Optimum
Optimum is the consumer-facing brand of Altice USA subsidiary CSC Holdings, providing fiber broadband (300 Mbps–8 Gbps), 5G mobile, OTT TV, and business telecom services across 14+ U.S. states to residential, SMB, enterprise, and government customers via 125+ retail stores and dedicated sales channels.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBethpage, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Optimum does
Optimum is the primary consumer-facing brand of CSC Holdings, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Altice USA, Inc. (NYSE: ATUS), and operates a fiber-to-the-home broadband network across 14+ U.S. states including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Texas, California, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Nevada. The company is headquartered at 1 Court Square West, Long Island City, New York. Optimum unifies the consumer services previously marketed under the Altice and Suddenlink brands after a 2023 rebranding, and now sells Internet (300 Mbps to 8 Gbps fiber), Mobile (nationwide 5G), TV (Entertainment TV delivered via the Optimum Stream OTT device), and bundled service packages to residential households, small and medium businesses, enterprise customers, and government/low-income programs such as NYCHA's Big Apple Connect.
The core technology stack is a fiber-to-the-home network delivering symmetrical and asymmetrical speeds up to 8 Gbps, supplemented by Smart WiFi 6E gateways, Optimum Stream OTT devices, and legacy Optimum TV Box set-tops where Stream is not available. The company operates 125+ retail stores nationwide, dedicated consumer (877-694-9474) and business (800-819-1069) sales lines, self-serve portals for residential and business customers, and a separate enterprise portal (myfiberportal.com). Distribution is augmented by a referral/partner program targeting SMB acquisition. Customer acquisition is driven by competitor switching campaigns against AT&T and Verizon with contract buyouts up to $100 (consumer) and $1,500 (business), plus a five-year price lock guarantee on internet plans.
Revenue is generated primarily through recurring monthly subscriptions across Internet, TV, and Mobile tiers (e.g., 300 Mbps at $25/mo, 1 Gig at $45/mo, 8 Gig at promotional pricing; Entertainment TV at $30/mo; Unlimited Mobile at $45/line/mo), with incremental hardware/equipment rental fees, add-on services (Whole Home WiFi, Total Care, Premier Technical Support, Business Connection Backup), and a new transaction-fee stream from the Bango-powered Digital Vending Machine subscription management platform. Bundling Internet with TV and/or Mobile yields $5-$15/mo in savings. The network infrastructure represents a significant capital asset ($40M New Jersey FTTH deployment alone), and Optimum leverages third-party validation (Ookla Speedtest recognition as fastest and most reliable in NY/NJ, CNET recognition in Bridgeport and Stamford) and public-private partnerships (NYC Big Apple Connect, Empire State Development for 2026 FIFA World Cup viewing events) as competitive positioning tools.
Optimum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Optimum
- Legal name
- CSC Holdings, LLC
- Website
- https://www.optimum.com/
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Optimum is the consumer-facing brand of Altice USA subsidiary CSC Holdings, providing fiber broadband (300 Mbps–8 Gbps), 5G mobile, OTT TV, and business telecom services across 14+ U.S. states to residential, SMB, enterprise, and government customers via 125+ retail stores and dedicated sales channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Optimum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Telecommunications and Broadband Services
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Services-Telephone Interconnect Systems (7385)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business/Enterprise ISPs (Dedicated Internet Access) (HDAIADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Business/Enterprise Fixed Connectivity Providers (SME/Enterprise Broadband) (HDAIABAI)
Keywords
Where Optimum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bethpage
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Optimum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Internet Services: Monthly subscription fees for residential and business internet services ranging from 200 Mbps to 8 Gbps fiber plans. Revenue generated through tiered pricing based on speed tiers with promotional pricing for new customers.
- TV Services: Entertainment TV and premium channel subscriptions including live TV, sports packages, international channels, and On Demand content.
- Mobile Services: Mobile phone and tablet plans including Unlimited and Unlimited Max tiers with nationwide 5G coverage.
- Business Services: Business internet, phone, TV, and managed services for small, medium, and enterprise customers including secure internet and cloud-based phone systems.
- Equipment Fees: Monthly gateway rental fees, WiFi extender fees, and set-top box charges.
