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- Very high speed for cable
- High customer satisfaction
- Reliable connections
- Speeds can vary at times
- Not available everywhere
Although it's not as fast as Verizon FiOS (*Est. $50 per month) fiber-optic delivery, Cablevision Optimum Online offers the fastest cable Internet service -- up to 30 Mbps depending on how many users share the bandwidth at a given time. Cablevision is primarily available in the Northeast, which means a good chunk of the U.S. population. Credible review sources conduct independent customer satisfaction surveys and Cablevision consistently ranks very high, especially for connection reliability and customer service. The price includes Internet security tools such as firewall and antivirus. If Optimum Online isn't available where you live, reviews suggest Cox Cable (*Est. $35 per month) as a slower but more widely available cable alternative.
J.D. Power and Associates polls roughly 30,000 people about their Internet service, asking them to rate service, reliability and support. PCMag.com solicits opinions from 40,000 site users and PC World conducts a similar survey to measure speed. In addition, we found helpful user reviews at BroadbandReports.com and Epinions.com.
Our Sources
J.D. Power and Associates polls about 30,000 people to rate customer satisfaction of high-speed Internet providers by region. Optimum Online ranks highest in the East, which is where its service is most prevalent.
Review: High Speed Internet Service Provider Ratings, Editors of J.D. Power and Associates, Oct. 28, 2010
The site's annual readers' choice awards give Cablevision Optimum Online good marks in reliability, but downgrade the company on fees. It ranked third among cable companies behind Wow! and Cox Cable.
Review: Readers' Choice Awards 2011: Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Network Routers, Ben Gottesman, June 22, 2011
PCMag.com measures speed results for providers nationwide using readers' tests. Cablevision Optimum Online scores seventh out of the top 15 providers.
Review: The Fastest ISPs in the U.S. 2011, Eric Griffith, Aug. 31, 2011
User reviews give Cablevision Optimum Online high scores and a six-month rating of 77%, earning it a Silver Star award, especially for reliability. It grades no lower than a B in any category.
Review: Charts - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Contributors to BroadbandReports.com, As of Oct. 2011
5. Epinions.com
More than 170 user reviews give Cablevision Optimum Online a combined high score, particularly for connection reliability, although the most recent reviews date from 2009. Negative comments are few, and mostly concern outages and customer service.
Review: Cablevision Optimum Online (CT/NY), Contributors to Epinions.com, As of Oct. 2011
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2 picks by top review sites.