CenturyLink vs. Sparklight – Which is the best internet service providers for your location?

When it comes to going for an internet service provider, the things that stand out for me are if I can easily subscribe without a fixed contract and still get stable connection. CenturyLink and Sparklight have both hit the mark.

CenturyLink and Sparklight have stood out over the years as great internet service providers. With both, you are assured of a stable internet connection throughout as well as a wide variety of data plans to choose from. Whether you have a small household or you are looking for internet connectivity for your office, you are bound to find something for you with both these companies.

Moreover, they both have their own perks that easily set them apart. For instance, Sparklight (formerly known as Cable One) offers both cable internet service and TV/landline services.

When to use CenturyLink

CenturyLink should be your top-pick internet service provider if you are looking for fast and reliable fiber connection. Also, CenturyLink is a great fit for people without cable access in the rural areas. Coupled with its rather affordable pricing, people with all kinds of needs can find a great fit here.

When to use Sparklight

Until recently, Sparklight was known as Cable One and as the name suggests- it provides cable services. If you are looking for both internet and cable services, Sparklight should be your go-to company. With the speed and reliability of a quality internet service provider, cable is like the icing on the cake.

Features	CenturyLink (Winner)	Sparklight
Number of data plans	6	4
Price range	$49-$65	$39- $125
Download speeds	15Mbps-940Mbps	25- 1000Mbps
Connection type	DSL and Fiber	4G, DSL and Cable
Data cap	1.2TB on all plans	Varies with the plan

How we evaluate CenturyLink and Sparklight

To gain credence, we have come up with criteria to rate these two internet service providers. Right off the bat, you can tell that both CenturyLink and Sparklight have their strengths and drawbacks as well. While they still both deliver on quality services, you can know how to choose the best one for you using this criteria:

• Number of data plans- this shows how flexible the package is in suiting a wide range of people from those who are looking at home or office use
• Download speeds- the last thing anyone would want is internet connection that is slow and painful so we do check on how fast data can be transmitted through the channels
• Cost- whether you are out for a splurge or you are on budget, you need to be sure you are getting the best value for your money
• Data Caps-this refers to the limit an internet service provider has placed on its packages
• Customer service-it always helps to know how a company will treat you in case you bump into any issues using their services

CenturyLink vs. Sparklight – A comparison overview

CenturyLink overview

With CenturyLink, you are assured of a number of things. First, it offers solid internet connectivity, TV and phone services through both DSL and Fiber. If you are on a budget or you are looking for high-end internet that will be fast even with multiple connected devices- look no further than CenturyLink. Its DSL is a reasonably priced deal because it uses the same wires for calls and internet service delivery. You still do get top-tier speeds. The fiber network, on the flipside easily stands out for its reliable yet ultra-fast speeds.

Data plan	Internet download speeds	Connection Type	Data Cap	Price	Details
Price for Life 15Mbps	15Mbps	DSL	1.2TB	$49	View plan
Price for Life 20Mbps	20Mbps	DSL	1.2TB	$49	View plan
Price for Life 40Mbps	40Mbps	DSL	1.2TB	$49	View plan
Price for Life 80Mbps	80Mbps	DSL	1.2TB	$49	View plan
Price for Life 100Mbps	100Mbps	DSL	1.2TB	$49	View plan
Century Link Fiber	940Mbps	Fiber	1.2TB	$65	View plan

As you can see, CenturyLink is also a formidable internet service provider that comes with competitive data plans. If you are looking for a commercial plan, you are better off with the CenturyLink Fiber package while the 15Mbps plan is enough for home-use. The only downer with these plans is that they all come with a data cap of 1.2TB. While 1.2TB is quite a lot to get through, sometimes you just need that peace of mind that comes with having unlimited internet.

CenturyLink also makes the cut because it has both self-installation and professional-installation options. With a detailed guide, you can pull off the set up by yourself which is quite rare with internet service providers especially those dealing with cable.

Pros

• Easy to use with no binding contract
• Come with fiber options
• Reasonably priced packages

Cons

• Comes with data limits on all its plans

Sparklight overview

Formerly Cable One, Sparklight is a formidable company that offers you internet connection as well as cable services including TV and landline packages. To add, it makes use of a hybrid system because from the provider office to local nodes fiber-coaxial networks are utilized.

