Centurylink local trunkline is really really slow right now - Tallahassee Florida
Last week our internet speeds were really, really slow. When I ran the Centuryline speedtest it started out at less than 2 Mbps and dropped to 0.13 - we're paying for 10 Mbps.
I called in to tech support and they ran me through all kinds of tests, reboots, etc with no improvement. Finally they scheduled to have someone come out to check the lines. The guy called and told me to check my speed - it was over 15 Mbps! He said he'd replaced a card in the fiber optic network out our way.
Yesterday the speeds were way down again - 0.71 Mbps. I rebooted the modem and my computer and it got up to 1.49 Mbps. I tried doing a Chat session with their tech support. The first session got cut off; on the second, after a ten minute hold the tech came back and told me I'd have to call in.
So I called. After explaining the problem as a repeated experience for the third time last night, retesting the speed, bringing down an ancient Vista laptop from the attic and hooking it up, testing the speed yet again, the tech finally told me what was going on.
The trunkline that connects the internet for the entire Tallahassee region has issues. The fiber optic card that was replaced last week was an effort to repair it - those card cost $275,000 (!) so they don't want to keep replacing them on the off chance another one is the problem.
They hope to have it fixed by next week but the tech I spoke to was pessimistic. He said they've over sold their high speed internet and the trunkline needs to be upgraded to handle the load.
I'm paying for TV and 10 Mbps broadband coming through those lines. I'm supposed to get at least 80% of that speed. On a good day I can hit 20 Mbps especially if I'm the only one home and I'm watching DVR rather than TV coming in on the same line - with the TV and internet we have we're supposed to get combined 25 Mbps.
TV has been crappy - lots of pixelization and frozen pictures. If this problem continues, I'm going to ask for a partial credit!