Embarq & Centurytel = CenturyLink > Broadband - hardly

Broadband - hardly

quote:

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more than two million broadband customers

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Are you one of the people sitting on a 256k connection? If so then I pity you if that's all you can get in your area. Otherwise, shush...I'd much rather have 512k over DSL than 512k over a shaky WISP, and 1.5/256 would be great here. Then again, CenTel...er...CenLink won't be taking my area over any time soon so it's a moot point.

FWIW, while service could be better at peak times, my experience of a family member's Embarq connection (3072/640 due to loop length) was enjoyable, even with interleave. Sure, 10/896 isn't next-gen, but the merged entity just might be able to upgrade infrastructure and give better service to everyone in their footprint.

As a potential plus for Embarq customers, CenTel has a regional backbone network (Lightcore) and Embarq doesn't. Then again, Embarq's typical bandwidth mix (Sprint + Level3) isn't bad at all...

On the bright side, you could be an area where all you could get is HughesNet or Wild Blue.

Or not have either due to trees in the way of the sat...

reply to iansltx
That lightcore network also has plans for expansion into EQ territories, and across the US in their territories, throughout 2009-2012

reply to AlexNYC
In almost all areas they have 10/768 available if you're close enough to the RT/CO then they have 20/2 If you're lucky enough to have FTTH
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10,000/768 CenturyTel PPPoE DSL line (really 5,000/768 ) Now it's really 1500/256...again lol

20/3

reply to AlexNYC
The best they have to offer within a 100 mile radius (maybe more) is 1500/256 and even when I had that, I was not getting even half of those speeds due to their utterly oversubscribed and badly managed network. A name change to CenturyHELL would be more like it ...

reply to rabeatz
Hmm, wonder if that means cheaper local bandwidth for WISPs where CenLink won't reach?

That would be cool if they did cause that could mean cheaper bandwidth for the WISP I use.

That's assuming your ISP touches the local phone system. From your forum posts (going off the top of my head here) they appear to have their own wireless distribution system back to Kansas City. I might be wrong, but if they don't buy telco circuits their bandwidth costs won't change.

Though if CenLink hooks together their backbone well enough for cheap enough other providers might come in due to cheaper startup costs (lot less expensive to start out with a few T1s than to build a wireless distribution system) and introduce competition into the area.

So I suppose the biggest factor in pricing such stuff out is competition. Though it seems cable companies tend to be cheaper than telcos for everything like this, albeit at lower quality levels...

reply to chd176
No such luck here. 5/896k is as much as I will get, given distance from the CO.

Oh well. Service Electric Cable gives 30/2 which beats Embarq hands down.

reply to dsldude08
thanks lol

reply to AlexNYC

said by AlexNYC:

quote:

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more than two million broadband customers

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The term "broadband" is kind of a stretch when describing CenturyTel's DSL service ....

reply to AlexNYC
We use them in my Memphis office. Not too bad - 69.00 for a 512KB up 1.5 MB down with a static IP for business class. The equiv plan from VZ would ne 384/1mbit for 99.00

reply to AlexNYC
You know, EMBARQ has a pretty decent bunch of people who have pushed good speeds pretty far out into the boonies. Just sayin'...

reply to AlexNYC
CenturyTel also has rights to part of the 700mhz wireless spectrum.. what they plan to do with it is yet to be known..

»telephonyonline.com/wireless/new···ay-0409/