CenturyLink Internet Review: Parsing Through Plans, Pricing, Speed and Availability

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CenturyLink home internet rating

How we calculated our rating

6.7/10

CNET Score

We score internet providers for speed, value and customer care. Our data sources include the FCC, J.D. Power, The American Customer Satisfaction Index and extensive in-house research.

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6.7

/ 10

SCORE

Speed

6/10

Value

7/10

Customer Care

7/10

Pros

• Some of the most affordable DSL plans you can find
• Unlimited data
• No contracts

Cons

• DSL speeds can vary wildly based on address and sometimes fall below FCC's broadband levels
• Service interruptions can be a bit too frequent, depending on location

See more pros and cons

CenturyLink home internet review

CenturyLink has a complicated brand history. Lumen Technologies -- CenturyLink's parent company -- recently made headlines because it sold the majority of its fiber internet business to AT&T. Still, that deal doesn't include CenturyLink, which is now home to Lumen's DSL internet, an internet type considered one of the slowest. However, DSL’s value lies in its ability to reach areas where fiber internet hasn’t yet arrived. If you need to stay connected and live in a rural area without other options, DSL can be a lifeline.

Your speeds with CenturyLink will vary significantly depending on your address. Of the 17 states it services, CenturyLink is available to approximately 9% of the US population. Because CenturyLink's speeds are inconsistent, the plans' value depends on where you live. Let's dive into CenturyLink's DSL plans. 

CenturyLink internet plans and pricing

Source: CNET analysis of provider data

DSL is an internet connection type that runs on copper phone lines. It provides a faster connection the closer you are to a hub. That's why some customers may only get maximum downloads of 15 or even 3 megabits per second, while others might experience a comparatively speedy 100Mbps. It all depends on your location.

CenturyLink keeps its Simply Unlimited internet plans (DSL internet, or "digital subscriber line") fairly simple: You pay $55 monthly for whatever speeds you can get at your location. All plans include unlimited data and there are no contracts.

DSL is usually most appropriate for rural communities (areas that might not have faster fixed wireless, cable internet or fiber-optic broadband options available), where pricey satellite internet is the main competition. So, any Simply Unlimited plan that gets you 100Mbps at your address is fairly decent. The cost per Mbps is 55 cents, a solid value for a DSL connection.

If you're stuck with three or 15Mbps for $55 monthly, try shopping around first to see what else you can find. Those internet speeds won't get you very far.

Where can you get CenturyLink?

You can find CenturyLink home internet service in 17 states across the US. Check out the list below:

• Arizona
• Colorado
• Florida
• Idaho
• Iowa
• Minnesota
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• North Dakota
• Oregon
• South Dakota
• Utah
• Washington
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

CenturyLink offers you the best speed available at your address. That's unusual among ISPs, which typically offer three to five plans at most addresses, but not uncommon for DSL service.

As to the value of the plans offered by CenturyLink, the average cost per Mbps for the DSL plans is $1, which is a highly competitive rate for that particular connection type. By comparison, the average price per Mbps of the DSL plans offered by AT&T, Frontier and Kinetic by Windstream is $1.29. I should note that I'm comparing the regular rates, not promo costs, because CenturyLink doesn't do promo pricing. The price you get at the start is your price after your first year, another plus for the DSL service.

Additional CenturyLink internet service details

CenturyLink requires monthly prepayment to offer you its competitive prices and no-term agreements. But this also means no credit checks. Here are a few more details to consider when evaluating CenturyLink's internet service.

Additional monthly fees

Like many other ISPs -- including Spectrum, Verizon and Xfinity -- CenturyLink allows you to avoid a modem or router rental by using your own device. You can check the list of CenturyLink-compatible devices, but if you decide to go with your own gear, you won't be eligible for CenturyLink's free 24/7 tech support.

Going with CenturyLink's equipment will add $17 a month to your bill but you can also purchase the equipment for $200. That monthly equipment cost is pretty high compared to the prices from Kinetic's DSL service ($11). Plus, AT&T and Frontier's DSL internet services don't charge extra for equipment.

That $200 may seem like a daunting initial cost but if you foresee having the service for more than a year -- and you don't have other internet options -- you'll save money in the long run.

One-time fees

While the self-installation route is cheaper, not all addresses are eligible for that option. If you choose to self-install, the fee is $25. Professional installation may cost between $129 and $149, depending on your location.

As mentioned early, if you want to avoid paying the additional monthly equipment fee, you can buy the CenturyLink modem for a one-time fee of up to $200. 

No data caps on any plans

To its credit, CenturyLink has provided unlimited data for its DSL plans for quite some time. While that should be the norm, it's not. It's worth pointing out that you won't need to monitor your data usage or worry about gobbling up too many gigabytes before your billing cycle ends.

CenturyLink vs. its competitors: Mixed customer satisfaction numbers 

CenturyLink saw a mix of good and bad in the 2025 American Customer Satisfaction Index survey. It did OK on the fiber side, notching a score of 71 out of 100 points, but that side of the business will soon be departing to AT&T. On the other hand, CenturyLink's DSL didn't impress consumers much. It landed in the bottom third, with 62 points, which was only better than Frontier, Breezeline and Brightspeed.

For the 2024 J.D. Power US Residential Internet Service Provider Satisfaction Study, CenturyLink scored 528 on a 1,000-point scale in the North Central region and 511 in the West. CenturyLink scored below the industry average for the West region for two years in a row but above the North Central region's mark. On the plus side, J.D. Power positioned CenturyLink above Spectrum, Mediacom and Frontier in the North Central region. Like the ACSI data, it suggests that CenturyLink is a solid but unspectacular, middle-of-the-pack performer regarding customer satisfaction.

The bottom line on CenturyLink home internet

CenturyLink offers a fair monthly rate, includes unlimited data and doesn't require an annual contract. That's great. But some enthusiasm is dulled when you realize you may only be able to get up to 30Mbps. If your address can get downloads of 100Mbps, it's a good deal. However, in many locations, speeds don't reach the broadband minimum of 100Mbps download. As you'll often hear from us, the true worth of a service will depend significantly on your address and which provider plans are available in your area, and CenturyLink is no exception. If you can't get quick speeds, you'll likely be better off pursuing other internet options.

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