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Lumen
A Tier 1 global backbone (formerly CenturyLink and Level 3) selling dedicated internet from 10 Mbps to 100 Gbps, on-demand internet, and the largest US wavelength business. We quote it for high-capacity sites, multi-site WANs and data centers, next to every other carrier at the address.
The short answer
Lumen sells Dedicated Internet Access from 10 Mbps to 100 Gbps on its AS3356 backbone, with a published 99.99% availability SLA on US on-net and off-net circuits and credits that reach 100% of the monthly charge for outages over 20 hours. It also sells Intelligent Internet (its on-demand, network-as-a-service internet), wavelengths up to 400G and dark fiber. On a 36-month term, Lumen DIA typically runs $450 to $550 a month at 100 Mbps and $800 to $950 at 1 Gbps, with installs around ten weeks. Since selling its consumer fiber business to AT&T in February 2026, Lumen is an enterprise-focused carrier.
Speeds
10 Mbps to 100 Gbps DIA; wavelengths 10G, 100G and 400G
1 Gbps monthly
$800 to $950 on a 36-month term
Install interval
About ten weeks typical
SLA
99.99% availability in the US, credits up to 100% of the monthly charge
Carrier overview
What Lumen offers
Lumen runs one of the largest IP backbones in the world: about 340,000 global fiber route miles, about 163,000 on-net buildings and more than 6,500 interconnects with other networks, plus Cloud Connect links to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and other major clouds.
Dedicated Internet Access. Symmetrical internet from 10 Mbps to 100 Gbps, IPv4 or dual-stack IPv6, BGP or static routing, with flat-rate, commit-plus-burst or aggregate billing. Basic protection (temporary null routes and limited ACL filtering on request) is included; DDoS Mitigation and managed security are paid add-ons.
Lumen Intelligent Internet (Internet On-Demand). Dedicated internet turned up and scaled through the Lumen Connect portal over a multi-service port, with a fixed monthly rate for committed bandwidth and capacity you can add on demand. Lumen says it reaches more than 10 million US locations, including off-net sites through last-mile partners.
Wavelengths. 10G, 100G and 400G waves, with protected and diverse-route options. Lumen's RapidRoutes program offers 100G and 400G waves on pre-defined intercity routes with a 20-business-day delivery commitment. Vertical Systems Group ranked Lumen first in US wavelength services for 2025, the fifth year running.
Dark fiber, Ethernet, IP VPN, SD-WAN and SASE, plus managed and professional services.
Where they are strongest
Lumen is on nearly every shortlist for 10 Gbps and above, for multi-site enterprise WANs, and for data center and cloud connectivity. The backbone is the selling point: Lumen says a large share of the internet traffic that starts on its network stays on its network, which keeps hop counts low to major clouds and content networks.
It is also one of the few carriers that publishes a detailed SLA with real money behind it. Credits climb to 100% of the monthly charge, which is stronger than most competitors' caps. And Intelligent Internet is a real option for sites with seasonal or project-driven bandwidth, where paying for a 1 Gbps commitment all year would be waste.
How we quote them
We quote Lumen for headquarters circuits, data centers, multi-site WANs and wavelength routes, and for on-demand bandwidth where the business wants to scale month to month. For a single small branch, a regional or cable carrier is often cheaper unless Lumen is already in the building.
Before a Lumen quote goes next to anyone else's, we confirm three things:
On-net or off-net. In the US and Canada both carry the same 99.99% SLA, which is unusual and worth knowing. Price and install time still differ.
Which internet product. A term DIA circuit and an Intelligent Internet port are priced and contracted differently. We make sure the quote you are comparing is the one you want.
Billing model. Flat rate, commit plus burst, or aggregate. Burst is useful, but an uncapped burst can turn a good monthly price into a bad invoice.
Services we quote
Dedicated Internet Access · Internet On-Demand · Ethernet · Wavelengths up to 400 Gbps · Dark fiber · Multi-Cloud Gateway · SD-WAN · DDoS · Enterprise broadband
Coverage
Nationwide backbone; last-mile strongest in the West and Midwest
Carrier type
National
Carrier-neutral: we work for you, our client, with no carrier or service provider bias.
Product comparison
Lumen Dedicated Internet Access vs Lumen Intelligent Internet
Dedicated Internet Access | Intelligent Internet (on-demand) | |
|---|---|---|
How you buy it | Quote and order per site | Self-service through the Lumen Connect portal over a NaaS port |
Bandwidth changes | Contract change order | Scale up or down in the portal |
Speeds | 10 Mbps to 100 Gbps | Up to 100 Gbps |
Pricing | Fixed monthly rate, flat or burstable | Fixed rate for committed bandwidth plus on-demand capacity |
Advertised price, 1 Gbps | Quoted per address | From $1.06 per hour for qualifying NaaS customers on a 1-year minimum term (as advertised, October 2026) |
SLA | 99.99% availability | 99.99% availability |
Best for | Stable, predictable sites | Seasonal peaks, projects, fast turn-ups |
If your bandwidth is steady, term DIA is usually the better money. If it swings with events, seasons or projects, on-demand can cost less over a year. Run both against your actual usage before you commit.
