Tag: Comcast

Which is Better for Internet: Comcast vs CenturyLink

This blog is very old and probably outdated!

 

It’s not surprising that I take a lot of calls from folks having issues with their internet. Many of those calling complain about Comcast and CenturyLink. The biggest complaints across the board are regarding the frustration clients feel when they have to call these companies to get a problem fixed. Both companies are so huge that the clients experience a never-ending phone queue issue of being transferred or constantly being put on hold.

 

 

I myself have used both companies for internet over the years for both business and residential purposes. I had the most problems with CenturyLink, which ended with them giving me many months of free service. Outside of the technical snags, if I had to call the support center, I cringed every time because CenturyLink had changed its call center to what appeared to be all new employees —who were very unhelpful. (Remember the old phone companies–Qwest, USWest, AT&T, Northwestern Bell–that had great customer service comparably?)

 

On the bright side, as of March 2013, Comcast took the initiative to increase the download speed of their services in Minneapolis. They realized that most residential units had multiple devices using the same internet services and the need for fast internet would continue to grow. Although Comcast’s internet speed was already faster than CenturyLink’s services, they almost doubled their amount of megabits per second. Technically speaking, Comcast is now more than two times faster than CenturyLink.

 

So back to the question: what company is the best? If I were to open an office right now in Minneapolis, I would go with Comcast—solely because of the speed. CenturyLink’s DSL is nothing compared to what Comcast can deliver. Both have pretty bad call centers and the pricing is about the same from what I remember. Many users say that CenturyLink is a bit cheaper, but only while their promotion is available. Once it is no longer valid, CenturyLink’s prices are comparable to that of Comcast’s. However, their speed is not.