How Fast is CenturyLink Internet?
CenturyLink is a telecommunications and technology company that is well known for offering high-speed internet, TV, and landline phone services to residential and business customers in the US. It is available in over 36 states while the network is being expanded to more areas.
The best part about CenturyLink is that it not just offers reliable internet but also doesn’t cost an arm and leg. Customers can get even the fastest internet speed via fiber network for $65 a month.
But since internet speed is a major concern for customers these days, in this article we are mainly going to take a look at how fast CenturyLink internet is and what it has to offer.
How Fast is CenturyLink Internet?
CenturyLink internet services are delivered to customers using fiber optic cables and DSL broadband technology. That makes it faster and reliable.
CenturyLink fiber internet is one of the fastest internet options in the US that offers an amazing download speed of up to 940 Mbps. This speed can support several simultaneous users and allows them to stream, download, make video calls, play games, and even connect home security and smart devices.
However, the fiber network is still under expansion and it is not available for everyone.
The most commonly available internet option is the CenturyLink DSL. CenturyLink DSL internet is among the best and offers a download speed of up to 100 Mbps coupled with an upload speed of up to 30 Mbps.
To find out more about these speeds, let’s have a quick look at the CenturyLink internet plans.
- CenturyLink Fiber Internet Plan
The only plan that CenturyLink fiber has to offer is the Fiber Gigabit plan. This is the fastest as it offers a download speed of up to 940 Mbps while the upload speed is symmetrical.
Since it is a fiber connection, it has lower latency and more reliability than other connection types. That makes it ideal for gaming and other usages that require a strong and stable connection.
Another good news is that there are no data limits with the fiber internet. Customers have the liberty to use it as much as they want without paying any additional charges or facing any speed throttling. Moreover, it doesn’t cost a lot as you can get it for $65 a month.
The only downside is that CenturyLink fiber internet is not yet available in a majority of the service areas. So, not everyone can get it.
- CenturyLink DSL Internet Plans
Via the DSL technology that uses phone lines to offer internet services to customers, CenturyLink offers different speed options. The fastest among these is the download speed of up to 100 Mbps. Besides that, there are other speed options such as 80 Mbps, 40 Mbps, 20 Mbps, and 15 Mbps.
The good news for CenturyLink DSL customers is that there is a price for life guarantee with all these speed options. So, you don’t have to worry about frequent price hikes. Moreover, there is a data cap of 1 TB of data. That is usually more than enough as not every household goes over that.
The bad news is that all the DSL plans cost the same. It doesn’t matter whether you get the download speed of up to 100 Mbps or the 40 Mbps, you will have to pay $49 per month for that. And it doesn’t end here because the download speed of up to 100 Mbps is not available in every area.
Customers are automatically given the fastest download speed that is being offered at their location. Although it is great for those who get 80 Mbps or 100 Mbps, it doesn’t work for everyone.
Is CenturyLink Internet Fast Enough for Netflix and Streaming?
Most of the streaming platforms such as Netflix require a download speed of at least 5 Mbps for streaming in HD. If we look at CenturyLink internet speed, even the DSL internet offers much better speed than this. So that’s a yes.
Not just for Netflix, CenturyLink internet works great with other streaming platforms including Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube TV, and many more.
The Bottom Line
CenturyLink Internet is among the top internet choices available in the US. It is not just reliable or cost-effective, it also delivers great speed. Besides that, its customer service is also among the best and always there to help.
One thing that I would like to add here is that a majority of the CenturyLink service areas are rural where there are no good internet options. Customers either have to go for satellite internet service providers (which are expensive and have data limits) or use mobile hotspots to get things done. In such a scenario, even the DSL speed of up to 40 Mbps works wonders.
So, if you can get CenturyLink fiber in your area, don’t skip that opportunity. And in case there is only DSL internet, compare other available options and see which one offers the best value.
