Internet mergers are a rarer occurrence these days, so CenturyLink customers could be forgiven for being surprised by their provider switcheroo. Brightspeed, a new provider based out of North Carolina, launched its network by purchasing a chunk of CenturyLink’s old network across the U.S.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re a new Brightspeed customer who was formerly a CenturyLink subscriber.
Are CenturyLink and Brightspeed the same company?
Brightspeed and CenturyLink aren’t the same company, but Brightspeed wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for CenturyLink. Back in 2022, private equity firm Apollo Global Management dropped $7.5 billion to acquire parts of Lumen’s internet network across 20 states. (Lumen is the parent company of CenturyLink and Quantum Fiber.)
Soon after, Apollo used this network to launch Brightspeed. As with CenturyLink, Brightspeed offers fiber and DSL internet service for new customers.
Are Quantum Fiber and Brightspeed the same company?
Brightspeed’s internet adoption process also applies to Quantum Fiber, Lumen’s spinoff brand for its fiber internet services.
If you were a Quantum Fiber customer in an area that Lumen sold to Brightspeed, your internet service would change entirely from Quantum to Brightspeed. You’ll still be on the same fiber network you were as a Quantum customer, but Brightspeed will take over things like network management, billing, and customer support.
What are the biggest differences between Brightspeed and CenturyLink?
As a relatively new internet provider, Brightspeed has its share of differences from CenturyLink. Whether you’re a longtime CenturyLink customer or a new Brightspeed shopper, here’s what you need to know about each provider’s fine print.
Internet plan prices
Former CenturyLink or Quantum Fiber subscribers have lucked out, as you’ll be grandfathered into your old plan on Brightspeed—your plan won’t change as part of the move.
New Brightspeed customers have a few more options compared to CenturyLink, as the ISP offers a budget-friendly 200 Mbps plan alongside a 2 Gbps plan where available. Brightspeed’s non-deal pricing on its budget plans is slightly higher than CenturyLink, but its 1 Gig plan is much cheaper than the competition.
| Plan | Brightspeed* | CenturyLink* |
|---|---|---|
| 500 Mbps | $39.00/mo. | $50.00/mo. |
| 1 Gbps | $59.00/mo. | $75.00/mo. |
* Base pricing.
Equipment
In most cases, your CenturyLink modem or combo gateway will work identically on Brightspeed. Brightspeed suggests swapping out your hardware if it’s more than a few years old, but it likely won’t cost you much.
As with CenturyLink, Brightspeed includes a free combo modem/Wi-Fi router with every fiber internet plan, so you won’t need to spring for extra hardware. But if you’re on a DSL plan, you’ll either need to lease a combo gateway ($15/mo.), purchase a Brightspeed model ($200), or buy your own.
Customer service
Brightspeed took over CenturyLink and Quantum Fiber’s old customer account and tech support portal, so expect a slight adjustment compared to your old CenturyLink setup. However, former CenturyLink and Quantum customers can still use their old login credentials to access their accounts.
As with CenturyLink, Brightspeed doesn’t have physical retail locations for troubleshooting and equipment dropoffs. But Brightspeed maintains a sizable online support hub and offers a dedicated phone chat team through its Total Home Tech Support service for an additional $10 monthly.
Why you should trust us
Our internet experts have spent more than a year analyzing Brightspeed internet plans and their service. As part of our main Brightspeed internet review, we evaluated Brightspeed’s internet performance, service details, and online customer feedback. All provider recommendations and insight come from this first-hand experience, which we cross-referenced with CableTV.com’s existing internet provider coverage.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
