Suddenlink Communications
Suddenlink was an American telecommunications subsidiary of Altice USA trading in cable television, broadband, IP telephony, home security, and advertising. Prior to its acquisition by Altice, the company was the seventh largest cable operator with 1.5 million residential and 90,000 business subscribers. After Altice acquired Cablevision Systems Corporation on November 30, 2016, Suddenlink was combined with Cablevision. Together with Optimum, the name used by Cablevision for its products, Altice USA became the United States' fourth largest cable operator with 4.6 million subscribers, and the sixth largest Pay TV service provider with 3.5 million subscribers. On August 1, 2022, Suddenlink rebranded into Optimum.[1][2]
Company type
1992 (as Classic Communications)
2003 (as Cebridge Connections)
2006 (as Suddenlink)
August 1, 2022
Rebranded into Optimum
Dexter Goei (Chief Executive Officer, Altice Group / Executive Chairman, Altice USA)
Hakim Boubazine (Co-President and Chief Operating Officer, Altice USA)
Charles F. Stewart (Co-President and Chief Financial Officer, Altice USA)
Markets[edit]
At time of merger with Optimum, Suddenlink operated services in thirteen states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia.
Controversial practices[edit]
Starting in 2011 Suddenlink began to implement data usage limits, also known as data caps, on its broadband services on all its service plans.[52][53] After exceeding the data allowance for a particular service plan an overage charge of $10 per 50 GB block is billed to the customer.[53] Shortly after data usage limits began to roll out across Suddenlink's territory customers began to report the meter used was inaccurate. One example highlighted one user's router measured that 2.22 GB of data was used in one day while Suddenlink's meter showed 23 GB of data was used in the same period.[54] Another user questioned a customer service representative how her equipment logged 12 GB of data used when electricity was out.[55] By August 27, 2012, the company temporarily suspended its data usage policy while a third party was hired to validate the accuracy of its metering systems.[55][56] By June 3, 2013, Suddenlink had resumed its data usage limits policy and began charging overages.[57] After Altice completed its acquisition of Suddenlink the company added back unlimited usage plans for its top two tiers only on April 1, 2016.[58]
Altice USA and its Optimum branded services have been criticized for a policy change in where if a subscriber cancels one or all of their services before the end of their billing cycle they do not receive a refund.[59][60] Altice USA has implemented this policy change for both its Suddenlink and Optimum branded services. This policy went into effect for Suddenlink subscribers on June 1, 2016, and for Optimum on October 10.[61][60] On May 30, 2017, a class action lawsuit was filed against Altice USA claiming that the company illegally changed the terms and conditions of its cancellation policy and did not provide adequate notice to customers.[59] The lawsuit also claims the company broke New York's General Business Law for deceptive practices and unjust enrichment. Altice has stated subscribers were given advance notice of the new policy and that customer service representatives are trained to tell departing customers billing continues until the end of the billing cycle so they can choose to disconnect at that time.[59]