CenturyLink Internet vs. Google Fiber

Google Fiber is a pretty specialized provider, bringing a handful of superfast symmetrical internet plans to a handful of lucky cities across the U.S. Meanwhile, CenturyLink Internet has a comparable fiber-optic network in a handful of different cities.

Both companies offer similar 1 Gig internet plans with admirable terms of service that will likely appeal to most users. Google Fiber provides three even faster plans to meet the demands of more highly connected families, but we feel that 1,000Mbps should be plenty for the vast majority of households.

On the other end of the spectrum, CenturyLink Internet operates a DSL network with a much wider geographical reach than either company’s fiber-optic networks. While more widely available, these lower-speed DSL plans might not be the best deal in town.

Google Fiber is in the business of providing only high-speed internet. The company’s internet plans start at a staggering 1,000Mbps and only go up from there.

For reference, we estimate that a family of six with ten or more connected devices would be comfortable with a 500Mbps connection for uses including HD streaming, casual gaming, running a home office, or using home security and smart home devices.

Google’s entry-level 1 Gig plan will appeal to a lot of different users, including professionals, families, students, and anyone who wants reliable and fast home internet. At just $70 per month, it’s a good deal compared to other providers with similar fiber-optic plans.

And if you need more than 1,000Mbps, Google’s price per megabyte gets better as the speeds increase up to 8 Gigs (8,000Mbps) for $150 per month.

We think customers will be happy with Google Fiber’s straightforward terms of service. None of Google’s plans require a contract, meaning you are welcome to cancel service at any time without penalty.

All of Google Fiber’s potential fees are handled transparently. Potential fees are mostly related to equipment replacement and upgrades, and the company provides a full list of possible fees on its website.

Another perk of Google Fiber is that all internet plans come with free equipment rental. Depending on the plan, this may include a wireless router and up to two Mesh Extenders to ensure that you’re getting full bars of Wi-Fi signal in every corner of every room in your home.

Other Google Fiber perks include unlimited data, 1 TB of free cloud storage, and (in most cases) free professional installation!

If you thought Google Fiber’s options were streamlined, just wait until you see CenturyLink! With only two plans, the company makes your choice pretty easy: Unlimited low-speed DSL internet or unlimited high-speed fiber-optic internet.

The Simply Unlimited DSL plan costs $55 per month and offers speeds that cap out at 30, 80, or 140Mbps.

It’s worth noting that while CenturyLink’s Fiber Internet plan is priced pretty average among its competitors (comparison chart above), the Simply Unlimited DSL plan might not be the best option for the price. After all, many cable internet providers and 5G internet providers offer the same or better speeds at a similar price.

If you’re curious about what options exist in your neighborhood, try out our handy zip code tool below for a full list of providers.

CenturyLink’s fiber internet plan is a much better deal than DSL, offering up to 940Mbps speeds for a reasonable $75 per month. If you were already thinking that the DSL plan might be a little too slow for your modern-day internet needs, we’d recommend shelling out the extra $20 per month for ten times the power.

The good news is that none of CenturyLink’s plans require a contract, so you are welcome to end your service at any time without penalty. Furthermore, CenturyLink is known for not implementing price hikes, so if you’re happy with the price you signed up for, you’ll probably enjoy paying that price for years.

The less-good news is that one of CenturyLink’s plans has better fees and terms than the other. Again, we are more impressed with the Fiber Internet plan than the Simply Unlimited DSL.

Like Google Fiber, CenturyLink’s fiber plan comes with free Wi-Fi equipment rental, free installation, and unlimited data.

Unfortunately, CenturyLink’s DSL plan comes with more strings attached. First, customers need to provide their own equipment or rent a modem for $15 per month, with the option to buy a modem straight from the company for $200.

CenturyLink’s Simply Unlimited plan might also come with a one-time installation fee. These can run from a $15 self-installation to $149 professional installation, depending on what telecommunication infrastructure already exists in the home.

Overall, we’d say that the fees are another reason to recommend CenturyLink’s fiber plan over DSL. Once you add in equipment fees and installation, you’re basically paying the same price anyway!

Fiber internet is the new gold standard for fast and reliable home internet with its reliable and lightning-fast download and upload speeds. So we’re happy to report that both Google Fiber and CenturyLink offer top-tier fiber-optic internet connections for those who want 1 Gig speeds or faster.

Google Fiber’s speeds go much higher than CenturyLink, with four options ranging from 1,000Mbps to 8,000Mbps symmetrical download and upload speeds.

CenturyLink might not offer comparable plans above 1 Gig, but the company offers a DSL plan on the lower end (up to 140Mbps) that Google Fiber hasn’t bothered to compete with. However, DSL is an inferior technology to both fiber and cable internet, so we recommend shopping around to see if another type of connection might better suit your home internet needs.

