Add Suddenlink Communications to the ranks of cable operators offering the full triple play of voice, video and high-speed Internet services, after the rollout of Suddenlink-branded telephone service in three Texas markets.
Suddenlink, the eighth-largest U.S. cable operator with 1.4 million subscribers, has offered phone service to about 30,000 customers in parts of West Texas and Missouri after the May 2006 purchase of about 900,000 subscribers in eight states from Cox Communications for $2.6 billion.
The new rollout is the first offering of Suddenlink-branded voice-over-Internet Protocol telephone service. The St. Louis-based company hopes to have telephone service available in about 80% of its footprint by the end of the year.
Suddenlink said phone service — in addition to video and high-speed Internet — will be available in Bryan/College Station, Tyler and Georgetown (including Leander and Pflugerville). Those are among Suddenlink’s 14 largest service areas.
The cable operator has its own backbone network to handle calls — in conjunction with Level 3 — and has an agreement with Sprint Nextel to complete calls outside its own network, director of corporate communications Gene Regan said.
“We’re into the triple play, just in time for baseball season,” Regan said.
Unlimited local and domestic long distance will be offered as a standard part of service as well as popular calling features such as caller ID, call waiting, three-way calling, anonymous call rejection, and call-forwarding. Voice mail and international calls are available at “competitive rates.”
Pricing for the phone service will be $39.95 per month when bundled with video and high-speed Internet; $44.95 per month when bundled with one of either video or high-speed Internet; and $49.95 per month standing alone, Regan said.
