CenturyLink Review 2023: Plans, Pricing, and More

Is CenturyLink good?

When we size up an internet service provider (ISP), customer satisfaction is an important factor. In our internet customer survey, which evaluates areas including cost and reliability, CenturyLink got 21st place out of 25 ISPs.

Thanks to CenturyLink’s no-contract setup, you’ll get solid billing flexibility on the ISP’s internet and phone plans. But CenturyLink’s unpredictable DSL network and lack of TV service means that your customer experience will vary widely depending on where you’re shopping from.

Jump to:

• CenturyLink internet packages
• CenturyLink internet and phone bundles

CenturyLink internet packages

Data effective as of publish date. Pricing and speeds are subject to change. Not all offers available in all areas.
* Service is not available everywhere. Offer is available to qualifying customers only. Limited time offer. Paperless billing required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply.
† Speed may not be available in your area. Maximum download/upload speed of up to 940 Mbps via a wired connection. Paperless billing required. Taxes and fees apply. Offer details. Offer includes professional installation at customer’s eligible location.
‡ Speed may not be available in your area. Paperless billing or prepay required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Get the fastest internet speed available at your location (max speed is up to 100 Mbps).

If you have a lot of folks at home who love to stream TV, we recommend the CenturyLink Fiber Gigabit plan. You’ll get excellent internet performance, and at $75.00 a month, it’s cheaper than other fiber internet providers like Verizon Fios ($89.99 monthly) and Optimum ($80.00 monthly).

Depending on your area, you might also be prompted to sign up for Quantum Fiber. Quantum is basically CenturyLink’s rebranded fiber internet plan, and you’ll still have the same internet plans and pricing.

Unfortunately, area availability limits the CenturyLink plans you can purchase. If you can’t get CenturyLink Fiber Internet at your address, CenturyLink offers Simply Unlimited Internet DSL plans. DSL plans have wildly variable speeds between areas—from 1.5 Mbps to 140 Mbps.

A couple or a small family that occasionally watches Netflix and Hulu shows can make 80–100 Mbps work pretty well. But if your address gets a download speed of less than 40 Mbps, you’ll be overpaying for slow internet and you’ll be better off looking at competing internet providers.

Check out our full CenturyLink internet review to learn more about the ISP’s internet plans.

CenturyLink internet and phone bundles

Data effective as of publish date. Pricing and speeds are subject to change. Not all offers available in all areas.
* Service is not available everywhere. Offer is available to qualifying customers only. Limited time offer. Paperless billing required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply.
† Speed may not be available in your area. Maximum download/upload speed of up to 940 Mbps via a wired connection. Paperless billing required. Taxes and fees apply. Offer details. Offer includes professional installation at customer’s eligible location.
‡ Speed may not be available in your area. Paperless billing or prepay required. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges apply. Get the fastest internet speed available at your location (max speed is up to 100 Mbps).
** Taxes and fees apply. Rate excludes CTL Fees not to exceed $4.00/mo/line. Offer Details.

CenturyLink usually charges $50 monthly for its Simply Unlimited Home Phone plan. But you get a $10 discount when you add it to your internet plan.

Simply Unlimited Home Phone comes with unlimited nationwide calling, including Canada and U.S. territories. Simply Unlimited Home Phone comes with features such as caller ID, call waiting, and three-way calling.

CenturyLink doesn’t offer cable TV, which is a minor inconvenience if you’re looking to get all your services from one provider. ISPs typically offer the best cable TV deals when you bundle internet and TV services. But if you’re worried about keeping track of multiple bills, you can pay your TV bill through CenturyLink if you sign up with DIRECTV.

Visit our Centurylink bundles breakdown to learn more about combining CenturyLink services.

Is CenturyLink worth it?

The biggest thing CenturyLink has going for it is price and value. And honestly, those are most people’s bigger concerns when shopping for internet and phone service.

But don’t get us wrong—customer support, install and setup, modem satisfaction, and reliability are equally important. We find CenturyLink’s lackluster scores in those categories somewhat discouraging.

But CenturyLink’s relatively low prices and no-contract setup covers up a lot of warts. So go ahead and give CenturyLink a try if you can get a fast DSL plan or fiber internet. Since there’s no contract, there’s no risk. You’re free to leave if you’re not happy.

CenturyLink FAQ