Is Earthlink Internet Good?

EarthLink Internet – Is It Still Relevant in 2023?

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, EarthLink was established in 1994 and was among the first companies to offer the American public the dial-up Internet service. In its heyday in the year 2000, it was reported that the company had more than five million dial-up customers. But as flat-rate broadband connections such as cable modems and DSL started appearing in the mid-2000s, dial-up subscribers started to flee from EarthLink.

By 2013, EarthLink had become fully and completely disassociated with the dial-up internet service that it once dominated and instead, it was a DSL and fiber optic broadband company targeting both residential and commercial users. Web hosting and email services were also made available by EarthLink.

So, in 2023, nearly three decades after its creation, does EarthLink continue to be an effective and relevant choice for an ISP in today’s market? Now let's explore what EarthLink Internet offers today, and whether it is still a viable option as compared to competitors such as Spectrum Internet, AT&T Internet, Verizon Fios, Xfinity, and others.

Internet Services Provided by EarthLink at the Time

When it started however, the only thing that EarthLink had to offer its customers was access numbers which the customers could dial to connect to the internet and this was prevalent in every state in the United States of America whereas the current services that EarthLink provides are broadband internet service which is delivered through the use of DSL or fiber optic cables.

The company offers internet services and products including packages and packages to its customers both individuals and business entities. Offerings go from 3Mbps DSL to over-provisioned plans up to 1Gbps fiber connections. There are no limitations regarding data on any of the plans offered by the company.

Some of the services that accompany EarthLink’s internet packages are subscriptions to Norton Security Online and IDShield for identity theft. This can add some value over and above just plain internet connectivity.

DSL internet speeds do not go over 100 Mbps while fiber connections can provide nearly gigabit internet speeds. Well, if high speed is so crucial, then fiber would be the way forward.

EarthLink Fiber Availability is Very Limited

Herein is one of the main problems of EarthLink today, as its fiber internet service is very limited to only a few locations and states. Specific towns and cities with EarthLink fiber include.

Wilmington, DE Rochester, NY Los Angeles County, CA San Francisco, CA Miami, FL

Well unless you are a resident of one of those regions, a high-speed EarthLink fiber connection is probably impossible. Instead, the majority of customers will be confined to significantly slower DSL Internet only.

DSL Speeds Might Not Be Enough for Most of Today’s Demands

While EarthLink has an “Essential” plan with a minimum of 3 Mbps and a maximum of 25 Mbps, this is on basic DSL. Although these slower speeds may have been acceptable in the past for most internet activities, they are becoming less adequate in the current society.

For instance, one simultaneous Netflix HD video stream requires at least 5 Mbps. The use of the internet for gaming requires at least 10-15 Mbps to be effective. Families with multiple connected devices and those consuming large amounts of bandwidth would still likely find even the fastest offered by EarthLink, 25 Mbps DSL, inadequate.

So unless the surfer’s Internet requirements are extremely minimal and he or she never surfs the net while doing anything else, EarthLink’s real-life DSL speeds may not be quite what was expected today. Of course, speeds can vary too depending on your distance from telephone switching equipment.

EarthLink's Pricing and Fees

As far as promotions are concerned EarthLink in the past ran highly visible campaigns with slogans such as ‘$14. 95/month DSL’. However, in recent years, there has been a cut on the deeper discounts and promotions being offered. Coupled with the constraints on the amount and availability of the actual DSL networks, this may mean that the company may not be as interested in fast customer acquisition.

Currently, published monthly rates for new EarthLink internet subscribers are as follows.

• Essential DSL: Starting from 49. 95 USD monthly with a speed of 3 Mbps.
• Everyday DSL: 12 Mbps for $54. 95 per month
• Ultra DSL: $59. 95/month for 25 Mbps.
• Streaming TV DSL Bundle: The third package is $89. 90/mo which is 12 Mbps + Local TV Channels

Fiber internet package promotional pricing in fiber regions is between $39. 95 for 50 Mbps to $69. 95 for 1Gbps.

However, the reader should note that the intro pricing is only for one year after which the normal retail tariffs are charged. Various other taxes, fees, equipment charges, and other surcharges may also add to the overall final monthly charges. Consumers will wish to bring them into the value equation.

EarthLink and the Competition

Proposing EarthLink services and its pricing model is all nice and dandy of course how does it all look when placed into perspective? However, people who are wise enough to shop online should always compare all the available options and make an informed decision.

For instance, even though 12 Mbps DSL could cost $55/month from EarthLink at present, one could get 75 to 100 Mbps cable internet from Spectrum or Xfinity at the same price.

That’s over 6x faster speeds for the same budget. DSL limitations are all prohibitory to EarthLink ever offering the kind of cheap high bandwidth services that cable and fiber connections offer.

In the case of EarthLink fiber being available, pricing and speeds may be on par with leading fiber providers such as Verizon Fios. However, the choices of fiber choices are very scarce as highlighted above.

When cable and fiber are nonexistent in rural and remote areas, satellite will be the only available option to provide internet services. HughesNet and Viasat also offer speeds similar to EarthLink’s DSL for plans beginning at roughly $60 monthly.

Pros of Choosing EarthLink

If you ultimately do decide EarthLink Internet is the right fit, here are some of the benefits you can enjoy as an EarthLink subscriber.

• The company has been in the telecom business for more than a quarter of a century.
• You do not need to sign any contract to avail the residential service.
• On all plans, there is an unlimited data allowance.
• Additional security solutions were available for free if subscribed to certain packages.
• Customers will have technical phone support to help them with their problems.
• Anti-virus and anti-spam email, and file storage space
• Types of hosting for individual web pages

Cons of EarthLink Internet

And here are a few of the downsides to weigh with EarthLink internet.

• Most will have very limited fiber availability, many will rely on slower DSL.
• The fastest available download speed for DSL is 25 Mbps.
• Copper infrastructure constrains future speed upgrades.
• Lower speeds as compared to the current cable and fiber connections.
• After the first year offer or promotion prices of the plan will change.
• The number of value-added perks has declined in recent years.

The Bottom Line – Who is Earthlink Still Good For?

Considering the impossibility of EarthLink DSL Internet coverage of long distances and the realistic top speed, one might estimate that this service is appropriate for small home usage with no other wired connection available. The protection software add-ons feature some pretty cool extra protection.

Fiber users in areas where EarthLink has deployed fiber should expect to get a fast and responsive internet service ideal for streaming, gaming, and smart homes. However, the availability is severely limited here.

For consumers who are light users who are more price-conscious and located in rural areas where cable/fiber has not been established, EarthLink continues to be a viable option compared to satellite internet. This is because the DSL is reliable and has low latency, which makes it more effective than satellite for applications such as video calls and online gaming.

However, customers with cable or fiber connections ought to get higher speeds for the same amount of money as EarthLink DSL service. Thus, although EarthLink began nearly 30 years ago as one of the leaders in the consumer internet market, it is now more of a specialized provider focused on serving those instances in which there are no other alternatives.

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