In summary: If you are a light internet user, a DSL connection might be all you need. However, highly-connected households with heavy internet traffic might be better off with fiber internet, especially if they need fast upload speeds for a home office, social media, or certain types of online games.

Take note that advertised speeds are not always what you actually get. Often, the fine print will specify that connections are delivered up to a certain speed. Anecdotally, we’ve heard that DSL users clock their connections at well below the advertised maximum speed. Fiber connections are less likely to experience this phenomena because signals sent with light-based technology are less likely to degrade over long distances.

DSL networks have the advantage of utilizing preexisting phone lines to deliver internet to basically any household with a phone. That’s why CenturyLink is able to offer internet services in at least 37 U.S. states from Washington to Florida.

In the coverage map, darker blue shades indicate a higher density of CenturyLink connections.

While the convenience of DSL coverage is a big plus, many users will be more interested in where they can get CenturyLink’s superior Fiber Internet. CenturyLink offers fiber connections in at least 20 specific metro areas, including:

Similarly, Google Fiber offers fiber internet in a select number of cities nationwide, with more added every year. The current list includes:

• Huntsville, Alabama
• Orange County, California
• Atlanta, Georgia
• West Des Moines, Iowa (coming soon)
• Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri
• Charlotte and The Triangle, North Carolina
• Nashville, Tennessee
• Austin and San Antonio, Texas
• Provo and Salt Lake City, Utah

Google also offers a niche service known as Webpass in additional cities. To learn more about Webpass and its availability in your area, check out our full Google Fiber Review.

Internet service providers have a long reputation for subpar customer service. However, both Google Fiber and CenturyLink seem to be bucking the trend. According to the American Customer Service Satisfaction Index (ASCI) for 2023, both companies are in the top three for customer satisfaction.

Granted, customer satisfaction is determined by more metrics than just customer service. But it would be pretty hard for these companies to score in the top three if their customer support and call centers weren’t doing something right.

We’ve heard more positive feedback about Google Fiber’s customer service experience than virtually any other company, including from some of our own team members!  On the other hand, we’ve heard mixed accounts about CenturyLink’s customer support, especially when it comes to the DSL services.

Those accounts are confirmed by another comparative study, which scored CenturyLink and Google Fiber’s customer service at 3.5 and 4.2 respectively out of 5.

Whichever company you go with, be sure to consult our customer service tips before giving them a call or opening a chat. When you’re ready, here’s how to reach them:

Google Fiber customer support:

• Call 1-866-777-7550
• Or, visit fiber.google.com/support

CenturyLink customer support:

• Call 1-833-591-0933
• Or, visit centurylink.com/home/help.html

So which ISP is going to get you the most bang for your buck? All things considered, we’d say go with Google Fiber if it’s available to you. It’s a close competition, but Google has a slight edge over CenturyLink Fiber Internet in most categories, including price, speed, and customer service.

The big exception is availability. Centurylink is simply available in more areas, but their widespread DSL network might not be fast or reliable enough for many households.

Let’s review the hard facts, point by point:

• Price: Google Fiber’s 1 Gig plan is slightly cheaper than CenturyLink’s, but both are fairly priced compared to other ISPs. The latter offers a lower-priced DSL plan and the former offers great prices for 2–8 Gig speeds.
• Terms, Fees, and Contracts: Neither company has contracts or data caps. Google Fiber has minimal fees and admirable pricing transparency. CenturyLink’s Fiber plans offer the same perks as Google, but the DSL plans might come with costly equipment rental and installation fees.
• Speed: Google Fiber and CenturyLink Fiber offer great upload and download speeds, while CenturyLink’s Simply Unlimited DSL speeds are limited by outdated technology.
• Availability: Both companies’ fiber networks are limited to a few select cities around the country. CenturyLink’s DSL network is widespread, with customers in most U.S. states.
• Customer service: Google Fiber is an industry leader in customer support, but CenturyLink seems to be working hard to keep up.

We know that the internet can be overwhelming, especially when you are looking for advice on a specific topic. This is why we take so much time and care to research and compile all that information into a helpful and concise format. We strive to provide complete, accurate, and up-to-date information to help you make the best choices possible.

In this review, we’ve utilized a variety of sources to compare CenturyLink Internet and Google Fiber, includING first-party publications, user testimonials, internal research, external research, industry surveys, and customer reviews. Whenever possible, we relay information directly from the companies themselves.

We hope that this article will help readers understand the potential similarities and differences between ISPs, and which of those differences might best meet their specific internet needs. If you have any questions or feel that this article could be improved, please don’t hesitate to contact us at the link below.