Earthlink is among the earliest and most established ISPs in the United States of America and is widely recognized. It was established in 1994 and is currently providing dial-up, DSL, fiber optic, and wireless internet service provider to its customers in the country. However, given the numerous choices of home internet service providers in the present time, is Earthlink all that relevant in 2023? Now, some benefits and drawbacks of using the services of Earthlink Internet.
Speed
Earthlink has various tiers of speed and their DSL plans range from 25-40 Mbps depending on the location. Their fiber optic plans are up to 1Gbps which is almost similar to other competing ISPs’ higher speed packages. However, their faster fiber plans are available only in selected neighborhoods availability only. The current average internet download speed in the US is over 175 Mbps, so Earthlink’s DSL plans are below average, but the fiber plans are very fast.
Reliability
As a company that has been in the ISP business for a long time, Earthlink boasts of having reliable connections. They far less frequently are reported to industry watchdogs about major service disruptions than comparable ISPs do. Having a stable network is one to add to their cap. However, a person’s experience may differ from the place they are living in or visiting.
Customer Service
This is the area where Earthlink differentiates itself most notably. Every year, Earthlink is either at the top or near the top of the list when it comes to customer service in internet providers. They are known for their good technical support and the friendly and professional approach of their customer service personnel, a rarity among most ISP players that are notorious for poor customer relations. Some customers have cited better customer service as the reason for continuing to use Earthlink or opting to use it instead of other services.
Availability
The disadvantage of Earthlink in its comparison to other primary ISPs like Charter, Comcast Xfinity, Frontier, etc is that it is offered in a very limited number of locations. As for now, Earthlink internet access is possible only in some 25 states at most. Thus, for the customers from other states, the Earthlink internet is nothing they can even think about. For people who are in the coverage area of Earthlink, it is good to know that there is another option out there apart from the large cable internet providers such as Comcast and Charter who often have a monopoly in the regions that they operate in.
Pricing
On the side of the price, it can also be noted that like other major ISPs, they provide lower rates for the first year to those who are new to Earthlink making the first bundled package very cheap. One distinct difference to this though is how Earthlink has sought to adopt a pricing model that is more transparent to customers. The standard rates posted on their website do not incorporate extra taxes and fees meaning that the customers are fully aware of the total charges when making a decision. They also allow customers to choose ‘lock-in’ on certain tariffs so the rates cannot be increased while the contract is active. In a way, Earthlink does well in this part compared to most ISPs because they are clear about the prices they offer consumers.
The one weakness on this aspect of pricing however is that Earthlink does not have cheap or subsidized programs for the lower income earners or those on welfare as some of the other ISPs do. That means cost-sensitive broadband-only customers who want to keep home internet costs as low as possible may have to turn to Comcast’s Internet Essentials or AT&T’s Access service instead. However, Earthlink does offer Affordable Connectivity Program benefits that offer up to $30 per month off for qualified families.
Extras
When it comes to extras, Earthlink does include some additional perks with certain packages: The Prime plan offers Norton Security Online and Prime VPN for identity theft monitoring protection. Their fiber optic plans also consist of Echo Dot devices to provide voice control. But still compared to some competitors who offer streaming services such as Hulu or ESPN+ for free with internet packages, Earthlink is slightly lacking in making streaming content or hardware devices available to its users. While the additional security software does offer some kind of value, it does not seem as compelling as getting access to more movies, TV shows, or music.
The Verdict
In conclusion, can Earthlink be considered a good home internet service provider in the year 2023? The answer is: It depends. To those who are blessed to reside in the area where Earthlink fiber is available, it offers a quality option to compete against the big cable ISPs and boasts of very fast connection. The same can also be said for current Earthlink customers who are happy with the service and only wish to continue having a good and dependable internet connection with friendly customer service support.
DSL subscribers however may look around and discover he or she can get even faster internet connection at almost the same prices from service providers such as AT&T or Frontier. However, it would mean that you are giving up on the high ground that Earthlink enjoys when it comes to customer service most of the time. Finally, if having your internet service bundled with lots of streaming content extras is the most important criterion to you, then you are likely going to come out a winner when you compare the costs of Xfinity, Spectrum, or Verizon Fios to that of Earthlink.
Thus, despite limited availability making Earthlink internet not feasible for many, it offers a good internet option for American households who consider reliability, moderate speed (depending on the plan), competitive and transparent pricing, and best-in-class customer service. In 2023, that still makes them good in my book even though they are not trying to reinvent themselves with all sorts of gimmicks as some of their competitors are. To those who just want good internet without all the frills of modernization, there is no denying that their old-fashioned consistency and service are the best.
Call (866) 240-0701 to get a new Earthlink connection now!
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