Best Internet Providers in Salmon Brook, CT for March, 2020

Cox Communications brings fiber and cable internet, television, and digital voice to over 20 million subscribers in 18 states, including California, Arizona, Oklahoma, Nevada, and Virginia. It is the largest privately owned telecommunications company and the third largest cable provider in the U.S. Cox Communications is one of three Cox Enterprises subsidiaries and works with Sprint to provide wireless deals to its customers.

Cox provides internet speeds up to 1000 Mbps, which is enough speed to do whatever you need or want to do. There are always a variety of speed tiers available, so you’re never paying for more than you need. Another great feature of Cox internet is that Cox has over 650,000 WiFi hotspots nationwide that you can use instead of using your wireless data or when your wireless service fails you. Cox makes it easy to find the nearest WiFi hotspot with the Cox Hotspots Map. Just enter your zip code and see all hotspots in your area. Join by selecting the CoxWiFi or CableWiFi network when you’re searching for networks, and then simply login using your Cox username and password. 

Another great feature that you get access to with Cox internet is the Cox Panoramic Wifi App and Cox Panoramic Wifi modem. This topnotch wireless router and modem combo delivers secure and reliable, high speed internet throughout your entire home for a small monthly fee. The Panoramic Wifi network features Advanced Security, which helps to stave away cyber attacks, scans your network round the clock for threats, blocks dangerous or unknown sources trying to access your devices, and more. And the security doesn’t stop there! Every Cox internet subscriber has access to the Cox Security Suite Plus, which is powered and supported by McAfee for no additional cost. Cox Security Suite Plus provides antispyware, antivirus, instant message and email protection, and more for up to five computers.

The Panoramic Wifi modem is not only super secure; it is also super smart. It automatically decides and selects the most appropriate frequency for what you are trying to do, whether it’s streaming your favorite shows or playing your favorite games online with your friends. The Panoramic Wifi app works in conjunction with the Wifi modem and allows you to track and manage internet activity throughout your home. 

Cox has also made streaming your favorite content more convenient than ever with the Wireless 4K Contour Stream Player, offered exclusively to Cox internet subscribers who use Panoramic Wifi for only $5 per month. The Wireless 4K Contour Stream Player allows you to manage and stream your favorite video and music content all in one place without having to plug into a cable outlet. It includes a free Contour Voice Remote, which allows you to pull up content with your voice. You can also control any other Cox Homelife devices, from thermostats to lights to door locks, from your Contour Voice Remote. This is home automation made easier at its best.

Frontier Communications Corporation is one of the United States’ largest telecommunications providers, delivering internet, phone, and security services to nearly 4 million residences and businesses nationwide. It is also a substantial pay television provider with over 800,000 subscribers in the United States. Employing 22,000 employees in 29 states, Frontier’s mission is to keep people connected to the people, places, and things that matter most to them. 

Frontier offers download speeds up to 1000 Mbps in select markets. In areas where Frontier’s FiOS network isn’t available, it offers DSL Broadband and DSL at varying speeds. In contrast to most of its direct competitors, Frontier customers enjoy no data caps on their internet service, which means you’ll never experience any unexpected overage charges on your monthly bill. Frontier also offers symmetrical download and upload speeds, which means you can upload those photos from your family vacation in no time at all. 

Residential customers can generally expect to have a one year price lock with no contract required. Frontier Communications offers some of the lowest prices for gigabit speeds in the country, with speeds of up to 500 Mbps going for as little as $40 per month in certain areas. And since there are no data caps on Frontier’s internet service, you’ll never receive an unexpectedly high bill. You have the option to purchase or lease equipment directly from Frontier, which is always under warranty and is supported by Frontier’s 24/7 US-based tech support team. You also have the option to bring your own equipment, but be sure that it is compatible with Frontier internet service and be prepared to troubleshoot any WiFi troubles on your own.