- Subscription Management Platform: Partnership with Bango enabling customers to manage streaming service subscriptions through Digital Vending Machine platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | 300 Mbps Internet - $25/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | 500 Mbps Internet - $35/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | 1 Gig Internet - $45/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | 2 Gig Internet - promotional pricing |
| Subscription | Monthly | 5 Gig Internet - promotional pricing |
| Subscription | Monthly | 8 Gig Internet - promotional pricing |
| Subscription | Monthly | Entertainment TV - $30/month |
| Per seat | Monthly | Unlimited Mobile - $45/month per line |
| Per seat | Monthly | Unlimited Max Mobile - $55/month per line |
| Hybrid | Monthly | Bundle Savings |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Secure Internet - starting at $65/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business 1 Gig Fiber - starting at $95/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Optimum Advantage Internet |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels7 records
Optimum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Optimum is a U.S. telecommunications provider offering fiber-powered residential and business internet (300 Mbps to 8 Gbps), mobile wireless (5G), TV/entertainment, and voice services, along with managed business solutions. Services are delivered through its own fiber-to-the-home network, 125+ retail stores, and dedicated business sales teams across multiple states.
Product overview
Optimum is a telecommunications company (formerly Altice USA) offering a comprehensive suite of connectivity services. The product portfolio centers on three core offerings: Optimum Internet (fiber-powered broadband with speeds from 300 Mbps to 8 Gbps), Optimum Mobile (nationwide 5G wireless service), and Optimum TV/Entertainment TV (OTT streaming via Optimum Stream device). These core services can be purchased individually or bundled together for savings up to $15 per month. The company also operates Optimum Business, providing enterprise-grade internet, phone, TV, and managed services including Business Connection Backup and Premier Technical Support. Supporting add-ons include Whole Home WiFi for expanded coverage, Total Care for priority support, and the budget-focused Optimum Advantage Internet program. The company recently expanded into subscription management through a Bango partnership enabling customers to manage streaming service memberships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Optimum Advantage Internet: Budget-friendly internet program for eligible customers offering low-cost broadband service with free installation and equipment included.
- Optimum Mobile
- Optimum Stream
- Optimum Business
Products and services
- Optimum Internet Fiber-powered high-speed internet service providing download speeds from 300 Mbps up to 8 Gbps with 5-year price lock guarantees and 99.9% network reliability, targeted at residential customers.
- Optimum Mobile Nationwide 5G mobile phone and tablet service offering unlimited talk, text, and data plans with pricing from $25/month per line (autopay) and device financing options, targeted at individual consumers.
- Optimum TV (Entertainment TV) Over-the-top (OTT) Internet TV service offering up to 200+ live channels and 50+ streaming apps, delivered via the Optimum Stream device, starting at $30/month for Entertainment TV.
- Optimum Business Internet Business-grade internet services including Business Secure Internet (up to 1 Gig with built-in network protection) and Business Fiber Internet, starting at $65/month with 60-day money-back guarantee and no annual contract, targeted at small, medium, and enterprise businesses.
- Optimum Business Phone Business voice services including unlimited calling to US, Canada, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands, plus cloud-based hosted voice and SIP trunking options for SMBs and enterprises.
- Optimum Business TV Business television packages including channel lineups, sports packages, and international channels designed for sports action and news viewing in business locations.
- Optimum Advantage Internet Budget-friendly internet program providing speeds up to 50 Mbps download for qualifying low-income households, including free installation and equipment, designed to address affordability barriers to broadband adoption.
- Bango Subscription Management Platform Subscription management platform powered by Bango's Digital Vending Machine that enables Optimum customers to manage streaming service memberships (starting with Disney+ and Hulu trials) directly through Optimum services.
Quantifiable outcome
- Ookla recognized fastest and most reliable internet in NY and NJ
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Optimum
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Optimum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature5 records
Optimum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Empire State DevelopmentminorRegional partner supporting free 2026 FIFA World Cup community viewing events on Long Island and in Westchester County as part of Governor Hochul's strategy to maximize statewide economic and tourism benefits from hosting the World Cup.
- New York City FCminorSoccer organization partner for 2026 FIFA World Cup community viewing events on Long Island.
- Westchester Soccer ClubminorSoccer organization partner for 2026 FIFA World Cup community viewing events in Westchester County.
- U.S. Soccer FoundationminorNational soccer organization supporting World Cup viewing events and soccer programming.
- New York City (NYC)core$1.2 million investment in free online digital learning hub for public housing residents through Big Apple Connect broadband subsidy program, covering 330,000 New Yorkers across 220 NYCHA sites. Three-year program extension.
