Is Quantum Fiber good?
Quantum Fiber is CenturyLink’s fiber internet under a new name, so expect similar strengths and weaknesses like excellent pricing along with confusing availability. But if you’re choosing between Quantum and a cable internet service provider (ISP), we’d recommend Quantum Fiber internet in most scenarios.
Quantum Fiber pros and cons
Pros
- Excellent pricing
- Fast fiber internet speeds
- No contracts
Cons
- Spotty availability
- Bare-bones bundle options
- No budget internet plan
Quantum Fiber deals
Current Quantum Fiber deals include a free combo modem/router and a $10 monthly discount when you sign up for the 940 Mbps plan.
Quantum Fiber plans and prices
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
* Limited availability. Service rate in select locations only. Taxes and fees apply. New Quantum Fiber Customers Only.
Quantum’s 500 Mbps plan is a great starter speed for most households, and you’ll have enough bandwidth for family Netflix nights or work assignments. With 500 Mbps upload speeds, sputtering Zoom calls and lengthy Google Drive transfer times will be a problem of the past. And at only $50 per month, Quantum’s 500 Mbps plan is more budget-friendly than most fiber providers.
Quantum’s 940 Mbps plan is $25 more than its 500 Mbps plan, but you’ll get much faster download and upload speeds. This plan works best if your household has heavy internet users who regularly download large games or upload files for work. If you feel that the price is a little steep, you can save up to $75 per month if your family qualifies for the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Both Quantum plans also come with unlimited data and no-contract pricing. No-contract service means you can cancel your internet plan at any time without extra fees and your price won’t increase after a year. We’re huge fans of Quantum’s flat-rate pricing approach, which has become increasingly popular among fiber internet providers.
Competition
| Plan | Price | Max download speeds | Flat-rate pricing | Data cap | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantum Fiber | $50.00–$75.00/mo. | 500–940 Mbps | Yes | Unlimited | View Quantum Fiber plans |
| AT&T | $55.00–$180.00/mo. | 100–5,000 Mbps | Yes | Unlimited |
Read AT&T review |
| Spectrum | $49.99–$89.99/mo.* | 300–1,000 Mbps | No | Unlimited |
View Spectrum Plans Read Spectrum review |
| Xfinity | $19.99–$299.95/mo.** | 75–3,000 Mbps | No | 1.2 TB |
View Xfinity Plans Read Xfinity review |
| Cox | $49.99–$99.00/mo.* | 100–1,000 Mbps | No | 1.2 TB |
View Cox Plans Read Cox review |
* For first 12 months.
** For first 12 or 24 months.
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
One of Quantum’s biggest advantages over the competition is its pricing. At $75.00 per month, Quantum’s 940 Mbps plan is a far better deal than comparable plans from cable ISPs Cox ($99.00 a month), Xfinity ($70.00 a month), or Spectrum ($89.99 a month). Each of these ISPs has second-year price increases that make them far pricier than Quantum.
As Quantum’s closest national fiber competitor, AT&T’s 1,000 Mbps plan ($80.00 a month) is pricier than Quantum’s 940 Mbps plan. But AT&T also offers premium 2,000 Mbps and 5,000 Mbps plans along with bundle savings if you add mobile phone or TV service to your plan.
Quantum Fiber features
Quantum’s internet plans are great, but the ISP’s other areas require a little more explanation. Here’s everything else you need to know about Quantum.
Quantum Fiber availability
Understanding Quantum Fiber’s availability requires a quick bit of background. Quantum Fiber is a CenturyLink sister company that offers fiber internet services. CenturyLink still offers fiber internet service, but in the future, parent company Lumen will split its internet services into Quantum (for fiber internet) and CenturyLink (for DSL internet).
But right now, figuring out if you can get Quantum service is more confusing than it needs to be. For instance, Quantum Fiber is available in the following states:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- Montana
- North Carolina
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
But even though Quantum and CenturyLink are part of the same company, Quantum Fiber’s network is weirdly separate from CenturyLink. We searched through multiple cities listed on Quantum’s site and regularly got redirected to CenturyLink.
In practice, nothing separates Quantum and CenturyLink’s fiber plans. Both companies have the same internet plans, and CenturyLink has been migrating its fiber internet customers over to Quantum. But you’re not alone if you’re confused about the difference between CenturyLink and Quantum.
Quantum Fiber customer service
Quantum was too small to land on our annual internet customer satisfaction survey, but sister company CenturyLink had a middling twelfth-place overall finish (out of 19 companies) in this year’s polling.
Quantum Fiber equipment fees
If your address already has a Quantum Fiber hookup, you won’t have to pay an installation fee. But Quantum could be pricier if the ISP needs to do a new installation.
Quantum will cover up to $1,500 in installation costs, and the ISP says most jobs should cost less than $2,000. In these scenarios, you’ll get a full installation quote from Quantum before you choose to sign up for service.
For standard installations, you can rent a combo modem/wireless router for $15 per month on Quantum’s 500 Mbps plan. If you upgrade to the 940 Mbps plan, you can get it for free (it normally costs $200) or choose to use your equipment. We suggest buying your own wireless router instead of renting one since you’ll save on monthly rental fees.
Final take
Quantum’s fiber internet plans are straightforward with great prices, excellent speeds, and no contracts or data caps. We wish this simplicity extended to its availability, but if you’re in a region with Quantum fiber internet service, there’s much to like about the ISP.
Quantum Fiber FAQ
Is Quantum Fiber CenturyLink?
Quantum Fiber offers the same fiber internet services as CenturyLink.
Is Quantum Fiber unlimited?
Quantum Fiber has unlimited data on all of its fiber internet plans.
What is Quantum Fiber?
Quantum Fiber is a fiber internet provider that offers residential and commercial internet plans throughout the US.
Is Quantum Fiber good?
Quantum Fiber is a good internet provider thanks to its affordable prices and fast internet speeds.
Is Quantum Fiber the same as CenturyLink?
Quantum Fiber and CenturyLink are separate brands owned by Lumen. In the future, CenturyLink will offer only DSL services, and Quantum will offer fiber internet plans.
Methodology
To evaluate Quantum Fiber, we spent a week analyzing the provider’s availability, internet plans, and reputation using resources like our annual internet customer satisfaction survey. We also compared Quantum to providers including Xfinity, AT&T, and Spectrum to see how the ISP stacked up versus the competition.
For more information on our methodology, check out our How We Rank page.
