COX vs CenturyLink Internet for Business Review

Thu, Jan 26, 2023 6:50 AM

For these two internet service providers, we sifted through pricing, speed and data, and customer service information (ISPs). Let's take a closer look at Cox vs. CenturyLink to see which is better for you. Cox is your best choice for your business if you want fast internet speeds. When you're on a tight budget, you might want to take advantage of CenturyLink's Price for Life guarantee on its DSL internet plans.

Cox

Pros                    

Some low-cost plans            
Lots of speeds to choose from        
No contract on most plans

Cons

Costly high-end plans
Poor customer service

CenturyLink

Pros                    

Price for Life guarantee        
No contracts                
Fiber option for some cities        

Cons

Confusing download speeds  
Poor speed performance    
Not-so-great customer service

Cox vs CenturyLink: Prices and Plans

Provider: Cox Internet        
Monthly price: $29.99–$99.99*    
Download speeds: 10–940 Mbps    
Data cap: 1–1.25 TB    

Provider: CenturyLink Internet    
Monthly price: $49–$65†    
Download speeds: 15–940 Mbps    
Data cap: 1 TB–Unlimited    

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When prices and speeds are compared, Cox appears to be the better option. Cox provides plans with speeds ranging from 10 Mbps to 940 Mbps, with rates ranging from $30 to $100 a month.

Cox Internet Promotional Prices

Plan: Cox Internet Starter 10    
Price: $29.99‡    
Download speed: 10 Mbps        
Connection type: Cable    

Plan: Cox Internet Essential 50    
Price: $39.99^    
​​​​​​​Download speed: 50 Mbps        
Connection type: Cable    

Plan: Cox Internet Preferred 150    
Price: $59.99^    
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Download speed: 150 Mbps    
Connection type: Cable    

Plan: Cox Internet Ultimate        
Price: $79.99^    
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Download speed: 500 Mbps    
Connection type: Cable    

Plan: Cox Gigablast            
Price: $99.99^    940 Mbps    
Connection type: Cable    

When it comes to price versus pace, Cox's 50 and 150 Mbps plans are kind of the sweet spot. For a sole internet user who isn't doing something crazy online, the 50 Mbps plan is a decent place to start. You know, things like going live on YouTube or turning your home business into the next Shark Tank champion.

A family of light internet users or a pair of heavy internet users will profit from the 150 Mbps contract. Some members of our team are avid gamers who choose to play online at speeds of 150 to 200 Mbps.

However, if you really can get CenturyLink's quicker speeds, it easily dethrones Cox as the most cost-effective internet provider. CenturyLink's DSL internet plans range in speed from 15 to 100 Mbps and cost just under $50 a month—a price that will never change. For around $65 a month, CenturyLink's fiber internet offers speeds of 940 Mbps.

CenturyLink Internet Promotional Prices   

Plan: Price for Life 15 Mbps        
Price: $49*
Download speed: 15 Mbps            
Connection type: DSL    

Plan: Price for Life 20 Mbps        
​​​​​​​Price: $49* 
Download speed: 20 Mbps            
Connection type: DSL    

Plan: Price for Life 40 Mbps        
​​​​​​​Price: $49*   
Download speed: 40 Mbps            
Connection type: DSL    

Plan: Price for Life 80 Mbps        
​​​​​​​Price: $49*   
Download speed: 80 Mbps            
Connection type: DSL    

Plan: Price for Life 100 Mbps        
​​​​​​​Price:  $49*
Download speed: 100 Mbps        
Connection type: DSL    

Plan: CenturyLink Fiber Internet    
​​​​​​​Price: $65**    
Download speed: 940 Mbps        
Connection type: Fiber    

It's difficult to predict your download speed with CenturyLink before you sign up. (With the exception of its Fiber Internet plan, which only offers gig speeds.) When you sign up, the ISP gives you the fastest speeds available in your region, which range from 15 to 100 Mbps.

It's why CenturyLink's Price for Life DSL internet plans all have the same monthly price. So CenturyLink packages may be a great deal if you can get 100 Mbps in your town, but they may be a bad deal if you could only get 15 Mbps.

However, CenturyLink's Price for Life guarantee keeps you connected to the internet for the same monthly fee... for the rest of your life. Yes, you must maintain the same schedule, address, and remain a model customer, but still. In our view, that is the gold standard of internet deals.

Cox, on the other hand, offers three-year discount pricing on its 50 Mbps and faster plans. In the internet world, where most ISPs raise the price after just a year, that's a long time to stick with a price. But it's still not a cost of living.

One thing to keep in mind: we don't recommend getting Cox's 10 Mbps package. The pace is insufficient to do much online, let alone sustain a family of internet users. (CenturyLink's 15 and 20 Mbps plans are the same.)

