Brightspeed
available in 
Price: $49.00–$79.00/mo.*
Speeds: 15–1,000Mbps
Data cap: None
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◊ Provider star ratings are based on user reviews and our independent customer satisfaction survey.
Data as of 04/26/2024. Prices and availability subject to change.
Our Brightspeed internet review
Apr 5, 2024 | Share
Brightspeed provides home internet tomore than 6.5 million customers in 20 states. The company formed in 2022, when it acquired CenturyLink’s DSL customer base. Since then, Brighstpeed has been busy building new fiber-to-the-home internet connections in at least 13 states. With the help of federal BEAD funding and private investment, it hopes to provide fiber internet to more than 50% of homes and small businesses it its territory.
Today, Brightspeed’s DSL offerings are a decent option if you can’t get cable internet. They’re a better deal than satellite internet, and fast enough for a few connected devices at a time. Brightspeed fiber internet, on the other hand, is pretty impressive. Plans are fast and affordable, and come with no contracts or equipment fees. If you’re home is eligible, you could get speeds up to 1Gbps (1,000) Mbps for some of the lowest monthly prices we’ve seen anywhere.
Pros
- Affordable price for DSL internet
- Excellent prices for fiber internet
- No data caps or contracts
Cons
- Limited fiber availability
- Equipment fees on DSL plans
- Pricey installation fee
Jump to: Plans and pricing | Speed and data caps | Fees | Installation, equipment, and contracts | Customer ratings | Brightspeed vs. the competition | Bottom line | Faq
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Compare Brightspeed internet plans and pricing
| Package | Price | Speed | View on Brightspeed site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 15 Mbps | $50.00/mo.* | Up to 15 Mbps | Shop Plans |
| Internet DSL | $50.00/mo.* | Up to 40 Mbps | Shop Plans |
| Fiber 200 | $49.00/mo.† | 200 Mbps | Shop Plans |
| Fiber 500 | $59.00–69.00/mo.‡ | 500 Mbps | Shop Plans |
| Fiber 1 Gig | $69.00–$79.00/mo.§ | 1,000 Mbps | Shop Plans |
Data as of 12/11/23, prices and availability are subject to change.
Brightspeed’s speeds: What’s best for you?
Brightspeed has big plans to launch fiber networks across its 20-state service area. But for now, most customers are limited to DSL plans. Tese are fast enough for browsing and email, but may not be fast enough for streaming or gaming.
Brightspeed also has a range of fiber internet plans, with speeds up to 1,000Mbps (1 Gbps). That’s fast enough for simultaneous 4K streams on multiple devices or multiple video chats, and priced right at less than $70 per month. You can save money with the 200Mbps or 500Mbps plans, both of which are plenty fast for the average home. Find out how much speed you need.
Brightspeed data caps
There are no data caps on any Brightspeed plans, whether you have DSL or Fiber internet. You can use the internet all you want without worrying about overage fees or throttled speeds.
Brightspeed availability
You can find Brightspeed in each of the 20 US states where it inherited CenturyLink DSL customers when it was founded in 2022. Now, many of those areas can also get fiber internet from Brightspeed. Here’s a full list of states:
Where to find Brightspeed internet service
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Louisiana
- Tennessee
- Arkansas
- Mississippi
- Alabama
- Georgia
- South Carolina
- North Carolina
- Virginia
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Ohio
- Michigan
- Kansas
- Missouri
- Indiana
- Wisconsin
- Illinois
Our favorite plan: Brightspeed’s DSL internet plan is the only one widely available across the 20 states where the provider has service. While it’s not the most spectacular plan in the world, it’s a great option for rural users because it doesn’t cost too much and comes with unlimited data. You don’t have to sign up for an annual contract and the speeds are solid so long as you can regularly get 25 Mbps or faster. Installation may cost up to $100 and router rental is $15 per month.
DSL has been waning in popularity in recent years, but it’s the only way to get fast-enough internet in many small towns and rural areas. We highly recommend Brightspeed if you live in a place where your only other option would be pricey satellite internet.
Brightspeed Deal
Get a $200 gift card when you sign up for a Brightspeed fiber plan.
Brightspeed internet fees
| Cost | |
|---|---|
| DSL equipment fee | $15.00/mo. for router |
| Fiber equipment fee | No charge |
| Installation fee | $100.00 |
Brightspeed charges fairly standard rates for installation and equipment. Most internet providers charge around $10 to $15 a month to rent a modem that can go with its service, and Brightspeed’s $15 a month fee is fair enough.
