Frontier vs Suddenlink: Side by Side Comparison

As one of the largest providers in the U.S., Frontier is slightly larger than Suddenlink in terms of people served. Frontier’s DSL service is available to 33.0 million people nationwide across 27 states.  Suddenlink, on the other hand, serves 7.0 million people across states. Both providers offer bundles, contract-free plans, and unlimited data options.

Frontier vs. Suddenlink: Best Deals

Frontier and Suddenlink lean on attractive promotions like free months of service, gift cards, or complimentary equipment to win new business. Frontier’s promotional deals often include a waived activation fee and a gift card promotion. Suddenlink typically features gift cards in its monthly deals and other complementary services or waived fees. Featured deals and promotions change often, so check back from time to time at both provider websites to see what offers are on tap each month.

Both Frontier and Suddenlink are highly competitive in their pricing and plans. However, much of the savings end when promotional pricing ends — typically after one to two years of service. Suddenlink and Frontier offer a full range of plans and bundles to accommodate customers’ budgets and preferences.

Both providers can be a little heavy-handed with activation fees. Unless you can find a promotion where activation fees are waived, your first bill may be much higher than expected when you initiate service.

Frontier vs. Suddenlink: Packages Compared

Packages, aka bundles, are popular options with Frontier and Suddenlink. Frontier’s in-house bundles consist of phone and internet service. For TV, it partners with YouTube TV to offer discounts to new subscribers. (Working with streaming services to provide price breaks is a trend many non-cable internet providers have adopted in recent years.)

Suddenlink offers flexibility in bundling the internet with TV and phone services. Suddenlink provides in-house TV packages based on user preferences and budget. It also provides price breaks for subscribers interested in bundling the internet with their Optimum mobile phone plans.

Frontier vs. Suddenlink: Extra Fees and Contracts

Frontier’s DSL internet plans come with no contracts; however, its fiber plans do require contracts. You can also receive a contract-free plan if you choose a bundled option. If you select a plan that requires a contract, you can expect to pay significant early termination fees if you opt out of your agreement. Other fees include an activation fee for all new services and a monthly equipment rental fee.

Suddenlink offers all of its plans on a month-to-month basis with no annual contracts. This means customers can cancel anytime without facing the financial burden of ETFs. Its plans come with initial promotional prices for the first 12 months, with varying internet speeds. After that, Suddenlink adjusts to its standard rates. Customers can rent or pay the upfront cost for the modem.

Installation

Frontier offers both professional and self-installation if you’re a new customer or plan on upgrading your service. However, you can waive professional installation if you sign a two-year contract. For free self-installation, customers receive a self-install kit with detailed instructions on the website to assist you with the setup process.

Suddenlink has a standard and a premium installation fee. If you sign up online, this can be waived. The technician may have to install an outlet and local hardwiring.

Data cap

Frontier’s customers don’t have to worry about data overage charges because all of its plans have unlimited data. No data caps allow for unlimited internet data usage for various activities such as downloading and streaming.

Suddenlink provides unlimited data on select plans and doesn’t offer the option to add unlimited data to plans with data caps. If you go over your data cap limit, 50 GB of data will be added for an extra fee.

Frontier vs. Suddenlink: Customer Satisfaction

Frontier’s rating with the Better Business Bureau is low. However, it’s been implementing new programs to repair its history and provide improved services and satisfaction. Likewise, Suddenlink performs poorly with some rating services like the BBB. However, it offers a variety of ways for customers to reach out for support — namely, via its customer support center, chat, phone, and YouTube tutorials.