Apollo Management’s acquisition of Lumen ILEC operations in 20 states isn’t expected to be finalized until the second half of 2022. But that isn’t stopping the acquirers from making big plans, as today’s news that Brightspeed will be the name for the business post divestiture illustrates.
Despite not yet having the Lumen network assets, Brightspeed is already in operation and has assembled a management team that includes people who were responsible for the Verizon Fios fiber broadband rollout, including Brightspeed CEO Bob Mudge, COO Tom Maguire and Chief Administration Officer Chris Creager. The company said it plans to invest more than $2 billion in its network, apparently in addition to the $7.5 billion it will pay for the Lumen assets.
Lumen plans to retain its ILEC business in 16 states where it also plans to invest in fiber broadband but opted to divest states that would have been a lower priority to receive fiber buildouts.
“Our company exists because we believe that all people and businesses should have access to the connectivity they need to accomplish what is most important to them,” says a Brightspeed web page. “Our goal, over the next several years, is to build a next-gen fiber optics–based network to power Internet access for the communities we will be privileged to serve.
Intriguingly, a press release today notes that Brightspeed will “initially” be comprised of the Lumen assets, suggesting that the company may have additional acquisition plans.
Brightspeed will be headquartered in Charlotte, N.C.
“We have an incredibly talented team of network builders and lifelong customer advocates who are eager to accelerate the upgrade to fiber optic technologies in parts of the country that have been historically under-invested,” said Mudge in the press release.
Why not call it what it is? It is a sell-off and the beginning of a long slow death, kind of like Sears. These guys don’t have it and don’t understand that a telco that does not understand that it is a telco, will slowly fade away (as long as no one does anything about it and continues down this “we are a tech company’ baloney”) Just look at what happened to AT&Tback in the early 90’s… Riding high “we are a cable company”, spent so much money, that by the end of the 90’s it was now a division of SBC, I mean the new “at&t”. And, it seems like they were heading the same way not but 1-2 years ago, stating, we are a “media” company, when in all reality it was just a telcom wasting a media company by “enlightened” management. Story and CO talk about the “4th industrial revolution”, it is just a continuation of something that (AT&T) started years ago and is finally playing out with ‘smart’ devices and things of that ilk.
Why not call it what it is? It is a sell-off and the beginning of a long slow death, kind of like Sears. These guys don’t have it and don’t understand that a telco that does not understand that it is a telco, will slowly fade away (as long as no one does anything about it and continues down this “we are a tech company’ baloney”) Just look at what happened to AT&T back in the early 90’s… Riding high “we are a cable company”, spent so much money, that by the end of the 90’s, ‘we are now’ a division of SBC, I mean the new “at&t”. And, it seems like they were heading the same way not but 1-2 years ago, stating, we are a “media” company, when in all reality it was just a telecom wasting a media company by “enlightened” management. Story and CO talk about the “4th industrial revolution”, it is just a continuation of something that (AT&T) started years ago and is finally playing out with ‘smart’ devices and things of that ilk.
I’m a CenturyLink/Lumen customer in Lorain, Ohio and none of the stars on the map are near Lorain. It’s somewhat backwoods here If Brightspeed installs in the Lorain area serviced by Lumen, I’ll believe it when it happens. So I guess I should plan on losing internet now?
But if it does happen, how much of a price increase will hit my wallet? I haven’t found any price list anywhere. Being a senior citizen with no income, I guess I can plan on losing internet when Brightspeed comes to town.
Probably force you and me to go to “Satellite” internet. Every time a cloud comes up, you’re out of luck like with my TV service (DirecTV). It goes out at least once a month or more for a half hour or more just for a little storm system. I really doubt Brightspeed will keep the rural copper DSL customers.
There a star directly over Greeneville Tn and My internet and landline service is down the drain. Landline has no dial tone and constant static. Internet drops atleast 100 a day. I didnt much like Centurylink but I sure miss them now!!!!!!!!
To top if off, Lumen has not had a phone working in my neighborhood in 6 days, and dont try calling as they put you on hold of hours until you just give up. It is not like we have another choice as they are the only supplier in this area (woodville, gibsonburg Oh, 30 miles east of toledo.
