Sparklight Internet Review
Sparklight is the rebranded internet service formerly known as Cable One internet. Sparklight is popular in both suburban and rural areas, with a network spreading across 21 states. Despite wide coverage, Sparklight compares differently with other providers as their rates and connectivity vary.
This guide summarizes who Sparklight serves, key considerations about their internet plans, and reviews by others to get a fair understanding of the internet service provider (ISP).
- Who is Sparklight internet for?
- Key considerations
- What others say about Sparklight internet
- How does Sparklight internet compare to other providers?
Who is Sparklight internet for?
Sparklight might be one of your choices for cable internet if you live in any of the remote or suburban areas it services. Overall, it is a competitive cable network aiming to go all-fiber soon.
This decision to go all-fiber is good news as it makes Sparklight internet a better option when the only other services available in your area are DSL or satellite internet. By switching to Sparklight once their fiber option is available in your area, you’ll get higher speeds and reliable connectivity compared to these other slower connection types.
Sparklight offers a special plan for streamers and gamers with a maximum download speed of 200Mbps with a 700GB data cap. Their Turbo 300 Plus plan offers higher data caps for heavy users, while Freedom Connect 600 and Freedom Connect Gig are uncapped plans with higher download speeds of 600Mbps and 1000Mbps, respectively.
Sparklight currently provides internet service to over a million customers, making them one of the biggest internet companies in the US. It also provides services in some larger cities, such as Fargo, ND while most of its customer base is concentrated in Idaho, Mississippi, and Arizona.
Key considerations
Does Sparklight have data caps?
Sparklight has data caps that vary according to the plan you choose, ranging from 350GB per month up to 1.2TB per month. If you overshoot your data cap, Sparklight offers an additional 100GB for $10 for the billing period of your current cycle, so you can limit overage charges.
What is Sparklight internet’s speed?
Sparklight offers different speeds with different plans starting at 100Mbps with the maximum speed going up to 1000Mbps.
Does Sparklight use fiber?
Sparklight uses hybrid fiber-coax cables to provide their internet connection. It uses the coaxial lines typically used for cable TV service to transmit broadband data. This is not much different from the way DSL or fiber optic internet is delivered.
Is there a cancellation fee for Sparklight?
In some cases, you might be charged a convenience fee of $45 for equipment pickup. However, if you have your own equipment, this is not an issue.
What others say about Sparklight internet
The unanimous disadvantage from reviewers about Sparklight is the data caps that stop the plans from being truly unlimited. While a 1.5TB data cap in the GigaOne Plus plan doesn’t seem like much of a problem, the 700GB limit on their plan for gamers is counter-intuitive. Though, the unlimited data add-on somewhat solves the problem.
Sparklight attracts mixed customer reviews, even with BBB giving them an A+ rating. With a satisfaction score of over 700 based on a 1,000-point scale, Sparklight fared better than Cox and Frontier in the 2021 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study from J.D. Power.
The biggest boon here is the high-speed connection to distant locations where DSL and satellite are the only options. As CNET notes, “for customers in Ada, Oklahoma, to use a smaller market as an example, you’ll find Sparklight competing with DSL and satellite plans — and those are simply no match for what Sparklight can offer for speed and price.”
How does Sparklight internet compare to other providers?
Sparklight’s Freedom Connect plans are comparable to plans from CenturyLink. At the same time, prices in some places like Anniston, AL are higher than AT&T. The chief drawback against competitor plans is the data cap where other providers offer unlimited data. Although, plans such as 100 Plus are cheaper, even with extra data for an average user. Sparklight’s Freedom Connect 600 is also priced at a competitive rate of $40 for the first three months, offering 600Mbps of download speeds with no data caps.
Sparklight internet is also much more reliable and has fewer outages where the only other option is a DSL connection from AT&T, CenturyLink, or EarthLink. In addition, upload speeds of 50Mbps on the Freedom Connect Gig make it a compelling plan, while other providers such as Xfinity and Cox, with a similarly priced plan, max out at 35Mbps.
*Pricing varies by location and availability. Speeds may vary. All prices subject to change; for current pricing and availability visit our internet service page. Prices as of 6/3/22.
Disclosure | Updater articles are based on our own data and research, independent from partner relationships. We are not compensated by partners for information and opinions presented here. Our Editorial Terms of Service can be found here.
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