In September 2020, CenturyLink Inc. announced that it’s rebranding itself as Lumen Technologies Inc. to better reflect its technology and purpose in the telecommunications industry. It also launched a new brand called Quantum Fiber for its fiber-based products. CountryLink was to continue to be Lumen’s consumer-facing brand for its copper services, such as DSL internet.
However, even three years after this rebranding, many consumers still refer to Lumen as CenturyLink, which is why many of its retailers market both its fiber and DSL services as CenturyLink Internet. CenturyLink and Quantum Fiber websites also market both DSL and Fiber internet to this day.
Despite sharing many of the features and policies, the two services are completely different from each other. If Quantum Fiber is offered in your area, it means you have access to the finest type of internet connection available today. Let’s look at the major differences between Quantum Fiber and CenturyLink DSL to see what we mean.
Differences Between Quantum Fiber and CenturyLink DSL
Download Speed
Boasting impressive speeds of up to 940 Mbps, Quantum Fiber is much faster than CenturyLink’s traditional DSL service. CenturyLink DSL only offers speeds of up to 100 Mbps. While this is sufficient for activities like working from home, shopping online, and streaming HD movies, it falls short when compared to Quantum Fiber’s speed.
Also, the max speeds with CenturyLink DSL may be lower than 100 Mbps in some areas, as telephone lines are as reliable at longer distances as fiber. CenturyLink customer service can tell you if Quantum Fiber is available in your area, and—if it’s not—the max speeds available with CenturyLink DSL.
Upload Speed
Quantum Fiber is symmetrical, meaning the max upload speed is the same as the max download speed. This allows Quantum Fiber to boast 20 times faster upload speed than cable. Upload speeds up to 940 make Quantum Fiber significantly better for users who engage in activities requiring large data uploads, such as video conferencing or online content creation.
CenturyLink DSL doesn’t specify the upload speed, but it’s certainly not symmetrical and only a fraction of its max download speed of 100 Mbps.
Reliability
While both CenturyLink DSL and Quantum Fiber boast a reliability of 99.9 percent, fiber is typically more reliable in terms of consistency of speed. You can experience more reliable speeds at peak usage times with Quantum Fiber than with CenturyLink DSL.
Installation and Equipment
Quantum Fiber currently offers free installation, amounting to $129 in savings. Additionally, WiFi equipment is provided with Quantum Fiber at no monthly charge.
CenturyLink DSL doesn’t specify installation fees, but it doesn’t offer free installation as a highlighted feature. The details about WiFi equipment are not provided, which may imply additional equipment costs.
Cost
Quantum Fiber costs $75 per month, which is lower than the standard rates of other internet plans with similar speeds from other cable and fiber internet service providers.
CenturyLink DSL is more affordable at $55 per month, but it doesn’t provide the same high-speed performance as Quantum Fiber. Faster cable internet plans from other ISPs may be available at lower monthly rates.
While Quantum Fiber is objectively superior to CenturyLink DSL, it retains many of the features that made CenturyLink so popular in its markets compared to other ISPs. Let’s look at some of these similarities.
Similarities Between Quantum Fiber and CenturyLink DSL
Unlimited Data
Like CenturyLink DSL, Quantum Fiber doesn’t have any data caps. You can steam on the highest quality possible and download tens of games each month without having to pay extra in data overage charges.
No Term Contracts
Both Quantum Fiber and CenturyLink DSL are free from term contracts, ensuring you can switch anytime you want should you decide to go with another provider.
No Bundle Requirements
While Lumen offers TV and home phone services along with the internet, bundles are required with either Quantum Fiber or CenturyLink DSL. The advertised prices don’t include any deceiving discounts that would force you into subscribing to a service you don’t need.
Lumen’s offer details for Quantum Fiber and CenturyLink DSL only tell half the story. There are many more ways Quantum Fiber is better for gaming, streaming, file sharing, and other common tasks. Here are some more ways we’ve identified Quantum Fiber as better than CenturyLink DSL.
Ways Quantum Fiber is Better than CenturyLink DSL
Bandwidth
Fiber-optic cables can support much higher bandwidths compared to DSL. This means that more data can be transmitted simultaneously over a fiber connection without sacrificing speed or performance. As a result, you get higher speeds even when everyone else is streaming and downloading too.
DSL has limitations on bandwidth, and the available bandwidth is often shared among multiple users in a given area. This can lead to slower speeds during peak usage times.
Speed Symmetry
As mentioned earlier, fiber-optic internet provides symmetrical upload and download speeds. DSL typically has asymmetrical speeds, meaning the upload speeds are slower than the download speeds.
Future-Proofing
Fiber-optic infrastructure is considered more future-proof than any other internet service technology. It has the potential to support much higher speeds than current consumer demands, and there’s no known upper-speed limit for fiber optic cables. Upgrading the electronics on either end of a fiber connection can increase speeds without the need to replace the entire infrastructure, which can be costly.
DSL currently supports speeds up to 100 Mbps. Because the speeds are limited due to the high error rate in telephone cables, it’s unlikely that DSL will ever support higher speeds. The best solution is to overbuild DSL networks with fiber, which is what CenturyLink and many other rural fiber providers are doing.
Latency
Fiber-optic connections have lower latency compared to all other internet service technologies, including DSL. Lower latency is crucial for applications that require real-time communication, such as online games and cloud-based services. Fiber’s high bandwidth lowers queuing delay, which is the largest contributor to latency in modern networks.
Reliability in Inclement Weather
Fiber-optic cables is not affected by inclement weather such as rain or snow as severely copper and wireless connections. DSL transmits data over copper lines, which are more susceptible to weather-related issues. Wet or damaged copper lines resulting from adverse weather conditions can also result in service disruptions.
Resistance to Electromagnetic Interference
Because fiber-optic cables use light to transmit data, they’re immune to electromagnetic interference from nearby power lines or electronic devices. This resistance lowers error rates, resulting in a more stable and consistent internet connection.
DSL uses copper lines which are more susceptible to electromagnetic interference. This interference can lead to signal degradation and impact the quality of the internet connection, especially at longer distances.
Distance Limitations
Copper cables are affected by electromagnetic interference and other environmental factors which is why the maximum speeds with DSL depend on the distance between the user and the provider’s central office. The farther the distance, the more the signal degrades, leading to slower speeds.
Fiber-optic connections can maintain high speeds over longer distances without significant signal degradation. This not only allows for faster speeds but also lower latency and fewer ping spikes.
Conclusion
CenturyLink changed its name to Lemen Technologies and launched Quantum Fiber for its fiber services in 2020. Currently, CenturyLink brand name is only used for its DSL service. While Quantum Fiber is better than its predecessor in almost every way, it retains some of the most desirable features of CenturyLink Internet, including unlimited data and freedom from term contract requirements.
