Is CenturyLink Good For Gaming?

20 years back, when asked people their choice of profession, it would be something like a doctor, a hotel manager, a pilot, etc. Now, if you ask someone their choice of profession, you will still get answers like a doctor, an engineer, a pilot, however, you will also get answers like a pro gamer, a streamer, an influencer, etc. The increase of technology has increased the choices for a job majorly. Career choices are almost unlimited to the point that people can turn their hobbies into their careers.

One such hobby that has been turned into a career is gaming. There are many gamers and gaming influencers like PewDiePie, and Markiplier. Of course, one of the most important things required by gamers is extremely reliable and fast internet. Just like how you can’t become a doctor without the proper degree and practice, the same applies to being a gamer. To play heavy online multiplayer games constantly and while streaming as well, you need to have a reliable and strong internet connection with minimal to no disturbances.

Today, in this article, we have decided to talk about CenturyLink internet and how it is good for gaming. As CenturyLink is one of the leading ISPs in the U.S., it is only natural that we determine whether it is a good internet for gaming. CenturyLink indeed offers amazing internet plans with multiple benefits, so let’s see whether it is suitable for gaming or not. First, we will need to determine what to look for in a gaming internet.

What to look for in gaming internet?

So, before jumping into the features and speeds of CenturyLink internet plans, let’s talk about what we are looking for. 

Download speeds for gaming

Download speeds depend on the type of game you are going to play. If you are going to play games merely for your own entertainment and not to stream, then these are not so heavy. These games might not require as much download data and internet speed as online multiplayer games. On the other hand, if you are playing games as a pro gamer and streamer, you will be playing heavy online multiplayer games involving championships, tournaments, and more. These will require significantly more internet speed than others.

This is why it is important to determine the type of game you are going to be playing first. If you are streaming while also gaming, you need to have a larger bandwidth and great speeds to keep up with the fast-paced game and its quality. For casual gaming, you’ll need a download speed of about 25 Mbps. This will give you a smooth experience and allow you to enjoy the game. However, if playing games is your livelihood, a minimum speed of 50 Mbps would be better for you. 

Upload speeds for gaming

Upload speed is usually not considered an issue for gaming. However, it is another important aspect to keep an eye out for. When you are playing multiplayer games, especially those that have tournaments and competitions, you need to be quick to respond to the opponent’s attacks and this is done with the help of upload speeds. It doesn’t matter how fast you press the keys on your keyboard, if you don’t have enough upload speed, it’s going to take a while for the response to be registered by the computer. So, having good upload speeds means your response is registered faster.

A minimum upload speed of 5 Mbps is suitable for casual games while 10 Mbps is suited for competitive gaming. If you are streaming as well as gaming, then 15-20 Mbps will be better suited for that. So, first, you’ll need to determine the type of game you’ll be playing and then look for an appropriate plan. 

Data allowance

Games are very data-intensive. Depending on the type of game you are playing or want to play, you need to keep in mind how data-intensive it is going to be. If you are playing competitive multiplayer games, they’ll be very data-consuming, but, on the other hand, casual games like dress-up, and makeovers will not be consuming a lot of data.

So, instead of going for the bare minimum, you should splurge a little in case you cross the data limit. Most service providers charge an overage fee when you cross the data limit. To avoid that, you should get a plan, which has either no data cap or at least one that provides data as much as 1 TB per month. This way, you avoid crossing the data limit. Keep in mind that you are not only buying the internet plan for gaming but also, for other needs as well.

Latency/Ping time

Latency or Ping time is the time taken for your computer to send or receive data from the game server. In simple terms, it is the time it takes between pressing a key and your game character responding according to the key you pressed. If the time taken is longer, then that means there is high-level latency and that is not good. Especially in multiplayer games, where time is of the essence, you need to be quick and so, low-level latency or no latency at all is more preferred. 

Gaming with CenturyLink internet

So, now that we’ve gone through the requirements for a gaming internet, let’s see if CenturyLink falls into that category. CenturyLink has been known for its speedy internet services and is ranked among the top 5 ISPs serving in the U.S. They provide Fiber and DSL internet services to their customers and also have home phone services. Its availability spans 36 states and is a very popular service provider in rural America. 

So, if we were to check CenturyLink services against the things we have mentioned above, CenturyLink provides wonderful speedy internet to its providers with fiber. The internet speeds for DSL are up to 100 Mbps while those for Fiber are up to 940 Mbps. With such high speeds, there is less chance of latency and the data allowance is unlimited for all its plans. This is an ideal scenario for a gaming internet and that is why it is popular amongst a lot of people.

CenturyLink internet plans

Attached below are the plans offered by CenturyLink and the pricing and conditions they entail. 

Internet Plan	Internet Speeds	Data Allowance	Pricing	Conditions
CenturyLink Simply Unlimited Internet	Up to 100 Mbps	Unlimited	$50/mo.	Paperless billing or prepay requiredAdditional taxes, fees, and surcharges appliedSpeed availability subject to location
CenturyLink Fiber Gigabit	Up to 940 Mbps	Unlimited	$65/mo.	Paperless billing or prepay requiredAdditional taxes, fees, and surcharges applySpeed availability subject to location

The final word

Coming to the end of this article, we hope you have found the answer to the question you were looking for. As you were able to see for yourself, the plans and pricing for CenturyLink internet plans are great for gamers and reasonable too. It is the best internet plan on the best budget. If you want to know more about the speeds of CenturyLink internet, go on to BuyTVInternetPhone and you will find all the necessary details that you need for the internet plans.