Is CenturyLink Any Good? (Review + Best Internet Deals)
With so many internet providers available marketing themselves as the best and fastest providers in the country, it’s difficult for people to narrow down their search. That’s why we’ve delved into the CenturyLink details. We’ve compiled a thoroughly researched CenturyLink review to get to the bottom of whether or not this is a standout internet provider.
Our review covers everything from CenturyLink’s availability and their download speeds to how the company stacks up against its competitors, like AT&T. We get into the CenturyLink fundamentals and some frequently asked questions from prospective customers.
To learn more about CenturyLink and if it’s a good provider for you and in general, don’t miss our comprehensive review below.
In this article you will find out...
Best CenturyLink Internet Deals October 2022
Whether you are looking for 100% Fiber Optic home internet or DSL, CenturyLink is running deal for you in October 2022. The $100 Reward Card is among the best rewards CenturyLink has ever handed out since we started tracking these deals. Without a doubt, now is one of the best times ever to get started with CenturyLink.
The offers below are our favorite deals of the moment. Depending on your price range and local availability, you can’t go wrong with either option. To see a complete list of current CenturyLink offers, visit their website and enter your service address.
1. CenturyLink 100 Mbps Internet Deal – 100 Mbps Fiber Internet for $50 mo total price
- CenturyLink Fiber Internet
- 100/100 Mbps Speeds
- Unlimited data, no overage fees
- No contract and no rate hikes
- Get $100 Reward Card when you sign up online
2. CenturyLink Gigabit Internet Deal – Gigabit Fiber Internet for $70 mo total price
- CenturyLink Fiber Internet
- “Gigabit” 940/940 Mbps Speeds
- Unlimited data, no overage fees
- Stream HD content from up to 8+ devices
- Get $100 Reward Card when you sign up online
Where is CenturyLink Available in 2022?
CenturyLink provides a standard digital subscriber line (DSL) internet throughout the United States except for California, Kentucky, and the New England states Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, and Connecticut, as well as Delaware and Maryland.
In total, nearly 19 million people in the U.S. have CenturyLink DSL internet, making the company the fourth largest provider in the nation. CenturyLink also provides Copper, Fixed Wireless, and Fiber Optic internet alongside DSL internet.
CenturyLink availability’s main strength lies in rural communities that typically don’t have as readily available access to major internet providers. CenturyLink extends to many widespread rural communities across the U.S.
Fiber Optic Availability
As opposed to CenturyLink’s DSL internet availability, its Fiber availability is limited and mainly consolidated to larger cities–13 to be exact–capable of handling the download speed that the connection provides. This confined connectivity also means that the CenturyLink fiber internet is not ideal for rural communities, unlike the CenturyLink DSL internet connection.
CenturyLink Speed and Data Caps
Two essential parts of an internet provider are speed and data caps.
No one likes slow download times, and many people prefer ample storage on their devices without limitations. Here, we look into what kind of speeds CenturyLink offers and if they have any data limitations.
Speed
CenturyLink’s speed ranges from 10 to 940 megabits per second (Mbps), depending on your package purchase. The company’s basic internet plan allows for 100 mbps which may not seem like a lot compared to the fiber gigabit option, which has to download speeds up to 940 mbps, but 100 mbps is adequate for essentials such as email, social media, general browsing, and even streaming movies and TV.
If you require faster download speeds, you can purchase CenturyLink’s internet with higher speeds, such as the 200 Mbps options. These speeds for the internet permit higher-quality streaming, gaming, and faster downloads and uploads.
However, if you want the fastest downloads, you’ll probably want to look into the CenturyLink Fiber internet package. CenturyLink’s Fiber internet reaches 940 mbps, making it ideal for people with multiple devices, streaming enthusiasts, and gamers.
Data Caps
For most CenturyLink plans, the data caps out at 1TB, which is roughly 1,000GB. Ultimately, this is a relatively adequate amount of space for storage, but for high-intensity users with the need for a lot of storage, this data cap may limit their needs. To avoid the 1TB data cap, customers can look into the Fiber Gigabit plan, CenturyLink Prism, or additional unlimited data plans.
These three alternatives to data caps give users unlimited data so that they don’t have to worry about running out of storage or upgrading plans later on during their usage.
