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CenturyTel Plans To Use LTE For Rural Deployment
Will begin deploying technology in select markets next year...

DSL provider CenturyTel (see our user reviews), who last year acquired Sprint spinoff Embarq in an $5.8 billion dollar deal, says they'll be using LTE technology instead of DSL to deliver broadband service to some rural customers. The first deployments will occur sometime next year in limited areas, according to CenturyTel CEO Glen Post. "It would be 2010 before there would be any significant dollars" spent on an LTE rollout," says Post. "And even then we'll roll out a few markets and then we'll enter (other markets) on a selective basis as we prove success of the technology roll-out." CenturyTel owns enough spectrum to cover about 53% of their service area.

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fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine

Member

Oh come on

What about fiber?
music4praise
join:2006-02-22
Big Rapids, MI

music4praise

Member

Re: Oh come on

said by fifty nine:

What about fiber?
The headline said rural deployment. Can you imagine how much it would cost to run fiber in comparison? One LTE site could cover many square miles. If CenturyTel is serious, maybe folks in rural areas can finally see some decent speeds available.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9 to fifty nine

Premium Member

to fifty nine
said by fifty nine:

What about fiber?
Not feasible...especially in today's economy. Properly done wireless deployments are much more economical for rural environments.
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx to fifty nine

Member

to fifty nine
It's rural. Fiber is expensive. LTE (still vaporware by the way) is cable-class capacity-wise, maybe ven DOCSIS 3, and you don't have to lay new wires. For rural areas where there might be only a few, or a few dozen, houses per square mile, wireless makes sense.

I believe Verizon is thinking of doing the same thing.
me1212
join:2008-11-20
Lees Summit, MO

me1212

Member

Maybe i'll be able to get it.

Embarq is my local telco, and I live in a rural area. One can only hope.

AlexNYC
join:2001-06-02
Edwards, CO

AlexNYC

Member

CenturyHell

This must be the worst DSL provider on the face of the earth. In our area they provide a whopping 1.5/256 DSL and even that is WAY oversubscribed. I tried them for a year and they where terrible. The phone techs where clueless and the local phone techs that came to practice their act of troubleshooting where absolutely useless. I was their worst nightmare customer. I owned my own DSL modem, and actually know what I am talking about. I am sure they where happy to see me go to Comcast. Don't laugh now, that was my only other choice.

MrMaster
Rum Connoisseur
Premium Member
join:2000-12-16
St Thomas, VI

MrMaster

Premium Member

Re: CenturyHell

said by AlexNYC:

This must be the worst DSL provider on the face of the earth. In our area they provide a whopping 1.5/256 DSL and even that is WAY oversubscribed. I tried them for a year and they where terrible. The phone techs where clueless and the local phone techs that came to practice their act of troubleshooting where absolutely useless. I was their worst nightmare customer. I owned my own DSL modem, and actually know what I am talking about. I am sure they where happy to see me go to Comcast. Don't laugh now, that was my only other choice.
Sorry to hear that. I've complained about Centurytel several times on these boards. They are just as bad in WI and DSL is even slower than that.

atuarre
Here come the drums
Premium Member
join:2004-02-14
EC/SETX SWLA

atuarre

Premium Member

Re: CenturyHell

Yes they are. They service small areas in this state, and everyone I know that has them complains. They will not ever be a major company. They need to be acquired. Plain and simple.

Icon
Time Keeper
Premium Member
join:2004-01-07
Little Rock, AR

Icon

Premium Member

Re: CenturyHell

said by atuarre:

They will not ever be a major company. They need to be acquired. Plain and simple.
Before the Embarq acquisition, they were the 6th largest telco in the US. Embarq was the 4th largest, so that should put it into perspective for you thinking they aren't a "major" company.

kg4muc
Gettin It Done A Little At A Time
join:2003-02-17
Whitetop, VA

kg4muc

Member

Re: CenturyHell

Not exactly what I wanted to hear

Since the Embarq merger is going to happen and they will be my provider it doesn't look like smooth sailing anytime ahead but more like "Don't This Road Look Rough And Rocky" !

With the cable people implementing small caps updating my weather web site and sending data probably won't be able to happen with cable either! Talk about a rock and a hard place!

Wt

notwhereimat09
@centurytel.com

notwhereimat09 to MrMaster

Anon

to MrMaster
I don't have any issues with my CenturyTel connection, I get a full 10MB DSL on copper at all times of the day when I do speed tests and I've had the same speed in four different towns before...And check the ratings here on DSLR, seems better than most companies...

MrMaster
Rum Connoisseur
Premium Member
join:2000-12-16
St Thomas, VI

MrMaster

Premium Member

Re: CenturyHell

said by notwhereimat09 :

I don't have any issues with my CenturyTel connection, I get a full 10MB DSL on copper at all times of the day when I do speed tests and I've had the same speed in four different towns before...And check the ratings here on DSLR, seems better than most companies...
and you are located where?

DustySilicon
join:2002-10-06
Oak Grove, MO

DustySilicon

Member

Another future yawn..

I just love corporate press releases... Two targets for this LTE drivel -- shareholders and those in charge of the "stimulus" dollars.
"CenturyTel CEO Glen Post. "It would be 2010 before there would be any significant dollars" spent on an LTE rollout."
What does Glen consider "significant dollars"? Are we shopping on the dollar menu at McDonald's or are we talking BigMac? I'm guessing a small coke and small fries.

ninjatutle
Premium
join:2006-01-02
San Ramon, CA

ninjatutle

Member

RIP WIMAX

Another nail on the coffin...

Daarken
Rara Avises
Premium Member
join:2005-01-12
Southwest LA

Daarken

Premium Member

Re: RIP WIMAX

I went thru the ordeal of ordering centurytel for my father who moved out to a small community that is only serviced by centurytel and charter. Charter didn't have a HSI system only video, and centurytel only offered 1/256 for $50/mon. They acted like it was a great price for the service.
I ran a few speed tests, and sure it hit the mark, but honestly I don't trust alot of speedtests because I know a couple of HSI providers shape the bandwidth when a customer hits a known speedtest site.
Centurytel has also been promising a friend of mine DSL since he bought a house out in thier area 3 years ago. Ironically a major fiber line runs thru his property.
Overal personally 3 out of 5 stars.

John_Q
join:2008-06-07
Great Falls, MT

John_Q

Member

Wireless and they cannot even maintain their DSL....

CenturyTel makes me laugh. A few of my friends in Montana have MontanaSky for their ISP and CenturyTel owns the fiber lines. They are always calling me to check things for them cause their DSL is down because of line issues that CenturyTel is having.

What a joke. Maybe this wireless service will perform better and actually be worth something, cause they cannot keep a stable network that's for sure

linicx
Caveat Emptor
Premium Member
join:2002-12-03
United State

linicx

Premium Member

CenTel is not the worst

The absolute worst DSL provider in the nation is Suddenlink. CenTel is clearly a cut above. How far above is the real question. They are over-priced, over-subscribed, and over-rated. I live in a rural area. We have an awesome phone guy I hate to lose who is quiting because of 18 hour days and a 1/2 day off when he is lucky enough to get it. I've had enough CenTel nickle niggling greedy policies. Within the next three business days I am going to dump Direct TV, CenTel and Lifelink. I do not need them nearly as much as they want my $$$.