you live. 

For example, the 11 cents average cost per Mbps for the introductory rates is better than what you'll find with fellow cable providers like Spectrum (17 cents), Optimum (21 cents), Xfinity (25 cents), Sparklight (28 cents) and Cox (53 cents). Suddenlink is definitely a good value right out of the gate.

That said, I can feel your question coming: So, what's the catch? It's not really a catch but a common ISP practice: Like most internet providers, Suddenlink bumps up its prices after your first 12 months of service. Unlike some providers, Suddenlink doesn't trap you by locking you into a term agreement that forces you into a higher rate or threatens a major fee if you break that contract. 

A Suddenlink spokesperson told CNET that its customers would receive notice of the new rate 30 days before the promo period's expiration: "The exact rate change at the end of the first 12 months varies depending on product mix and offer, and we also provide additional promotional credits at the end of the initial 12 month period to minimize the rate increase for customers." 

Additional Suddenlink fees

Great news for customers: Suddenlink no longer charges an additional equipment fee. Before 2022, Suddenlink's Wi-Fi equipment rental fee for the Altice Gateway was $10 a month, which, at the time, was a tad lower than most providers. You'll find that most ISPs charge around $15 a month for their modem/router combo. 

Enlarge Image

Also, Suddenlink is pretty proud of its equipment -- in April 2021, it introduced its Smart WiFi 6 gateway, which boasts speeds up to three times faster than previous routers. It's still not available to all customers but should be available to all gigabit plan subscribers or the highest speed tier in areas where the 1 Gig plan is unavailable.

Suddenlink vs. competitors: Customer satisfaction numbers are going the wrong way

In 2017, Suddenlink earned its highest score in the American Customer Satisfaction Index survey of ISPs nationwide. Suddenlink received a customer satisfaction score of 66 out of 100, which was 2 points higher than the industry average. But since that time, the numbers have been dropping every year. In fact, for 2022, Suddenlink notched 53 out of 100, dead last among qualifying ISPs in the survey. That's down 4% from the previous year (which itself had been a previous low) and a stunning 11 points below the industry average. Is that bad? It's certainly not good.

Things went slightly better, relatively speaking, over at J.D. Power, where Suddenlink escaped the bottom spot in the South region. That "honor" went to HughesNet. However, Suddenlink's 621 points out of a possible 1,000 were well below the regional average of 727 and, continuing the theme from the ACSI report, were below the numbers it earned the previous year.

When many of us are leaning on our home connections more than ever, it's disheartening to see these numbers trending down for Suddenlink.

Suddenlink deals and promos try to sweeten the pot

Perhaps in response to those downturns in customer satisfaction measurements, Suddenlink is trying to offer more consumer-friendly practices. At present, Suddenlink has a handful of limited-time offers available. First, all online orders for Internet 300 or above receive a free Wi-Fi Extender, free installation -- standard installation typically runs $99 -- and a Visa Prepaid Card (from $50-$200, depending on the plan you choose).

Second, when you sign up for Suddenlink home internet service, you'll be eligible to get 12 months of phone service for $5 per month if you add Optimum Mobile.

Lastly, new customers for Internet 300 or above will get several free months of HBO Max. That's a solid value of $15 a month. Internet 300 customers will get three free months ($45 value), Internet 500 will receive six free months ($90 value), and Gig customers will get a full year of HBO Max for free ($180 value). 

Let's sum it up

When it comes down to cost -- which is often the bottom line for many of us -- it's hard to beat the promo prices of Suddenlink. It does a great job of offering competitive pricing for relatively fast download speeds. It also boasts low equipment fees and some decent promo perks. You'll also need to embrace those perks because a price increase will be coming after one year, and you'll also have to deal with a company that's still struggling with how to better the satisfaction of its customers. Perhaps these more aggressive perks and customer-centric policies will make a difference down the road.

Suddenlink home internet FAQs