Brightspeed was the largest new biller after CenturyLink payments stopped
Share of established CenturyLink customers whose payments stopped and who started each provider type within the following 12 months
Share of CenturyLink customers whose payments stopped
Source: YipitData U.S. credit and debit card panel. CenturyLink customers whose payments stopped n=2,976; last payment January–August 2025. New relationships were absent in the prior 12 months and had at least two later charges.
Chart data
| Series | Share of CenturyLink customers whose payments stopped |
|---|---|
| Brightspeed | 23.2% |
| Cable provider | 5.6% |
| Satellite provider | 2.1% |
| Other wired provider | 0.7% |
How quickly did Brightspeed billing appear?
Of the 690 CenturyLink customers whose payments stopped and who began paying Brightspeed, 73% did so within one month of their last CenturyLink payment, 87% within two months, and 91% within three months. Brightspeed accounted for 97% of the 709 customers who began paying a fiber or telephone-company provider.
Does the billing sequence prove that customers chose to switch?
No. The near-immediate sequence is consistent with a transfer between providers, but card payments do not show whether a household chose Brightspeed or was moved automatically. The panel also cannot measure service plans, prices, internet usage, or customers paying by bank transfer or another unobserved method.
Assumptions & Methodologies
We analyzed our U.S. credit and debit card panel. The stopped-payment cohort made at least six CenturyLink payments in the 12 months through the last payment, stopped during January–August 2025, and made no later CenturyLink payment. Each customer had a full 12-month follow-up. A new provider was absent in the prior 12 months and appeared at least twice afterward. Cable included Comcast, Charter or Spectrum, Cox, Optimum, Mediacom, and Cable One; satellite included Starlink, Viasat, and HughesNet. Card coverage is incomplete, and the timing does not establish customer choice or causality.