FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL), an industry leader in residential gigabit deployment, today announced that symmetrical broadband speeds up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) are now available through its ultra-fast fiber optic network to residential and small business customers in select markets.

CenturyLink is using fiber-to-the-premises technology to provide speeds up to 1 Gbps, equivalent to 1,000 Mbps, allowing users to stream high-definition video content with little to no delays and download movies, songs and TV shows in seconds. Customers who have multiple devices connected to one Internet connection in the home will have more than enough capacity and speed to support other uses of broadband such as online gaming, home automation, and increasingly important cloud services.

Residential speeds up to 1 Gbps are now available in select areas of Fayetteville, Raeford, Southern Pines and Whispering Pines.

“CenturyLink is pleased to offer select customers ultra-fast broadband speeds up to 1 gigabit per second to help keep pace with growing broadband demands,” said Rondi Furgason, vice president of operations in North Carolina. “This investment in our network demonstrates our commitment to deliver innovative technology that enhances our customers’ quality of life, now and into the future.”

CenturyLink has one of the largest fiber-enabled gigabit networks in the country and is an industry leader in the number of homes it has enabled with fiber technology capable of uploading and downloading information at speeds up to 1 Gbps. The company offers gigabit Internet service to residential and small business customers in parts of 17 states and expects to have more than 700,000 households across the country enabled with gigabit service by the end of 2015.

The Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Council recently presented CenturyLink with this year’s Chairman’s Award for deploying FTTH technology and  making high-speed broadband service up to 1 gigabit per second available to communities throughout the U.S., including underserved areas.

Gigabit speeds complement CenturyLink’s Prism® TV service, which is available to customers in select areas. Prism® TV, an alternative to cable and satellite services, offers interactive features with the latest in entertainment technology and is also delivered through CenturyLink’s nationwide fiber optic network.

Residential customers can purchase 1 Gbps service for a monthly recurring charge of $79.95 with a 12-month term commitment and when bundled with additional, qualifying CenturyLink services, including Prism® TV. In addition to speeds up to 1 Gbps, some customers may be eligible for speeds up to 40 and 100 Mbps. Customers should contact CenturyLink to see what speeds are available to them. They can also go to www.centurylink.com/gigabit to find out if broadband speeds up to 1 Gbps are available in their location and request an email notification once network upgrades are completed in their area.

About CenturyLink

CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a global communications, hosting, cloud and IT services company enabling millions of customers to transform their businesses and their lives through innovative technology solutions. CenturyLink offers network and data systems management, Big Data analytics and IT consulting, and operates more than 55 data centers in North America, Europe and Asia. The company provides broadband, voice, video, data and managed services over a robust 250,000-route-mile U.S. fiber network and a 300,000-route-mile international transport network. Visit CenturyLink for more information.

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