Brightspeed Home Internet Service

Brightspeed is an internet service provider that offers high-speed, reliable connections in mostly rural and suburban locations in the Midwest, Southeast, and parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It operates in 20 states and serves 1 million customers mostly with DSL service. However, the company has earmarked $2 billion for investing in fiber internet. Brightspeed took over CenturyLink's telephone and internet business in 20 states on October 3, 2022 including CenturyLink's DSL accounts. Former CenturyLink DSL users became Brightspeed customers.

Brightspeed is a new company that was formed in August 2021 between Lumen and Connect Holding LLC, through funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management. Brightspeed is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Brightspeed mostly offers DSL internet but is also expanding to fiber and 4G internet.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) is a type of internet connection that uses the voice frequency of telephone lines to send and receive internet data and traffic. DSL provides high-speed internet access without tying up the phone lines the way a dial-up internet connection does. DSL is one of several types of broadband internet connections, which also include fiber and cable. DSL is typically the slowest of the three main broadband options but it’s possible in some types of DSL connection to get speeds of 100 Mbps and hypothetically speeds can hit 400 Mbps. But that’s rare. Most DSL plans top out at 30 Mbps or less. The speed of DSL connections largely depends on how close you are to the service hub. Expect average speeds of 5 Mbps to 50 Mbps. That’s a large range but it’s necessary because many factors impact internet speeds. For perspective, download speeds of 22 Mbps are common for cable subscribers. A speed of 22 Mbps can handle multiple devices streaming HD videos at the same time.

DSL internet is a reliable workhorse but it’s not the latest technology so it doesn’t always get the spotlight. It uses telephone lines and generally has lower latency than wireless connections. It’s slower than cable because telephone wires are older than cable wires and more prone to interference than are lines buried underground. But underground lines can also be the victim of construction mishaps, sinkholes, toxins, and other hazards.

You can tell if you have DSL internet by looking at your modem and the physical cable connections. If your modem is plugged into a phone jack, you have DSL Internet. If your modem is connected to the wall by a round coaxial cable, you have Cable Internet.

Brightspeed is working to transition to a fiber internet provider in much the same manner that AT&T and Verizon made the switch. At the end of 2022 the company announced that it had expanded broadband fiber services to parts t0 3,000 homes in rural South Carolina around Eutawville, SC. The speed of the new fiber connection is up to 940 Mbps, which is fast by any standard. The company subsequently announced in April 2023 that it had started selling gig internet service via the Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to customers in parts of North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Fiber Internet is a broadband connection that uses fiber-optic cables to deliver internet access. Fiber internet is the fastest speed offering and uses fiber-optic cable to send data as pulses of light. Fiber internet can provide speeds of up to 100 Gbps, which is approximately 200 times faster than a 50 Mbps broadband connection. This type of connection uses thin glass or plastic fibers to transmit data as beams of light pulsed in a pattern. The thin fibers reduce light reflections, enabling signals to travel a longer distance and give you faster speed. Fiber internet is also more reliable than other internet connection types, such as cable internet. But the narrowness and slight weight of the fiber optic cable means that it’s delicate and can be damaged by construction mishaps, wildlife, radiation, or chemicals. Still, fiber optic is the gold standard when it comes to internet speeds.

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) The FCC has an Affordable Connectivity Program for households that otherwise might not be able to afford internet service. Qualifying households can get discounts up to $30 off a month and up to $75 off in Tribal areas. Brightspeed will also offer an additional monthly discount of up to $30 for ACP qualified customers so that the total discount can reach $60 on qualifying plans. This can be a real help to families. As long as customers continue to meet the ACP program eligibility on a monthly basis they can qualify for the discount. For more granular details visit the Brightspeed website. Interested families can also search online for Affordable Connectivity Program FCC to learn how to qualify.

Brightspeed's internet plans include unlimited data and no overage charges. Plans start at $50/mo. Brightspeed's plans also have unlimited data, no annual contracts and no introductory prices. There may be an installation fee and taxes aren’t included in plan pricing. Reach out to Brightspeed directly for more information about plans available at your address.