CenturyLink Internet FAQ
Besides availability, download speeds, and data caps, there’s more to consider from an internet provider before purchasing, such as how the company stacks up against competitors, frequently asked customer questions, and understanding your service’s fine print.
Below, we’ve compiled a thorough review of everything you may question about CenturyLink so that you don’t have to dive into extensive research looking for the answers, starting with how CenturyLink compares to competitors.
What’s the Advantage of CenturyLink Over Other Providers?
The biggest question you probably have about CenturyLink is what advantages it offers compared to competitors. Well, we dive into that a little bit deeper concerning their attentive technical support team and their unwavering rates.
24/7 Tech Support
CenturyLink provides its customers with 24/7 technical support for a range of inquiries and assistance with a designated phone number to call to get you in touch with the appropriate responder. The company also has a support page on its website to narrow down their search for help to their corresponding CenturyLink product or topic.
Customers can also navigate to their website to find help with more specific technical tools such as internet speed tests, troubleshooting and outages checks, and booking an appointment for a service technician to serve on-location to fix a more intensive problem.
Rates Will Not Change
CenturyLink has a Price for Life guarantee that comes with their services with the expectation of their Fiber internet. The Price for Life guarantee means that the initial price you pay upon purchasing the CenturyLink service will remain the same month-to-month and year-to-year.
This feature is ideal for those worrying about the possibility of paying hiked rates in the future with the plan. It’s also perfect for those with strict budgets because the price will not fluctuate down the line.
This guarantee, however, is not offered for the CenturyLink Fiber internet package, which may have something to do with the Fiber internet’s limited availability or the high-demand for high-speed internet. Still, either way, and speculation aside, the Price for Life guarantee does not apply to CenturyLink Fiber internet.
What does that mean for CenturyLink Fiber internet prices? Well, it means that they are subject to change during your service.
Can I Break My Contract?
You can’t break what you don’t have. When you purchase CenturyLink, you don’t sign-up for a long-term contract that other services require; therefore, you, technically, can’t break your contract because you won’t have one to break.
Suppose you choose to terminate your CenturyLink service. In that case, you also won’t get charged a cancellation fee that other services may implement, which is nice because it lets you walk away from the service without penalty. The non-existent contract also means that you can leave your service whenever you want without getting stuck to a limiting timeframe and recurring costs.
What Else Do I Need to Know?
While a Price for Life guarantee sounds like hitting the lottery concerning internet providers, you should know that the lock-in offer comes with some conditions such as a set service duration alongside unspecified taxes, fees, and surcharges.
CenturyLink displays a specific value you’ll pay for your service and says that the price is guaranteed for life. However, extra charges, fees, and taxes inflate the price you see. While the price does remain the same, the recurrent price will differ from the displayed price because of the extra costs.
The Price for Life guarantee also requires a certain service-length. While you don’t have to sign an irrefutable contract, you need to enter into a specific timeframe to get the same set price per month.
Can I Bundle Services?
CenturyLink offers various packages that include DIRECTV alongside internet and home phone connection with pricing accommodating up to 330 plus channels. When considering bundling your home phone, internet, and TV provider, you should also consider the download speed you need since CenturyLink’s bundles don’t come with Fiber internet.
The max download speed you can get when choosing a CenturyLink three-in-one bundle is 100mbps, but speeds may vary depending on your location. The CenturyLink Price for Life guarantee is also available for some bundles. However, it’s not clear which it applies to as CenturyLink has a few bundling options with varying accompaniments and prices.
CenturyLink vs. AT&T Internet – Which is Better?
Both CenturyLink and AT&T provide high-speed Fiber internet options; however, AT&T tends to hike rates up during long-term use, whereas CenturyLink offers a steady price-point throughout your service. That said, AT&T offers their Fiber internet package at a relatively lower initial price than CenturyLink, though this is probably to accommodate the impending price-hikes.
While both have high-speeds, AT&T is faster with a range of 100mbps to 1,000mbps, whereas CenturyLink ranges between 10mbps and 940mbps. AT&T also offers fixed wireless internet, which CenturyLink does not.
Even when it comes to possible price-hikes down the line, when it comes to initial pricing and download speeds, AT&T’s internet services beat out CenturyLink.