The service folks say the wiring is junk and that is why it is always crashing. But this has been true for 10-15 years. Dont even ask about the internet speed. I bought some inside cameras and they like the doorbell ones need a good upload speed of 5 to work. What do I have? .75. so good luck and Apollo is welcome if we are still alive.
You are terribly incorrect or you have very inefficient cameras. The average home camera system (WYZE, Ring, Blink etc.) work fine on a 5M/1M connection (Closer to 4.8M/0.8M throughput). There is something else going on, you may have a bunch of things trying to upload at the same time that dont need to or should be, WiFi issues, Modem issues or setup error. I was a repair tech for another DSL provider where some of my customers could only get 1.5M/768K service. Somehow they found a way to make it work for their camera’s.
So, what do you get when you cross 2 crappy internet/ phone service companies?
I had no choice but to get CenturyLink. The county I live in won’t let anyone else in. I am sure someone relative or relatives work there.
Satellite is a joke unless you just want to long in pay a bill or read a few emails and jump off. We use internet for tv. It would cost a small fortune with satellite.
No Centurylink is an ILEC or Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier. ILEC’s do not cross ILEC’s markets because of the NANP and the telephone switch hierarchy set out back in the day. With Number Portability that somewhat changed, but due to FCC Title 2 the traditional phone markets do not cross. Now their CLEC business and fiber builds are different. Fiber is regulated as an I formation service like CableTV so they the phone companies have been able to expand into surrounding neighborhoods and towns that were not in their traditional phone business. One example is Horizon Telecom in Ohio. They were tradionally a small phone company based in Chillicothe Ohio. An investment firm bought them and they expanded business fiber all through southern Ohio, Central Ohio and parts of Indiana. They are now doing several residential fiber builds not in their ILEC market but in the Outlier towns and cities of central Ohio that A&T and Frontier dropped the ball on for Fiber builds.
what is the monthly costs ????
I Hope your company will have better customer service than centurylink if not you have wasted your time and money because centurylink has been the WORST in customer service and reliability . I for one am looking forward to seeing what you can offer……Yours Truly………Barney Wilborn
Crappie service been waiting 3 weeks for new modem
I want to stand up for CenturyLink. I had my phone with them long before internet was available. They have been good to me. When I no longer wanted the phone service because of cell phone they got me a good price on internet alone. My down time has been small compared to complaints from other people. I’m hoping this move to BrightSpeed will be at least as good if not better. Thank you CenturyLink for many years of service…no I am NOT related to anyone in either companies.
…Sally Shaul
I have been a Customer for 17 years – It was GREAT when it was CenturyTel and has degraded since the merger with Embarq and renamed CenturyLink. The Internet is dependable in only one area and that is that it will go down often. There is a radio personality that calls it the worst telco on our side of the galaxy – and he is correct.
My contract with them says that they provide the router – when the routers fail, CenturyLink tries really hard to bill me for the router and shipping/handling – when I refuse to be hoodwinked, they agree that i don’t have to pay anything. And each time the network fails, I call them and get a $50 credit – and I tell them that I don’t call because I like to bother them, I call because their network is unreliable. Their network is so bad that they have strung their wires on the trees on our farm (for years) so that our neighbors down the road can have telephone service. Most of our neighbors have switched to cell phones – in case someone calls them. If the government ever designed a telco, it would be like Centurylink.
We have had the same experience with Centurylink. Once Centurytel was a ‘goner’ there was no office anywhere near us. More like 250+ miles away. The service people who had bent over backwards to help us get proper service were not sent. We were offered as high as 18mbps download with Centurytel. Centurylink offered us 3. When I asked if I could upgrade even if it cost more they said no because I was 5000 some feet from what they call ‘the office’ and told me if I wasn’t satisfied I should go to Hughesnet. I had been a customer for 15 years. So I’m wondering how Brightspeed could possibly be worse. Service with Centurytel was none existent. My first call to Brightside was with ‘Gabby’. She couldn’t have been more helpful and understanding. I am set up to have a technician to come out to see if our lines can provide more then 3mbps if so they will do it without extra cost. Not sure how this will end in my rural, very ignored area by Centurytel but I am hopeful. Centurytel also strung our repair wires on bushes alongside the road. I was also told when calling one time in the past our wires were extremely antiquated and should have been replaced years ago. Here’s hoping Brightside is as promising as they sound on first contact.