Frontier has three networks in the United States. FiOS by Frontier brings gigabit speeds to your home on its 100% fiber network with matching upload and download speeds. Vantage by Frontier offers speeds up to 115 Mbps, which is plenty fast to stream your favorite shows and movies on multiple devices at the same time. High-Speed Internet is available to those outside of the FiOS and Vantage networks and are able to provide ample speed to do the things you need to do everyday, such as check emails, pay bills, and stay connected to family and friends through social media.

Operating out of 19 states, Suddenlink is a cable and fiber internet provider. Acquired by Altice in 2012, Suddenlink has rapidly grown since that time and has expanded its service from 1.5 million subscribers to a monstrous 4.6 million subscribers. That makes Suddenlink the fourth-largest cable internet provider in the nation. Suddenlink is actively trying to grow that network thus bringing more and more customers under the Suddenlink brand. Offering not only the internet but also cable television and home phone service making it a great choice for any residential consumer. Any entertainment needs a home may have can surely be covered by Suddenlink’s outstanding service.

Suddenlink was created by Cequel III after it had acquired a number of smaller communications and cable networks, originally forming the company under the name Cebridge Communications in 2003. The company continued to purchase different networks, taking on Thompson Cablevision in 2004 and expanding its coverage area into sixteen states. It acquired two more companies, Tele-Media and USA Media Systems, further increasing coverage into twenty-three states. Cebridge Communications continued these acquisitions until the company itself was acquired by Altice in July of 2015. Altice, keeping the Suddenlink brand, and combining it with another company they had acquired, Cablevision, then became the fourth-largest cable company in the nation with over four million customers. As of today, Suddenlink has coverage almost nationwide with nineteen states currently being served with particularly high coverage in areas like Texas, California, and Arizona.

Suddenlink operates off of a mix of cable and fiber lines to provide its customers with service. Most of its signals transmit through fiber lines, eventually transferring over to a cable connection to connect to the residential end-user. This has allowed Suddenlink to take its already substantial cable television network and leverage it to offer internet as well. To further improve speeds, Suddenlink uses a hybrid fiber-coaxial method to deliver speeds that are normally not available. This hybrid fiber-coaxial line can handle far more bandwidth than other forms of internet connections like fixed wireless, satellite, or DSL. Suddenlink is in the process of upgrading many of its markets with a true fiber connection. Fiber coverage is only likely to grow as demand across the nation for the fastest internet speeds possible increases. Though hybrid fiber-coaxial is able to deliver truly incredible speeds, the upgrade to fiber lines will increase available bandwidth not only for download speeds but upload speeds as well.

Suddenlink has a whole suite of products to choose from. With different speeds, prices, and the ability to bundle Suddenlink’s internet service with cable television and home phone service, it gives its customers multiple ways to connect their home. Without being locked into one option per market, Suddenlink subscribers have the ability to choose the best plan that not only fits their digital lifestyle but also their budget. This has become a significant selling point for Suddenlink, especially as consumers are looking to reduce how much they spend on a monthly basis to connect to a fast, reliable network.

Though having been around since 1986, ViaSat didn’t launch its first internet plans until 2012. ViaSat is a satellite internet service provider with a general focus on serving areas that normally do not have access to a reliable internet connection. Covering 98% of the country and all 50 states, all that is needed to be able to connect is a clear line of sight to the southern sky, a modem, and a satellite dish to send and receive signals. This has helped many of those who would otherwise have to spend thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars, to run a DSL, cable, or fiber line to their home.

ViaSat has continually upgraded its service. When the company first launched, its entire service survived off the back of one satellite, the ViaSat-1. Since then, they’ve acquired three additional satellites, either through additional launches or acquisitions from other companies to greatly expand its capabilities. The last of these to launch, the ViaSat-2, was said to increase the total bandwidth and network capacity available by 300 Gigabits per second as well as take ViaSat’s service internationally. They have plans to increase this further. They’ve announced three more launches of their newest satellite, the ViaSat-3, that will increase the total bandwidth by a full terabit per second. The first of these is set to launch in 2020 with a second launch planned by 2022.

