CenturyLink Overview
CenturyLink is a major DSL and fiber optic internet provider in US. While many consumers know about them for their internet access, CenturyLink also offers TV and phone services.
On this page you'll find the latest CenturyLink promotional deals along with information about customer ratings and how to choose the right plan for your needs.
CenturyLink: Comparing Provider Plans
Pros
- Locked-in pricing
- Streaming-capable download speed
- Dedicated, stable connection compared to cable
Cons
- High price for speed range
- Reduced upload speeds
- Data use limits
Keep the following tips in mind when comparing CenturyLink internet plans:
Early Termination Fees. Many of CenturyLink’s Internet packages require you to sign a contract, and ducking out on that contract can lead to high fees (ETFs) that can really break the bank. Make sure that you can commit to the entire term of the agreement when signing up for CenturyLink service.
Bundle services. CenturyLink has an agreement with DirecTV to offer high-quality television programming as part of their bundle deals. If you’re interested in adding TV service to your plan, you can often save a large amount of money by bundling DirecTV with your Internet when compared to purchasing the services separately.
CenturyLink Availability: What Are My Options?
CenturyLink has a presence across much of the United States, with a notable gap in New England and California. CenturyLink offers a wide variety of speeds, and only certain areas will have access to their high-end plans.
The company offers service through two different Internet technologies: DSL and Fiber.
DSL, or Digital Subscriber Lines, is an older technology that uses existing telephone network infrastructure to deliver data to your home. Because this type of connection has been around for quite awhile, there’s a high availability for rural customers, and CenturyLink is able to cover the majority of the country with their DSL network. However, despite the widespread coverage, DSL is very slow when compared to alternatives like Cable and Fiber. The network is the most reliable of the three with speeds that will be consistent across the course of the day, but the low maximum speeds may make this a poor choice for those who expect a lot from their high-speed connection.
The other part of CenturyLink’s network uses Fiber Optic infrastructure. Fiber connections are the gold standard of internet in both speed and reliability, but there aren’t a lot of areas served by this cutting-edge technology. Due to the immense expense involved in rolling out Fiber to the entire country, you’ll often find that Fiber connections are limited to urban areas where providers can take advantage of a high-density customer base. If you have Fiber in your area, you’ll enjoy the fastest speeds around, but the majority of CenturyLink’s customers aren’t so lucky.
Which CenturyLink Speed Tier is Good Enough?
Because CenturyLink offers both DSL and Fiber connections, the maximum speeds available to your residence may vary wildly. Having strong internet speed is important for "cord cutters" who watch a lot of Netflix and YouTube.
Generally, Netflix recommends a speed of around 5 Megabits per second (Mbps) for a single Standard Definition stream. Mbps is the standard measure for the speed of an Internet connection. DSL service from CenturyLink maxes out at 40 Mbps, which would take around 15 minutes to download a High Definition movie of average length. CenturyLink’s fastest Fiber connection, on the other hand, will download the same movie in around 30 seconds. It’s easy to see how a faster connection means less time spent waiting for a stream to load and more time watching your favorite shows.
CenturyLink Data Limits
CenturyLink places a data cap of about 1TB on residential internet plans. The average customer will use much less, but this can be an issue for large households with multiple "power users."
In practice, a family of four can comfortably stream HD video daily without hitting the ceiling. CenturyLink maintains that the use of data caps helps limit network stress and guarantee a consistent service for all users.
For a single person with just a few devices, the high-end DSL plans should be more than enough for Standard Definition streaming. For homes with multiple people with multiple devices online, your speed requirements will increase pretty drastically.
For most everyone, CenturyLink’s 100 Mbps Fiber package should be more than enough. For the hardcore streamers and gamers, the 1000 Mbps tier may be more suitable. In many areas, however, neither of those plans are available. For the average person’s internet use, we highly recommend speeds of at least 40 Mbps.
CenturyLink Prism Vs DirecTV Plans: What’s The Difference?
If you’re looking to add television service into your CenturyLink plan, you’ll find that there are two options: CenturyLink Prism and DirecTV. With two different providers available to choose from, it can sometimes be confusing to figure out which offers the best combination of price and features.