Data plan	Internet download speeds	Includes TV	Includes phone	Price (per month)	Data cap	Details
Lite Internet Plan	15Mbps	No	No	$45	50GB	View plan
Starter Internet Plan 100Mbps	100Mbps	No	No	$39	300GB	View plan
Streamer Gamer 200 Plus	200Mbps	No	No	$65	600GB	View plan
Internet 100Mbps	100Mbps	No	Yes	$75	300GB	View plan
Family Internet Plan 150Mbps	150Mbps	No	No	$80	600GB	View plan
Turbo 300 Plus	300Mbps	No	No	$80	900GB	View plan
Internet Plan 100Mbps	100Mbps	Yes	No	$95	300GB	View plan
Internet 150Mbps	150Mbps	Yes	Yes	$100	500GB	View plan
Giga One Internet Plan	1Gbps	No	No	$125	1200GB	View plan
Internet 200Mbps	200Mbps	No	Yes	$125	700GB	View plan
Roommate Internet Plan	200Mbps	No	No	$130	1200GB	View plan
Elite Package	100Mbps	Yes	Yes	$140	300GB	View plan
Internet Plan 200Mbps	200Mbps	Yes	No	$145	700GB	View plan
Power Internet Plan 200GB	200Mbps	No	No	$145	1500GB	View plan
Elite Package Internet 150Mbps	150Mbps	Yes	Yes	$165	500GB	View plan
Elite Package Internet 200Mbps	200Mbps	Yes	Yes	$190	700GB	View plan

With Sparklight, you get these four data plans that are a flexible enough for wide range of people. Even on a tight budget, the 100Mbps cable package goes for $39 which is the 6-month promo rate. After that you will have to pay $55 but is still fast and stable. If you are … Do keep in mind that these data plans have their own data caps. For the 100Mbps package, it has a 300GB monthly data cap while the 1000Mbps package has a 1200GB data cap.

Sparklight also shines out because of its average download and upload speeds across the country. In Idaho Falls, for example, Sparklight can deliver on 205.14Mbps while CenturyLink does 113.91Mbps.The only major drawback with Sparklight is its availability. It does not boast of wide coverage across many states compared to other internet service providers.

Pros

• A really wide variety of plans to choose from
• Can get up to 1Gbps
• Does not have binding yearly contracts

Cons

• Rather limited coverage

How does CenturyLink and Sparklight compare?

Cost

With both CenturyLink and Sparklight, you have to pay up a monthly subscription fee. The CenturyLink deal is ultimately better because you do not get bumped up from the introductory rate after a period of time. Sparklight on the flipside gives you the introductory rate only for a fixed period.

Availability and Coverage

Hands down, CenturyLink wins in terms of its coverage across the country. Users across 50 states can use CenturyLink compared to only 19 states on Sparklight.

Type of technology

As already mentioned, Sparklight uses cable broadband while CenturyLink works through DSL and Fiber. Here, CenturyLink wins out because DSL offers reasonably priced connections while Fiber delivers on ultra-fast speeds meaning you can get the better of two worlds depending on what you are looking for.

Installation

Both CenturyLink and Sparklight can be quite the chore to have installed. However, when it comes down to it, CenturyLink is easier to install. With it, self-installation and professional installation are both options you can choose from while Sparklight simply requires a professional to do the installation. Luckily, you do not have to pay an extra fee for it.

Customer Service

When it comes to sticking with an internet service provider, you need to be sure if their customer service is helpful especially if you are not tech-savvy. Here, Sparklight is the better option as its customer service is nothing short of friendly with a ‘small business’ kind of vibe to it. With CenturyLink, you can be put on hold for quite a while or redirected.

Data Caps

Both CenturyLink and Sparklight come with data caps on their plans. However, CenturyLink is better off as it offers a data limit of 1.2TB. This is quite a lot to get through compared to Sparklight that offers 50GB data caps on some of its packages.

Conclusion

When comparing two internet service providers, it can be quite hectic if both companies do get glowing ratings and reviews. This is the case with CenturyLink and Sparklight as they both have their die-hard customers as well as premium quality features. However, if you do have to make the hard call I would suggest going for CenturyLink. Aside from its impressive coverage, you are also bound to find a suitable package for you with CenturyLink.

FAQ’s

Which frequencies do these providers support?

Both CenturyLink and Sparklight work with 2.4GHz and 5GHz so you are in for faster speeds as well as reliability.

Can you use Sparklight for gaming?

Yes! Besides supporting 5GHz, Sparklight has really fast data plans that are ideal for smooth online gaming.