From equipment fees to internet plans, we break down what you need to know about CenturyLink services.
CenturyLink
Price: $30.00–$75.00/mo.
Download speeds: Up to 100–940 Mbps
Upload speeds: Up to 10–940 Mbps
Data cap: Unlimited
| Top plans | Price | Standout features | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink Fiber Gigabit | $75.00/mo.† |
|
View plan |
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 tied for 12th place out of 20 ISPs.
Thanks to CenturyLink’s no-contract setup, you’ll get excellent 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.
| Package | Price | Download speeds | Upload speeds | Connection type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CenturyLink Fiber Internet 200 Mbps | $30.00/mo.* | Up to 200 Mbps | Up to 200 Mbps | Fiber | View plan |
| CenturyLink Fiber Internet 500 Mbps | $50.00/mo.* | Up to 500 Mbps | Up to 500 Mbps | Fiber | View plan |
| CenturyLink Fiber Gigabit | $75.00/mo.† | Up to 940 Mbps | Up to 940 Mbps | Fiber | View plan |
| Simply Unlimited Internet | $55.00/mo.‡ | Up to 100 Mbps | Up to 10 Mbps | DSL | View plan |
Data effective as of publish date. Pricing and speeds are subject to change. Not all offers available in all areas.
* Speed may not be available in your area. Paperless billing required. Taxes and fees apply. Online ONLY. Free Modem.
† 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.
‡ Paperless billing or prepaid 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 the Simply Unlimited Internet DSL plan. DSL plans have wildly variable speeds between areas—from 1.5 Mbps to 100 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.
| Package | Price | Download speeds | Phone plan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber Internet 200 Mbps + Simply Unlimited Home Phone | $70.00/mo.* | Up to 200 Mbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plans |
| Fiber Internet 500 Mbps + Simply Unlimited Home Phone | $90.00/mo.* | Up to 500 Mbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plans |
| Fiber Gigabit + Simply Unlimited Home Phone | $115.00/mo.† | Up to 940 Mbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plans |
| Simply Unlimited Internet + Simply Unlimited Home Phone | $95.00/mo.‡** | Up to 100 Mbps | Unlimited nationwide calling | View plans |
Data effective as of publish date. Pricing and speeds are subject to change. Not all offers available in all areas.
* Speed may not be available in your area. Paperless billing required. Taxes and fees apply. Online ONLY. Free Modem.
† 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.
‡ Paperless billing or prepaid 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.
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.
See if your home is eligible for CenturyLink internet, or phone service by entering your zip code below.
CenturyLink is okay. In CableTV.com’s customer satisfaction survey, CenturyLink finished in 12th place out of 20 contenders. When we broke it down by category, however, we saw that CenturyLink’s strengths are in pricing and value.
CenturyLink provides customer support by chat and phone. You can chat with CenturyLink customer support or call CenturyLink customer support at +1-877-837-5738.
Check out our CenturyLink customer service guide to learn more about the ISP’s support options.
Enter your zipcode here to see what speeds CenturyLink offers in your area. Expect DSL speeds from 15–100 Mbps and fiber speeds up to 940 Mbps.
CenturyLink does not require a contract.
CenturyLink does not offer cable TV services, but you can pay your TV bill through CenturyLink if you sign up with DIRECTV. Visit our Streaming TV Guide to learn more about streaming live TV services.
Yes, you get a $10 monthly discount off internet and phone when you bundle both products with CenturyLink.
You can use CenturyLink’s Outage Check tool to confirm outages in your area. It’s available on CenturyLink’s Help section and the Centurylink mobile app.
CenturyLink is an internet service provider that also offers home phone service. It’s available in 16 states, primarily across the western and central US.
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