Techprojournal recommends CenturyLink’s fibre service for gamers, as it has a lower latency than a DSL line; however, a user claimed that “CenturyLink sucks for gaming.”
The gaming industry has become more widespread in the United States (US) during the past few years. Any online gamer will know that a slow internet connection can cause them to freeze or lag while gaming, which can be harmful to their winning streak.
Instead, a gamer wants to ensure that their internet service provider offers reliable, high-speed internet with fast upload and download speeds with low latency.
The federal communications commission recommends that gamers be provided with up to three or four megabytes per second (Mbps) download speed for gaming. However, this recommendation applies only if one person is using the internet.
If multiple people are using the internet, then it is recommended to get a plan with 25 to 50 Mbps for an enhanced gaming experience.
One thing that most people do not know is that online gaming does not require a lot of bandwidth, as it is not streamed directly over the internet.
What happens is the pictures presented in the video games are rendered by the graphics card that comes with the personal computer (PC) or gaming console.
This means that the information which goes back and forth over the internet is from the buttons and keys that a player presses while they play a video game.
It is thus clear that even the latest high-definition graphics games will only need a download speed of up to three Mbps.
While it will only need an upload speed of about one to two Mbps, with this in mind, gamers need to pick an internet service provider that can offer them enough internet speed, like CenturyLink.
What is CenturyLink?
CenturyLink is a telecommunications and technology company founded in 1930, offering a variety of services to customers around the globe.
In the US, CenturyLink is best-known for offering phone and television services to residential customers, while providing high-speed internet.
Not only does the company offer broadband access through digital subscriber lines (DSL), it is also continually expanding its fibre optic network, which is currently available in 19 cities.
How fast is CenturyLink’s internet?
If a user is subscribed to one of CenturyLink’s internet plans, then they must be aware that the internet service provider’s (ISP) internet speeds depend greatly on the areas that they live in.
However, CenturyLink provides internet speeds ranging from 10 to 940 Mbps. Users who are interested in higher speeds can switch to the fibre service.
CenturyLink’s fibre option
The fibre service is known for delivering symmetrical download and uploads speeds of 940 Mbps or higher, through a wired connection to the user’s home router.
If a user is within the CenturyLink fibre optic coverage area, they will get the above-mentioned speeds through the ISP’s Fibre Gigabit plan.
Is CenturyLink good for gaming?
Techprojournal recommends CenturyLink Fibre service for gamers, as the fibre optic internet has lower latency when it is compared to satellite, cable and the digital subscriber line (DSL).
The fibre internet speed will rarely slow down during the peak internet use times, which can be seen as a huge advantage for gamers. However, many gamers choose the DSL internet service, as it can offer them up to a thousand Mbps.
What does CenturyLink cost?
The monthly payment for CenturyLink’s DSL plan begins at $49. It has a download speed of up to 100 Mbps and a one Terabyte (TB) data cap.
The plan also comes with a “price for life” guarantee that ensures that the user does not experience a price increase throughout the period they use the service, except if they suspend the service, cancel the plan or change their address.
While CenturyLink’s fibre Gigabit plan is approximately $65, it includes unlimited data.
Opinions on CenturyLink
Despite CenturyLink sounding like a very good internet provider on paper, there are some users that claim that it is a bad service. On a Reddit thread, one user stated, “I refuse to go with CenturyLink ever again. Their DSL line is terrible.
While another user wrote, “CenturyLink has insanely bad routing paths which lead to 60 milliseconds ping for basically anything. I have CenturyLink, and I am going to try to use a virtual private network (VPN) to try lowering the ping and see if that helps. Overall, CenturyLink sucks for gaming.”
However, there are a few people who commented on the same thread and stated that CenturyLink provides a good service to them.
One user wrote, “I have CenturyLink and they have been fine so far. I am on the 40 Mbps plan and I am still in the first year, so I do not know if things will change once the honeymoon phase is over. I have no streaming issues and I get a sharp high-definition picture from Netflix, but the router is like five feet away. Although, I cannot comment on online gaming.”
Best internet service providers for gaming
United States News created a list of the best internet service providers for gaming on 8 July, 2021. CenturyLink is in last place on the list, with a rating of 3.7 out of 5. However, the website did not explain why the internet service provider is last.
First on the list is Frontier Internet, due to “its high upload speeds offered with its Fibre Optic Gig plan and its low latency.” Even though it also received a rating of 3.7 out of 5, it is cheaper than CenturyLink. Plans for this ISP range from $24.99 to $74.99 per month.
In second place is Verizon, with a rating of 4.1 out of 5. This ISP offers access to 5G and 4G long-term evolution (LTE) networks. It is also accessible in some places where their bundled plan, Fios, is unavailable. Its plans range from $39.99 to $79.99 per month.
Following Verizon is Xfinity. The company offers six cable plans and two fibre plans. Its plans offer a faster internet speed than Centurylink, as its fibre plan have download speeds of between 1,200 Mbps and 2,000 Mbps, while the upload speeds are between 35 Mbps and 2,000 Mbps. The plans range from $45 and increase up to $299 for the top plan
Other internet service providers mentioned in this list are Cox Internet, Spectrum Internet, Mediacom Internet, and AT&T Internet.
Conclusion
Even though Techprojournal recommends CenturyLink’s fibre service to gamers, multiple people claim that this service provider does not provide the best internet. However, there are a few people in favour of CenturyLink.
