Optimum

Operating out of 20 states, Optimum is a cable and fiber internet provider. Owned by Altice, and acquiring Suddenlink in 2022, Optimum has rapidly grown and has expanded its service from 1.5 million subscribers to a monstrous 5.6 million subscribers. That makes Optimum the fourth-largest cable internet provider in the nation. Optimum is actively trying to grow that network thus bringing more and more customers under the Optimum brand. Offering not only the internet but also cable television and home phone service making it a great choice for any residential consumer. Any entertainment needs a home may have can surely be covered by Optimum’s outstanding service.

Suddenlink was created by Cequel III after it had acquired a number of smaller communications and cable networks, originally forming the company under the name Cebridge Communications in 2003. The company continued to purchase different networks, taking on Thompson Cablevision in 2004 and expanding its coverage area into sixteen states. It acquired two more companies, Tele-Media and USA Media Systems, further increasing coverage into twenty-three states. Cebridge Communications continued these acquisitions until the company itself was acquired by Altice in July of 2015. Altice, keeping the Suddenlink brand, and combining it with another company they had acquired, Cablevision, then became the fourth-largest cable company in the nation with over four million customers. As of today, Optimum has coverage almost nationwide with over 20 states currently being served with particularly high coverage in areas like Texas, California, and Arizona.

Optimum operates off of a mix of cable and fiber lines to provide its customers with service. Most of its signals transmit through fiber lines, eventually transferring over to a cable connection to connect to the residential end-user. This has allowed Optimum to take its already substantial cable television network, and leverage it to offer internet as well. To further improve speeds, Optimum uses a hybrid fiber-coaxial method to deliver speeds that are normally not available. This hybrid fiber-coaxial line can handle far more bandwidth than other forms of internet connections like fixed wireless, satellite, or DSL. Optimum is in the process of upgrading many of its markets with a true fiber connection. Fiber coverage is only likely to grow as demand across the nation for the fastest internet speeds possible increases. Though hybrid fiber-coaxial is able to deliver truly incredible speeds, the upgrade to fiber lines will increase available bandwidth not only for download speeds but upload speeds as well.

Optimum has a whole suite of products to choose from. With different speeds, prices, and the ability to bundle Optimum’s internet service with cable television and home phone service, it gives its customers multiple ways to connect their home. Without being locked into one option per market, Optimum subscribers have the ability to choose the best plan that not only fits their digital lifestyle but also their budget. This has become a significant selling point for Suddenlink, especially as consumers are looking to reduce how much they spend on a monthly basis to connect to a fast, reliable network.