- Spectrum (Charter Communications)coreJoint investment partners in Big Apple Connect program providing broadband subsidy and digital learning hub for NYCHA residents.
- BangocoreOptimum partnered with Bango to develop a subscription management platform using Bango's Digital Vending Machine. The platform enables customers to start and stop memberships for various streaming services, beginning with a trial offering for Disney Plus and Hulu.
- OoklaminorSpeed test analytics provider that recognized Optimum Fiber as the fastest and most reliable internet service in New York and New Jersey.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights7 records
Optimum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Verizon Fios: Verizon's fiber-to-the-home consumer and business broadband service is Optimum's most direct head-to-head competitor in the NY/NJ footprint, offering comparable gigabit tiers over FTTH and overlapping mobile/bundle offerings.
- Spectrum (Charter Communications): Charter's Spectrum brand is a national cable broadband and pay-TV competitor that directly overlaps Optimum's product portfolio (Internet, TV, Mobile, Business) in many of the same U.S. markets and jointly partners with Optimum in the Big Apple Connect NYCHA program.
- Xfinity (Comcast): Comcast's Xfinity is the largest U.S. cable broadband provider and offers the same converged Internet/TV/Mobile/home-security bundle that Optimum markets, competing on price, speed tiers, and bundled-mobile value in overlapping geographies.
- AT&T Internet / AT&T Fiber: AT&T's fiber and DSL broadband services compete directly with Optimum in residential and business segments; Optimum explicitly targets AT&T customers with switching incentives, indicating overlapping footprints and direct competition.
- Frontier Communications: Frontier is a fiber and copper broadband provider with meaningful overlap in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic U.S. and is actively expanding FTTH passings, making it a direct Optimum competitor for both residential and enterprise fiber customers.
- WideOpenWest (WOW!): WOW! is a regional cable broadband, TV, and phone operator competing in similar Midwestern/Southeastern markets with comparable HFC-to-fiber upgrade economics; it's a relevant peer for benchmarking Optimum's mid-market cable strategy.
- Cox Communications: Cox is a privately held U.S. cable broadband, TV, mobile (via MVNO), and business services provider with a comparable converged-connectivity product set and similar capital-intensity profile in legacy HFC markets.
Emerging players
- T-Mobile Home Internet: T-Mobile's 5G fixed-wireless home internet product is an emerging alternative to Optimum's cable broadband in many of its markets, leveraging the nationwide 5G network to undercut cable on price and simplicity, though with lower top-end speeds.
- Starlink (SpaceX): SpaceX's Starlink satellite broadband service competes primarily in Optimum's rural and underserved cable-plant territories (Louisiana, Mississippi, parts of the Appalachians) where Optimum's fiber upgrades are most capital-intensive to deploy.
- Google Fiber: Google Fiber is a fiber overbuilder active in select U.S. cities; while not in most Optimum markets today, its expansion plans and 8 Gbps tier positioning set the competitive ceiling that Optimum's own 8 Gig product must match.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Optimum social profiles
Digital presenceOptimum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Optimum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Optimum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Optimum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Optimum
What does Optimum do?
Optimum is a U.S. telecommunications provider offering fiber-powered residential and business internet (300 Mbps to 8 Gbps), mobile wireless (5G), TV/entertainment, and voice services, along with managed business solutions. Services are delivered through its own fiber-to-the-home network, 125+ retail stores, and dedicated business sales teams across multiple states.
Is Optimum a public or private company?
Optimum is a public company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Optimum founded?
Optimum was founded in 2015. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Optimum based?
Optimum is headquartered in Bethpage, United States, in the North America region.
How does Optimum make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Internet Services are the primary driver. The others are TV Services, mobile Services, business Services, equipment Fees and subscription Management Platform.
Who are Optimum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Verizon Fios, Spectrum (Charter Communications), Xfinity (Comcast), AT&T Internet / AT&T Fiber, Frontier Communications, WideOpenWest (WOW!) and Cox Communications. Emerging players are T-Mobile Home Internet, Starlink (SpaceX) and Google Fiber.
Does Optimum have an API?
No public API is recorded for Optimum.
What industry is Optimum in?
Optimum's product category is Telecommunications and Broadband Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIADAB, Business/Enterprise ISPs (Dedicated Internet Access), with a secondary code of HDAIABAI, Business/Enterprise Fixed Connectivity Providers (SME/Enterprise Broadband). Its NAICS code is 541512 and its SIC code is 4813.