If you have a big family that's constantly online, you need will be needing more speed. However, we believe you will be able to find better offers than Cox's 500 and 940 Mbps plans. Especially if you reside in a city where CenturyLink's fiber internet is accessible. CenturyLink offers one of the most affordable gigabit speeds available.

Cox vs CenturyLink: Speed and Data

BIG WINNER: COX

Aside from price, we place a high value on an ISP's pace. Not only the advertised rates but the speeds that they actually produce.

Cox and CenturyLink appear to deliver almost identical speeds at first glance. However, keep in mind that CenturyLink internet speeds vary depending on where you live. So, while it advertises speeds ranging from 15 to 100 Mbps for its DSL service, you can only see these speeds advertised in your region.

Cox vs Centurylink: Download speeds and Upload Speeds

Provider: Cox Internet        
Download speeds: 10–940 Mbps    
Upload speeds: 1–35 Mbps    

Provider: CenturyLink Internet    
Download speeds: 15–940 Mbps    
Upload speeds: 1–940 Mbps

As previously mentioned, Cox provides cable internet, while CenturyLink provides both DSL and fiber connections. Of course, CenturyLink's fiber internet plan is the most costly, but fiber is the most secure form of internet, so it typically wins.

Which is Faster? Cox vs CenturyLink

As per our latest study on the fastest ISPs in the US, Cox is the better option for quicker, more stable download speeds.

Advertised download speeds are good, but you should also give heed to how well your internet provider follows through with its commitments.

Cox ranked 16th out of 38 total ISPs in our study of internet speeds experienced by Cox and CenturyLink customers. CenturyLink, on the other hand, was ranked 28th out of 38 companies.

Cox vs CenturyLink: Internet Speed Scores

Provider: Cox            
Overall rank: 16th out of 38 ISPs    
Rank by connection type: 8th out of 22 cable ISPs    

Provider: CenturyLink        
Overall rank: 28th out of 38 ISPs    
Rank by connection type: 9th out of 10 DSL ISPs    

These ratings are based on a combination of typical download, upload, and latency rates. They're based on Cox and CenturyLink customers' speed test results from January 1 to December 31, 2019.

We can only hope that both ISPs increase their speeds in the future, and CenturyLink's fiber internet service will easily outperform DSL.

Cox vs CenturyLink: Data Caps

Cox and CenturyLink also have 1 TB data caps on most of their packages. Of course, Cox's internet plans come with a little more data (1.25 TB), but CenturyLink's Fiber Internet plan is the clear winner.

You won't have to worry about downloading 15 new games during the Steam summer sale or managing several big files while working on work projects at home with CenturyLink Fiber Internet because it comes with unlimited storage.

Cox data cap: 25 TB
CenturyLink DSL data cap: 1 TB
CenturyLink fiber data cap: Unlimited

Cox vs CenturyLink: Customer Service

We're not going to sugarcoat it: ISPs have a poor reputation when it comes to customer service. Unfortunately, Cox and CenturyLink are no exception.

In the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) survey, both Cox and CenturyLink enhanced their customer service scores in the past year, but they still fall short of the internet industry's overall average of 65 out of 100.

Customer Service Comparison

Provider: Cox        
ACSI 2019–2020 rating: 61 out of 100

Provider: CenturyLink    
ACSI 2019–2020 rating: 63 out of 100

CenturyLink and Cox should continue to enhance their customer service, in our opinion. After all, satisfied customers equal a happier life. (Wait, that's not a rhyme... )

Take a deep breath and put some of these customer service tricks on for scale if you ever need to call your ISP. They might be able to help you get through your customer service call without having to turn a table.

Cox customer service: 1-800-234-3993
CenturyLink customer service: 1-866-642-0444

Which is better: Cox vs CenturyLink

If you can get CenturyLink fiber internet in your city, we think Cox is the best option for anyone looking for consistent speeds.

CenturyLink's Price for Life promise, on the other hand, is hard to beat if you're a frugal internet user who doesn't rely on download speeds to keep streaming or gaming.

Prices:

CenturyLink - CenturyLink's Price for Life guarantee has us really impressed. Yeah, Cox has affordable rates, but they will be increased after one or three years.

Internet Speed:

Cox has higher download rates than it advertises, making it our top choice for internet speed. CenturyLink has a history of underdelivering, and the fiber internet service has yet to be confirmed.

Data:

Both ISPs provide approximately 1 TB of data. The CenturyLink Fiber Internet plan is the only exception, as it comes with the most data: limitless.

Customer Service:

Both Cox and CenturyLink have areas where they can improve their customer service. Much like the majority of ISPs.

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