Optimum provides residential and business customers in Connecticut, New Jersey, and parts of New York (the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, and Westchester) with cable and fiber-optic internet, up to 420+ live TV channels, and home phone service.
Only the internet comes separately—to get all of those TV channels (or a landline), Optimum wants you to bundle.
Fortunately, Optimum’s prices range from decent to excellent. Unfortunately, and ironically, Optimum customers rated their provider fairly low—including ninth in value—compared to other providers in CableTV.com’s 2020 customer satisfaction survey:
That said, Optimum has no contracts—and a $500 buyout deal to help you switch over from your current provider. Also, some Optimum plans qualify for Price for Life, which protects you from rate hikes as long as you have your plan. So, despite its low survey scores, Optimum is definitely worth it for users wanting to escape a predatory provider and save money going forward.
Jump to:
| Package |
| Best value Optimum 300 |
| Best for speed Optimum 1 Gig Internet |
| Best bundle Optimum Core TV + Optimum 400 |
Data as of 05/26/2020. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* for 1 yr. Plus taxes, equip. charges and fees.
Survey scores aside, we think the entry-level, internet-only Optimum 300 package is a great value for the speed ($0.13 per megabit). That’s enough juice to handle quite a bit of HD streaming and gaming.
Another good deal is the internet-and-TV bundle Optimum Core TV + Optimum 400, which has 25% higher speeds (up to 400 Mbps) for $0.21 per megabit, plus 220+ live TV channels ($0.38 per channel). For the record, that’s a good deal.
But the best cost-per-megabit deal Optimum has is its 1 Gig Internet plan, which has the fastest and most reliable internet speeds (up to 940 Mbps), with upload speeds to match, for $69.99 per month—or $0.07 per megabit.† If you can get fiber where you live, go for this plan.
(† We couldn’t confirm Optimum’s fiber upload speeds, but due to the technological nature of fiber internet, it’s safe to assume that they’re equal or close to equal to its fiber download speeds.)
Data as of 05/26/2020. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* for 1 yr. Plus taxes, equip. charges and fees.
Optimum has only three standalone internet packages, but that makes it easier to choose one that’s right for you. Again, Optimum 300 looks like more than a square deal to us. And 1 Gig Internet has both high speed and high value.
For a more detailed look at these plans, read our Optimum Internet Review.
Remember, Optimum doesn’t sell its TV packages separately—it wants you to bundle. Here’s a quick peek at some of Optimum’s internet-and-TV bundles.
* for 1 yr. Plus taxes, equip. charges and fees.
The table above shows Optimum’s cheapest and most expensive internet-and-TV double-play bundles—plus a couple of plans from the middle of the pack.
Optimum bundles are generally a good value but, if you live in NY, RCN’s Signature TV + 500 Mbps ($64.99 a month) bundle has faster cable internet and more channels (295+) than the top two Optimum plans in the table above—for $10–$20 cheaper per month.
If you’d like to take a longer look at what’s inside Optimum’s bundles, see our Optimum TV review.
While Optimum’s underwhelming customer satisfaction survey scores might give you pause, we really like the company’s $500 contract buyout, lack of contracts, and the value offered in its Optimum 300 plan.
Optimum 300’s download speeds (up to 300 Mbps) give smaller households freedom and flexibility in their internet activities—with room for a lot more—for only $39.99 a month. Few of Optimum’s competitors can beat that value.
For more details on how Optimum stacks up against its competitors, read our Optimum Internet Review.
The cheapest internet-only Optimum package is Optimum 300. It costs $39.99 a month and has download speeds up to 300 Mbps, upload speeds up to 35 Mbps, and no data cap.
The cheapest Optimum bundle is Optimum Core TV + Optimum 300. For $74.99 per month, you get everything in Optimum 300 plus 220+ live TV channels.
Try calling Optimum to see if you can drop down to a cheaper package or, if you’ve been with the company for several years, see about a loyalty discount.
You might also try applying for Optimum and Suddenlink’s internet service for lower-income individuals, Altice Advantage Internet. The plan costs $14.99 a month and has speeds up to 30 Mbps, unlimited data, and discounted standard installation (a one-time fee of $14.99). It’s available to the following customers:
*Students who do not currently have home internet access can get Altice Advantage Internet free through June 30, 2020. But they’ll still have to pay the discounted installation fee. For Optimum customers, that’s $30 (split over the first three months). Suddenlink customers pay a one-time fee of $20.
Optimum has four standalone internet packages priced $39.99–$69.99 per month with speeds up to 300–1,000 Mbps.
Optimum also has eight internet and TV bundles ($74.99–$119.99 a month), three internet and phone bundles ($49.99–$79.99 a month), and nine internet, phone, and TV bundles ($74.99–$129.99 a month).
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