Quantum Fiber vs. Spectrum Internet Providers Compared

Quantum Fiber brings superior internet speeds and reliability at an appealing price

Quantum Fiber is a new, all-fiber brand owned by parent company Lumen Technologies. Lumen is the seventh-largest ISP in the U.S., based on its combined internet service of both all-fiber internet and DSL. In total, Lumen serves about 3 million customers [1]. Quantum Fiber is the all-fiber brand of Lumen. A second DSL-based brand also owned by Lumen is known as CenturyLink. We will review CenturyLink’s DSL service separately, as the two brands are very different in what they offer customers. Quantum Fiber is a very strong choice for internet service that earns good customer satisfaction ratings. If you sign up for Quantum Fiber, you’re going to get lightning-fast speeds and reliable service. Quantum Fiber offers clear, low pricing for gigabit fiber speeds that run up to 8000 Mbps. Fiber speeds will provide you with an internet connection that can handle any use you want from a home internet connection, including heavy streaming and gaming.

Great prices for Quantum Fiber plans up to 960 Mbps

Your prices will be good for Quantum Fiber. The first-tier price for all-fiber service will be $50/month for 500 Mbps. With any of the Quantum Fiber plans, you will get the use of a 360 Wi-Fi router for free. Quantum Fiber has no data caps and no required contracts. That means you won’t run into unexpected data overage charges or early termination fees. We like this simple, affordable pricing for fast fiber speeds. It's one of the best deals you’ll find on fiber internet.

Spectrum offers great initial deals, but bundling may be the best deal ever

Spectrum is a major player in internet service, with 30 million broadband subscribers [1]. Spectrum offers attractive promotional pricing, especially their first-tier internet plan at $50/month for up to 500 Mbps.

Spectrum offers unlimited data without caps

Spectrum offers a big price advantage because it has no hard data caps, unlike many other cable and DSL providers. If you’re a heavy-data-usage household (including remote workers, real-time gamers and streaming binge-watchers), having no data caps may be crucial for your budget. If you’re living by yourself and you watch a movie once a week, the absence of data caps won’t matter as much. But for a larger household, having no data caps will offer you peace of mind and a more predictable bill without overage charges.

Spectrum One, the bundle deal of the year?

In late 2022, Spectrum introduced a new bundle deal called Spectrum One that may just change your mind about your preferred internet service provider [2]. If you are an existing Spectrum customer, Spectrum will bundle their Spectrum Mobile cell phone service with your internet and charge you only about $30/month for a line with unlimited data. You can add more mobile service at the same price. Here’s another little secret: Spectrum Mobile service is currently provided by Verizon networks. So, if you have two cell phones on your bundle, you will be getting major mobile power and coverage but saving over $80/month off the price of two typical cell phone plans. We’re betting that’s enough to send many of us to Spectrum.

All-fiber internet from Quantum: the latest and greatest technology

Quantum Fiber uses the newest internet technology available. Their fiber-optic lines send data using light signals instead of electricity, and that’s why fiber is so much faster than any other kind of internet technology. An all-fiber connection will give you symmetrical speeds and enough bandwidth to handle any internet activities you choose. If you get a gigabit fiber plan, you can have up to 10 devices doing heavy streaming or real-time games online, and you will still have smooth performance. In some cases, though, Quantum Fiber advises that it may need to run Fiber-to-the-Curb (FTTC), with the last few feet of line to your house connected with coaxial cable. This is important, because even those few feet of coaxial cable will slow your upload speeds. Most of the time, that will not be the case, and you will get the all-fiber connection known as Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH). But it is important to understand the difference in performance just in case you’re in that small minority that will get an FTTC fiber connection. Even an FTTC connection may still be the fastest internet in your area, though, and a Fiber-to-the-Home connection will definitely be your fastest choice.