Alternatives
When another carrier fits better
Small branches and retail sites. Comcast Business often prices 100 Mbps dedicated below Lumen, and Comcast or Spectrum Business broadband costs far less, where Lumen would need to build.
Cost-sensitive bandwidth in a lit office tower or data center. Cogent is usually cheaper on-net, especially as a second path.
Dark fiber or unique long-haul routes. Zayo is the other national name to price against Lumen. See Lumen vs Zayo for wavelengths.
The Southeast and the former Windstream footprint. Uniti Fiber is often on-net where Lumen is not.
New York metro and New Jersey. Lightpath and Verizon Business are frequently already lit in the building, which shortens the install.
Typical pricing
What dedicated internet usually costs here
Prices close to the market average at both tiers, with one of the shorter typical installs among national carriers, around ten weeks.
| Tier | Typical monthly | Market average |
|---|---|---|
| 100 Mbps | $450 – $550 | ≈ $500 |
| 1 Gbps | $800 – $950 | ≈ $900 |
Contract notes
What the Lumen SLA actually says
Lumen publishes one Service Level Agreement covering its network services (version dated October 13, 2026). These are the clauses we walk clients through:
Availability tier. Internet on-net anywhere, and off-net in the US and Canada, is "Gold": 99.99%. Off-net outside the US and Canada is "Silver": 99.9%.
Credit schedule (Gold). 10% of the monthly charge for 4 minutes 33 seconds to 43 minutes of unavailability, 20% up to 4 hours, 30% up to 8 hours, 40% up to 12 hours, 50% up to 20 hours, and 100% beyond 20 hours.
Cap. Credits in a month cannot exceed 100% of the monthly charge for the affected service.
Performance. Packet delivery of 99.95% globally, and round-trip latency under 45 ms within North America.
Claim window. Request credits within 60 days after the end of the month of the event. That is far more generous than many carriers.
No credits for some products. Standalone Broadband Internet Access, primary cellular internet and satellite internet earn no availability credits. If a Lumen quote is for broadband, it is not covered by the DIA SLA.
Wavelengths. Protected and dual-path waves are 99.99%; unprotected waves are 99.5%, with credits starting only after 3 hours 36 minutes of downtime.
Term, renewal and early termination live in your service order and master agreement. Read those too: see Read this before you auto-renew a 36-month term.
Learn the lingo
Frequently asked questions
Is Lumen the same as CenturyLink?
Lumen is the company formerly called CenturyLink, which had already merged with Level 3. In February 2026 Lumen sold its consumer fiber business to AT&T. Lumen today is focused on enterprise, government and wholesale networking, and the CenturyLink brand is no longer how it sells to businesses.
How much does Lumen dedicated internet cost?
On a 36-month term, Lumen DIA typically runs $450 to $550 a month at 100 Mbps and $800 to $950 at 1 Gbps. Off-net addresses, shorter terms, burst billing and add-ons move it. Lumen does not publish term DIA pricing; the address decides it.
What is Lumen's SLA for dedicated internet?
Lumen publishes 99.99% availability for internet on-net and for off-net in the US and Canada. Credits start at 10% of the monthly charge after about four and a half minutes of downtime and reach 100% after 20 hours. You have 60 days after the end of the month to claim them.
How long does a Lumen install take?
About ten weeks is typical for term DIA. On-net sites can be faster, and builds take longer. Intelligent Internet can turn up much faster where a Lumen NaaS port already exists. For wavelengths on RapidRoutes, Lumen commits to 20 business days once the order is fully executed.
What is Lumen Intelligent Internet?
It is Lumen's on-demand internet, previously marketed as Internet On-Demand. You buy a port, commit to a base bandwidth at a fixed monthly rate, and add capacity in the Lumen Connect portal when you need it. It suits sites whose bandwidth swings; steady sites usually do better on a term DIA contract.
Does Lumen still sell internet to small businesses?
Lumen still sells enterprise broadband and DIA to businesses of all sizes, but its consumer fiber business and the Quantum Fiber brand went to AT&T in February 2026. For a small office, we usually compare Lumen with a cable or regional fiber carrier, which is often cheaper.
Is Lumen good for wavelengths?
Lumen is the largest US wavelength provider by Vertical Systems Group's 2025 ranking, with 10G, 100G and 400G waves and a large intercity network. Zayo is the main alternative, and on some routes it has the more direct path. We price both on the exact A and Z locations.
Does Lumen offer DDoS protection with DIA?
Standard DIA includes basic network security: temporary null routes and limited ACL filtering on request. Full DDoS Mitigation, which reroutes attack traffic to Lumen's scrubbing centers, is a separate paid service. If you need it, include it in the quote so the comparison is fair.
Sources
Lumen Dedicated Internet Access datasheet (speeds, features, 99.99% SLA, billing options)
Lumen Marketplace, Dedicated Internet Access (ordering, billing options, 6,500+ interconnects)
Lumen blog, Internet On-Demand expands to 10 million off-net locations
Business Wire, Lumen RapidRoutes announcement (20-business-day delivery conditions)
Lightwave, Vertical Systems Group 2025 US Wavelength Leaderboard (March 2026)
ISE Magazine, AT&T closes acquisition of Lumen's Mass Markets fiber business (February 2026)