I have had CenturyLink before they were Qwest and people cried then about the service. I have not had a major problem, and no one can beat their rates for internet. Cox, AT&T, Verizon they all suck, pay big bucks and still don’t get any better service. I hope this new merger, does not hit the West coast, cause i will be going somewhere else.
I’ve been trying to get my home phone line fixed for two weeks and can’t get it reported either online or by calling!!!! Not a happy customer.
I have had century link since 2004 on problems with phone service, but major problems with internet, and still having them, customer service is very bad I have been on the phone wit them for 2 and a half hours and was just disconnected again I will be billing you 100.00 per hour for lost work…..
Probably force you and me to go to “Satellite” internet. Every time a cloud comes up, you’re out of luck like with my TV service (DirecTV). It goes out at least once a month or more for a half hour or more just for a little storm system. I really doubt Brightspeed will keep the rural copper DSL customers.
On my September CenturyLink statement for landline phone service will change to Brightspeed. I am hoping the price will not go up. I hope I can pay online.
We have been out of internet and phone service since Friday Sept 30th.
The service Century Link has provided over the years has been appalling.
My husband and I, my son and his wife, and my daughter and her husband
have been amazed at how awful the service and customer service is with
Century Link. We truly hope the service with Bright Speed is better and hope
to have service restored very soon. Century Link never has to wait for our payments
but we constantly have to wait for service. I will be waiting for your reply and
service to be fixed. Please call 919-545-1486 to let us know when to expect service to be restored.
I hope you have better luck than we have so far. Internet was out for weeks and no luck with century link. Brightspeed sent a message today saying it was restored. It was not restored. I talked to Brightspeed and was told tomorrow at noon. We won’t hold our breathe. Brightspeed please make good on your promise to provide good service in the country not just in the city.
CenturyLink I never had problems with. Since Bright speed has taken over I have nothing but problems with my landline phone . So far internet works fine. I can call out on landline but I can’t receive calls so people call me on their cell phone then I will call them back on my landline . The other day Mayo Clinic called the phone never rang here the only way I knew is the number showed up on caller ID. My husband called me from his cell to our landline The message he got was the number you dialed is not in service.
Just great. Now I can look forward to sh%# service the rest of my life. The small rural community I live in has Centurylink. Unreliable service from one of, if not the worst providers in the USA. Days of outages,probably because their co’s still have equipment from the 70’s in operation. They invested all their money in everything but network equipment. One of the the problems is they never prepared for us going to digital age so fast, as many providers like them. You have to spend money, to make money…….
So far since the switchover from CenturyLink to Brightspeed, I have had no incoming internet signal. All Brightspeed can say through their virtual “agent” is that service is scheduled to be rescheduled by . . . (you fill in deadline). Did not happen. Now i have a new restoration time of 5:00pm today. We will see
Marysville Ohio CenturyLink customer trying to get in touch with brightspeed who is now my service provider but they send me back to CenturyLink who sent me back to Brightside who sends me back to CenturyLink who sends me back to Bright Side who just told me my account has been closed but I still have services gave me a phone number to call but it’s not a valid number I’m at my wits end with this whole Fiasco
Since transfered to Bspeed i receive no email messages & my folders are now empty……5 weeks….back & forth CL TO BS…..Chats & Support forms….still not fixed & they are adding to the problem ….locking me out of account, changing my info, on & on…I’m a 30 yr customer & am now going to have to switch companies unless this is fixed now. Also will write CEO Bob Mudge & inform him that AARP said they will print my complaint so seniors will know about Brightspeed service is not for them,,,,,I rather they fix my issues. I cant receive email…soo..
brightspeed is worst web site i have ever encountered, trying to simply pay your bill requires telling them if you are business or home service, entering a phone number/address to let them confirm that, responding to request for verification code they transmit and finally a userid and password. They are also sending notice that “pay your bill” will no longer be an option on the web site as of April 26, 2023, want everyone to use an application suppose.