Offering free standard installation on all orders, ViaSat makes connecting to the internet easier than ever. ViaSat offers multiple different plans that feature different speeds and different levels of priority data. Priority data? I’m sure the question being asked is “Does ViaSat have a data cap?” The answer is a resounding no. Viasat offers unlimited data without charging overage fees or shutting your internet connection off. If one does go over their priority data, then at that point, customers just have to contend with network congestion much like any other internet service provider. If there is no congestion, then speed should be unaffected. This makes ViaSat a perfect option for activities like streaming, checking social media, or visiting a favorite site on the web.

ViaSat is perfect for almost any web-based application. Connecting your smartphone, sharing videos online, and watching your favorite streaming service are perfect fits for ViaSat’s network. The only limitations ViaSat has are gaming and Virtual Private Networks(VPN). When it comes to gaming, there should be a half a second to full second lag time when playing online. If you’re playing single-player games, this interruption is non-existent and will not interfere with any updates that a game may release after launch. A VPN is another matter. VPNs put a significant strain on any network and satellite networks doubly so. When using a VPN with ViaSat, speeds can be expected to drop anywhere from 50 to 75 percent. That doesn’t mean ViaSat is an inferior service though.  However, when looking to game or use in-home VPN, it’s important to be aware of the technology’s limitations so that you can plan accordingly and choose the best service that will fit your needs.

HughesNet currently has the highest coverage area in the nation with all fifty states falling under its service area. One of the two major satellite providers in the nation, HughesNet has focused the core of its business on providing internet to underserved or un-served areas, often rural or small towns. Its recently increased speeds up to 25mbps with the launch of its new Gen 5 satellite, the “EchoStar XIX.” With ninety-eight percent of the country under HughesNet’s coverage area, it’s almost guaranteed that they’ll be an option available to any consumer.

HughesNet uses geosynchronous satellites to provide its customers with broadband internet connections. Since HughesNet was initially founded, it’s launched multiple satellites with its latest launch occurring in 2017 with the “EchoStar XIX,” powering HughesNet’s Gen 5 service. This launch allowed the company to reach broadband levels, increasing speeds to 25 Mbps across the board. It also increased the available bandwidth that HughesNet offered its customers as well as simplifying their pricing structure to a tiered system that was based on available data caps. HughesNet does operate off of priority data caps though its internet can be considered unlimited. At no point does HughesNet charge overage prices or shut the internet off if a customer goes over their “priority data” limit, instead just having to deal with reduced speeds until their next billing cycle. If a customer does need more data before their next billing cycle rolls around, HughesNet has made data tokens available, increasing priority data and increasing available speeds in the process.

HughesNet is a great choice for rural customers as wired connections are often completely unavailable in America’s more remote locations. Satellite internet allows them to access the world wide web at broadband speeds allowing for almost any activity. It does have its drawbacks though. The biggest activities this can be seen in is online gaming and virtual private networks. This is in large part due to the latency, or ping, that satellite internet experiences. The time signals take to transmit from the customer’s dish to the satellite to the receiving and then back again can take anywhere from a half-second to a second. For most activities like browsing the internet or streaming video, this latency is almost entirely imperceivable. For gaming though, that often required split-second reaction times, it is unavoidable. VPNs, in particular, are affected, as well. When using a VPN, download speeds even when within the priority data limit can tank anywhere from fifty to seventy-five percent. This reduction in speeds is not guaranteed with some VPN users not having any issues whatsoever. With that being said, it is something to take into account when considering a satellite internet provider.

For many rural customers, satellite internet is going to be one of the only viable options open to them. That doesn’t make it a lesser product though. When choosing the right package for you, assess your needs, your internet usage, and your budget to choose the package that will leave you satisfied and meet all of your digital requirements.