Parker internet speeds go up again

Suddenlink’s $250m investment brings higher speeds

Residents of the Parker, AZ area don’t get much choice when it comes to broadband internet providers. But a series of infrastructure improvements and speed boosts in the past few years have made all the difference for those doing business and pleasure in the area, and the latest speed boost will make power users happy if they don’t mind paying for it.

There are four basic ways for homes here to get online: Suddenlink (cable), Frontier (DSL), Hughesnet (satellite) or by using a dialup provider (which is not broadband).

Suddenlink has had the fastest options for a while, and today the cable provider announced a new high-speed service boasting a download speed up to 150 megabits per second (Mbps) in the Parker area (upload at 7.5 Mbps).

Suddenlink also announced that Internet speeds for its existing customers have been increased at no additional charge. Customers with 15 and 30 Mbps services are being upgraded to 50 Mbps, while those with 50 Mbps services are being upgraded to 75 Mbps. Customers will be notified directly about the new speeds.

The cable provider’s standard internet service offerings in the Parker area will now have download speeds up to 50, 75, 100 and 150 Mbps, made possible by an investment of about $250 million above and beyond other capital investments, according to the company.

Frontier Communications, the landline phone provider, also offers internet via DSL, with speeds up to 24 Mbps. DSL is a relatively new way to deliver broadband internet in the Parker area, with infrastructure improvements allowing the service in recent years. Speeds can be expected to improve with time.

The average home internet speed in Arizona is 46.1 Mbps, while the average in California is 57.7 Mbps. Top tier internet speeds in metro areas tend to be faster and cheaper than in more rural regions. Parker area service is much more expensive on a per-megabit basis than many other areas.

In addition to cable and DSL infrastructure, AT&T, Sprint/Nextel and T-Mobile have all invested in the Parker area in recent years with 4G mobile broadband getting better too, and LTE speeds in the region.