CenturyLink Prism TV Plans
CenturyLink Prism TV offers a variety of packages ranging from an introductory plan with around 165 channels to their most premium option with over 350. When buying service through CenturyLink, Prism offers the highest amount of channels with their top-tier plan. However, it’s important to mention that the price for this service is very high considering it just covers TV, and that price only goes up after the initial 24 month agreement.
DirecTV & CenturyLink Internet Bundles
DirecTV, on the other hand, offers a 240 channel plan for less than 50% of the price of Prism TV. While you don’t get the same amount of channels as the Prism plan, the significant savings make this deal more than worth it in our opinion. Bundling service with CenturyLink Internet often knocks the price down even more, further sweetening the deal. With DirecTV, you’ll also enjoy the extensive features of a TiVo Genie DVR that is much more useful than Prism’s whole home DVR. Add to these benefits exclusive access to NFL Sunday Ticket, and it’s easy to see why DirecTV is a competitive choice.
Overall, if you’re looking for the maximum amount of channels at the expense of other features and are willing to pay a premium, Prism TV may be your best bet. Otherwise, consider bundling DirecTV with your Internet to enjoy some of the best TV nationwide for a pretty affordable price.
CenturyLink Equipment Prices
In order to connect to the Internet with CenturyLink you’ll need a modem and router, or a combination of the two known as a gateway. The modem allows you to connect your home to the Internet, while the router gives you the ability to connect multiple devices — typically through a wireless network.
You have the option to either buy or rent the gateway through CenturyLink. If you choose to buy the equipment, it’s a rather large initial investment, and it will take around 15 months of service to break even. However, after that point, you’ll start to save a significant amount each year. Considering many CenturyLink contracts are around 24 months long, it’s generally a better deal to buy the equipment yourself.
Setting up your CenturyLink Internet service is pretty easy once you have the equipment, and professional installation is usually unnecessary.
How to Install CenturyLink Internet:
Plug your gateway into an electrical outlet
Plug one end of the phone cord into the wall and the other into your modem
If you have a router to connect multiple devices to the Internet, use an Ethernet cord to connect the modem to the router by plugging it into the WAN port.
Plug the router into an electrical outlet.
At that point, you’ll be able to connect your devices to the Internet either through a cable or wirelessly (if you have a router). If you were provided with a gateway rather than a separate modem and router, you’ll be able to skip the steps involving hooking the two together.
To set up CenturyLink Fiber, it’s usually as simple as plugging your gateway into the cord coming out of your wall and connecting it to power via a standard outlet. If your home is not already wired for Fiber service, however, you’ll need a professional to visit in order to run outside wires into your home.
Contract vs No Contract CenturyLink Internet Plans
When shopping for broadband or TV plans, contracts are one of the first things you should pay attention to. Before choosing the plan with the lowest price, think about your living situation for the next 12-36 months or the length of the contract.
In many cases if you plan on moving within the contract period is to more cost effective to choose a plan that doesn't have a contract then it is to pay the early termination fee (ETF).
This is especially important for renters or people thinking of moving in the short term.
Promotional vs Non-Promotional Pricing
Promotions are great. We love them and they are great for most consumers, but before you sign up for a promotional plan, you should find out what the price of those services will be after the promotional period has ended.
Generally you'll have to call the new service phone number to find out these details.
Consider The Total Monthly Price of CenturyLink Deals
Before you go through the installation process make sure clear on what the total monthly price will be. Sometimes this pricing can be substantially higher than the bundle you have selected depending on the taxes and additional equipment such as routers, DVRs, or TV boxes that you have added to your plan. Sometimes the best way to find your total monthly price is speak with a new service representative.
Reviews and Ratings on CenturyLink Internet Plans
Our goal in starting BroadbandNow was to create a place where consumers could find unbiased reviews and ratings from other customers.
To do this we setup a system that only allows customers originating from an IP address of a service to rate that service.
To date, 60,410 CenturyLink users have rated their service and 35.3% said that they would recommend their service to a friend.
CenturyLink Availability
CenturyLink is available in many areas, (you can find the full CenturyLink availability map here) including Arizona, Colorado, Washington, and 47 other states. In total they cover 48.3 million people across 50 states.
If in doubt on whether CenturyLink has service in your area, enter your zip code into the zip search above and we'll show you all the providers that available in your area.