Buy your own modem/router to cut extra fees
If you want to save some money on extra fees and you have DSL internet from Brightspeed, we recommend buying your own modem and router. TP-Link’s Archer AX10 is our recommendation because it’s efficient, easy to use, and affordable.
Read more about router options from our expert library:
- Best Wi-Fi Routers
- Best Routers for Parental Controls
- Best Long-Range Routers
- Best Routers for Online Gaming
If you have fiber internet from Brightspeed, there are no monthly fees for equipment. You won’t save money by using your own gear.
Brightspeed internet installation, equipment, and contracts
Brightspeed installation may cost up to $100, whether you’re getting a new DSL connection or a new fiber connection.
Brightspeed internet contracts
Brightspeed doesn’t have any contracts on its internet plans. You can cancel any time; no need to worry about early termination fees.
Brightspeed internet customer ratings
| Overall Rating | Reliability Rating | Customer Service Rating | Speed Rating | Price Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brightspeed customer satisfaction rating | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| Average rating* | 3.7/5 | 3.7/5 | 3.6/5 | 3.8/5 | 3.4/5 |
*Average rating of all ISPs included in our most recent customer satisfaction survey
Since Brightspeed is a new internet provider, 2023 is the first year it appeared in our annual customer satisfaction survey. Brightspeed scored below average in the survey, but something to consider is that while Brightspeed offers fiber plans, the bulk of it’s customers have DSL. This internet type provides slower speeds at a price point that many pay for decent fiber plans and this could contribute to customers rating Brightspeed with lower than average scores.
How Brightspeed compares to the competition
| Provider | Plan price range | Speeds (range) | User rating* | Order online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $29.95–$120.00./mo. | 75–2,000 Mbps | 3.7/5 | View Plans |
| $29.99–$69.99/mo. | Up to 100–1,000 Mbps | 3.7/5 | View Plans |
| $55.00–$225.00/mo. | Up to 25–5,000 Mbps | 3.7/5 | View Plans |
*According to our annual customer satisfaction survey.
Data as of 4/26/24. Prices and availability may vary.
As the new kid on the block, Brightspeed has some stiff competition to face off against—and honestly, the rivals look like the better picks in most cases. Cable providers like Xfinity and Spectrum have better customer satisfaction ratings, get you faster speeds, and have lower prices on some plans.
AT&T meanwhile has both fiber and DSL internet, whereas Brightspeed mainly has DSL. Fiber is faster, more reliable, and much more cost effective considering that you can get a fiber plan that’s many times faster than a DSL plan for basically the same price. However, Brightspeed’s DSL is slightly cheaper than AT&T’s DSL and gets you the same speeds. So that’s a bright spot.
Is Brightspeed internet right for you?
If you came to Brightspeed as a CenturyLink customer, we think it’s well worth sticking around. You’re basically getting the same service on the same network for the same price. If you’re a brand new customer, Brightspeed may be worth a try if you live in a small city or rural area where otherwise you’d be stuck with satellite internet. Brightspeed’s prices are fair and you don’t have to worry about contracts or data caps.
But we’re still a little curious to see how Brightspeed shapes out for the long term. In a world of novel 5G approaches and expanding satellite options, it’s taking a relatively traditional approach with its $2 billion plan to unfurl a fiber-optic network.
Shop Brightspeed InternetFAQ about Brightspeed
What is Brightspeed?
Brightspeed is a new internet provider owned by the parent company Apollo Global Management. It provides DSL internet and is building fiber-t0-the-home internet in about half its footprint.
In 2022, Apollo acquired the DSL customers and infrastructure of Lumen Technologies (the parent company of CenturyLink). Brightspeed now operates that DSL infrastructure, which is spread across 20 states in the South and Midwest, as well as in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It provides fiber internet in 13 of those states. Brightspeed is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C.
Disclaimers
Compare Brightspeed internet plans and pricing
*Autopay required. Installation fee may apply. Limited availability in select areas. Prices may vary depending on location.
†Available in select areas. Plus taxes. Autopay required. Installation charge may apply. Speeds up to 200 Mbps.
‡*Available in select areas. Plus taxes. Autopay required. Installation charge may apply. Speeds up to 500 Mbps.
§*Available in select areas. Plus taxes. Autopay required. Installation charge may apply. Speeds up to 1000 Mbps.
Methodology
Our HighSpeedInternet.com editorial team bases our analyses on customer input from our annual customer satisfaction survey, results from our speed test tool, and proprietary internet service provider data on speeds and pricing. To strengthen our research, we look closely at provider contracts to get hard-to-find information on price hikes, data caps, and extra fees, and we keep tabs on the latest news reports and online reviews. When applicable, we also rely on our personal experiences testing these services.