What We Love About CenturyLink
Ultimately, there are many aspects concerning CenturyLink we admire and favor, such as their rural availability, their varying speeds, attentive customer service representatives, and their acclaimed Price for Life guarantee.
Rural Availability
CenturyLink makes getting internet in rural communities extremely easy since it’s readily available in most rural areas. This widespread availability makes finding an internet provider with capable speeds relatively straightforward for those in rural communities throughout the U.S.
Price for Life Guarantee
Many internet providers like to confuse customers with the fine print in their contracts and fluctuations in monthly prices throughout their service duration. We genuinely admire CenturyLink’s straightforward pricing concept because you won’t get caught off-guard with any additional fees or hidden charges resulting from a lengthy, misleading contract.
Attentive Customer Service
If picking out an appropriate internet provider isn’t hard enough, going through the rigamarole of setting up your service is. With CenturyLink’s 24/7 customer service and great online troubleshooting help, you can kick service set-up stress to the curb. CenturyLink provides ample ways for customers to get help when dealing with their service.
Not only that, but CenturyLink also provides many online options for assistance with other aspects of their services. You can find help on their website for their different services alongside more general troubleshooting assistance. You can also schedule an appointment for a CenturyLink technician to come to your home and assess the situation in real life.
Not all internet providers will go the extra mile to help out customers in need, but CenturyLink makes customer satisfaction and set-up ease a priority, which is admirable.
Download Speed Range
Even though some alternative internet providers offer faster download speeds, such as AT&T’s 100mbps-1,000mbps capabilities, we appreciate CenturyLink’s range. CenturyLink’s download speed starts at 10mbps for the most basic internet offered.
For some, all they need is basic internet without fancy high-speed capabilities. CenturyLink accounts for those with fewer demands and provides a solution at a reasonable cost, whereas other providers require a specific download speed or nothing.
What We DON’T Love About CenturyLink
While CenturyLink provides customers with many advantages, we also feel like they lack in some areas concerning Fiber internet and the Price for Life guarantee.
Fiber Internet Availability
When internet speed and instant gratification are essential and a standard of daily life, you can’t afford limited range. CenturyLink would benefit from extending its fiber internet reach from a handful of cities to most cities across the U.S.
Fiber Internet Price for Life Guarantee
With all of the other CenturyLink packages, you get the company’s Price for Life guarantee, so why not for the Fiber internet package too? With many other internet provider’s hiking-prices every so often, the Price for Life guarantee CenturyLink has made it stand out from the crowd. It would stand to do even better if the guarantee extended to its higher-speed Fiber internet as well.
Bundling Price for Life Guarantee
The CenturyLink site alludes to some bundles falling under the lock-in guarantee of Price for Life. Still, the website makes no specific mention of which particular bundles the guarantee refers to. Therefore, it’s difficult to say which bundle would provide the best value.
This lack of transparency also begs the question, why do only some bundles get the Price for Life guarantee? None of the bundles come with Fiber internet, so it stands to reason that they should all fall under the lock-in guarantee.
The Fine Print
When you think CenturyLink is transparent, they forget to mention the extra charges that inflate your monthly set price when displaying the Price for Life guarantee with each internet package.
The Price for Life guarantee makes CenturyLink stand out among the internet provider crowd because of its straightforward pricing guarantee. When looking into the fine print of things, you soon realize that the guarantee, while true, isn’t wholly accurate regarding the prices advertised on the company’s website.
Verdict: Is CenturyLink Worth It?
The moment you’ve read for, is CenturyLink worth it? Our answer? Probably, but it depends where you live. If you live in a rural community that doesn’t have access to some of the major high-speed internet providers, CenturyLink is of great use to you unless, of course, you want Fiber internet. The Fiber internet is where CenturyLink lacks since it only services 13 cities throughout the U.S.
The CenturyLink Price for Life guarantee seems great but fails to mention the extra fees that will add to your solidified payment price each month. Some competitors, such as Verizon Fios or AT&T, initially offer lower-priced services that may remain lower even with their rate-hikes.
However, CenturyLink does have many advantages, such as the no-contract requirement, attentive technical support, and adequate data cap. All in all, CenturyLink boasts many benefits, and we recommend giving them a try if you live in an area where CenturyLink is available.
