Still, there are a few reasons to consider Sparklight internet, like its lack of contracts and speeds up to 1,000 Mbps. And if you can get its Freedom Connect plans, you’re golden. Read on to find out how Sparklight compares to other internet providers and whether it’s right for you. Let’s dig in. In general, the Freedom Connect plans and the Starter 100 Plus plan are all great deals. You’ll get a lot of value with the unlimited data and competitive prices. Here’s what all of the Sparklight internet plans look like: The Freedom Connect 600 and Freedom Connect Gig plans are great deals. But the Turbo 300 Plus and GigaONE Plus plans—your two alternatives to the Freedom Connect plans—are not. This is due to the high monthly price and low data caps—about one terabyte (1,000 GB) a month for each of these plans. To be fair, several internet service providers (ISPs) offer only one TB of data, but we’d rather see them offer unlimited data at no extra cost. Especially for gigabit-speed plans. After a year, your price for the Starter 100 Plus plan goes up to $45 a month. Then after 24 months, it rises once more to $55 a month. None of Sparklight’s other plans currently offer a year-long promotional price, but you may find limited-time offers, like the three-month promo price for Streamer & Gamer 200 Plus. Promotional prices are pretty common when it comes to internet, and we’re happy to see Sparklight be transparent about it. *For 1 year. $45/mo (13–24) $55/mo after trial offer. **$10 charge for each add’l 100GB; Up to $50/mo. But we noticed that folks in Anniston, Alabama, could get lower prices for internet from AT&T compared to Sparklight. And while EarthLink might be more expensive than Sparklight or any other option in your area, it’s regarded as one of the best internet providers for customer service. If we compare plans, Sparklight’s Starter 100 Plus is by far your cheapest option. Even after it reaches the full standard price of $55 a month, Starter 100 Plus has still given you a better deal than AT&T, CenturyLink, or EarthLink. Here’s how its price compares to Sparklight Freedom Connect Gig and similar plans from AT&T, CenturyLink, and EarthLink: The moral of the story is: If you can get Sparklight Freedom Connect, you’re golden. Look elsewhere for better value if you’ve got Streamer & Gamer 200 Plus, Turbo 300 Plus, or GigaONE Plus as your Sparklight options. Want to learn more about your internet options with AT&T, CenturyLink, and EarthLink? We’ve got full reviews for each one:
AT&T Internet Review CenturyLink Internet Review EarthLink Internet Review
We like that Sparklight offers a wide range of download speeds no matter where you’re located. The starting speed of 100 Mbps is great for small families, and if you need more internet speed than that, you’re covered by the rest of Sparklight’s plans. But watch out for small data caps and slow upload speeds.
Starter 100 Plus: Unlimited Streamer & Gamer 200 Plus: 700 GB Turbo 300 Plus: 1,200 GB (1.2 TB) Freedom Connect 600: Unlimited Freedom Connect Gig: Unlimited GigaONE Plus: 1,500 GB (1.5 TB)
Granted, most of us won’t use 1,200 or 1,500 GB of data in a month, so those data caps are a tad bit more reasonable. But streamers and gamers are more likely to use lots of data to download movies, shows, and games. So we find it ironic that the Streamer & Gamer 200 Plus plan comes with the least amount of data (700 GB). If you do go over your data cap, Sparklight charges you $10 for every extra 100 GB, up to $50 (or 500 GB). You can add unlimited data to your Sparklight plan, but it’ll cost you $40 extra per month. So to get unlimited data with a Streamer & Gamer 200 Plus plan, you’ll pay $105 a month. Nope, not worth it if you can get a different provider. That’s a huge bonus because it means you can cancel or change your plan at any time without having to pay an early termination fee (ETF). And trust us, ETFs are no joke. Many are upwards of $200 or $300. Sparklight’s modem rental fee isn’t bad—it’s one of the lower fees around. But you may save money (and get extra modem features) if you buy your own modem.
Sparklight modem rental fee: $10.50 a month
All of Sparklight’s modems now come with WiFi ONE, which includes up to three extenders to blanket your entire home with a Wi-Fi signal. If you decide to use your own modem, make sure it’s supported by Sparklight first. And as for other equipment, may we recommend some of our favorite routers? It never hurts to ask for your installation and activation fees to be waived, though. We say go for it.
Installation fee: Free or up to $90. Sparklight may offer you a free installation deal, so don’t be afraid to ask. Activation fee: Free or up to $100. Again, we recommend asking if you can get this fee waived. Internet surcharge: $2.75 a month. Most ISPs charge this fee to help maintain their networks in your area. Service visit fee: $45 Data overage fee: $10 for every 100 GB, up to $50—or 500 GB—a month
Sparklight tech and billing support: 1-877-692-2253 Twitter: @sparklightcares Facebook: @SparklightCares
But if you’re stuck with the Streamer & Gamer 200 Plus, Turbo 300 Plus, or GigaONE Plus plans, we say look elsewhere. (Unless you can settle for the Starter 100 Plus plan, which is a good deal.)
Prices and plans: Sparklight’s Starter 100 Plus and Freedom Connect plans are the best deal—all of these plans offer competitive pricing and unlimited data. But the rest of its plans are a no go due to low data caps and sky-high prices. Speed: Sparklight offers a wide range of internet speeds, up to 1,000 Mbps. That’s great, and its performance in 2022 was decent too. Data caps: Some of Sparklight’s plans have wonky data caps. We say go for one of its unlimited data plans—you shouldn’t need to pay an extra $40 a month to not worry about data overages. Contracts, equipment, and fees: Sparklight doesn’t require you to sign a contract, which is ideal. Its equipment is also decent quality, and though some of its fees are high, it does offer deals like free installation or activation. Customer service: Based on customer reports, we’d say Sparklight is one of the better ISPs to deal with when it comes to customer service.
Plan availability Pricing Data caps and internet speeds Contracts, fees, and equipment Customer service reviews
Afterward, we compared our Sparklight data to information on other ISPs that are available in the same area to determine which Sparklight plans offer value—or not. Another option for checking on internet outages is Downdetector. Try our free internet speed test to see what your Sparklight (Cable One) internet speed currently is.