Spectrum internet will rise to unprecedented speeds in next few years with up to 10/6 Gbps

In 2023, Spectrum was named by Speedtest® as the fastest internet provider in the United States for providing the highest average speed to customers [3]. Spectrum’s hybrid fiber-cable technology is already supplying 1000 Mbps speeds in some areas. Either way, HFC will give you faster, more reliable internet service than anything but fiber. Spectrum customers tend to report reliable, speedy performance. You don’t get glitching or freezing or network slowdowns in most cases. You’ll be well-equipped for gaming, videoconferencing, and HD streaming. On a personal note, I have been a Spectrum customer for three years, and my experience with their service has proven to be very smooth and reliable. But there’s even more innovation coming from Spectrum that will boost HFC performance to fiber-like speeds. If you sign up for Spectrum now, you’re going to get a major bandwidth boost in the next couple of years. Here’s the technical explanation with the specs. Spectrum’s upgrade to the DOCSIS 4.0 standard over the next three years will deliver a maximum 10 Gbps download/ 6 Gbps upload, which can rival any current fiber speeds. By 2025, 85% of Spectrum’s service footprint will have speeds of 5 Gbps download/1 Gbps upload [4]. Fiber has received some great press in the last few years. But hybrid fiber/cable networks like Spectrum’s may be about to have their day in the sun too.

Get free use of a  360 Wi-Fi mesh router or use your own router

If you order a fiber plan from Quantum Fiber, both your equipment and installation fee will be included free of extra charge. Keep in mind that equipment fees and prices do change with various promotions, so make sure you check with your customer support rep on current fees when you call. If you use the free router included with your Quantum Fiber plan, you will get their 360 Wi-Fi system. 360 Wi-Fi is a mesh network, which is much more sophisticated than a single modem/router [2]. You will be able to set up extra Wi-Fi Pods to ensure seamless coverage of your entire space, which is especially helpful if you live in a large home or one with thick walls. You will also have the option to use your own router. The only drawback is that Quantum Fiber tech support cannot give service or information for your personal router the way they can support their own equipment.

Advanced WiFi and low equipment fees increase appeal for Spectrum

Spectrum will provide you with a free modem and either a Wave 2 router or an advanced, WiFi 6 compatible router [5]. The Charter Red-Dot Design award-winning router can support up to 200 devices simultaneously. User controls allow you to manage which devices are connected and when, and Security Shield automatically blocks online threats. You can even manage your router and your home wireless devices from the Spectrum app on your phone, with no complicated log-in. The router will automatically switch channels to optimize your internet performance.

Spectrum offers low equipment fees

Spectrum equipment fees are standardized, very low, and easy to understand. Spectrum modems come free with your service, and Spectrum routers rent for $5/month. Simple, straightforward pricing, unlike the complicated equipment fee charts you have to read for other providers.

Spectrum installation fees

Spectrum’s installation fees are middle-of-the-road for the industry. Professional installation by a technician will cost you $59.99. You can self-install Spectrum too, with a $19.99 activation fee.

Quantum Fiber earns high customer satisfaction ratings

Because the split in branding between Quantum Fiber and CenturyLink DSL is still very recent, we have to interpret customer satisfaction rankings that were previously based on the name “CenturyLink” for both brands. Customer satisfaction is much higher for Quantum Fiber than for the DSL provided by CenturyLink. The American Customer Satisfaction Index shows that split in results by dividing “CenturyLink” specifically into fiber and DSL. Fiber (aka, Quantum Fiber) ranks 16 points higher than the DSL service [3]. For Quantum Fiber, these customer satisfaction rankings tell the story clearly. You are likely to have a great internet experience with Quantum Fiber. To avoid confusion, be aware that there is still a certain amount of online cross-marketing between the two companies. Pay attention to the speeds available, whether your internet source labels it “Quantum Fiber” or “CenturyLink.” If the speed is above 200 Mbps, it is a Quantum Fiber product. If the speed is 100 Mbps or below, it is CenturyLink DSL. Overall, we highly recommend Quantum Fiber for its top-of-the-line speeds and reliability, great pricing, and good customer satisfaction ratings.

Spectrum Customer Service available 24/7

Spectrum provides customer service by phone or online chat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Spectrum also provides an extensive online troubleshooting guide and how-to resource library. If you prefer in-person assistance, Spectrum supports brick-and-mortar stores across its coverage area. These physical locations can also be very handy when you want to exchange equipment. Your Spectrum plan will give you access to a helpful and comprehensive mobile app. The app allows you to check for outages, manage your account, and do almost anything you would do online or by phone. You can even manage your WiFi settings through the app.