Internet provider · 19-STATE · Fiber · DSL
Brightspeed
Carved out of Lumen/CenturyLink in 2022 and bought by Apollo. The fiber tech is fine but the operating track record isn't: 1M-PII data breach in 2026, four active class actions, and Missouri PSC formally found 'gross negligence' in service quality.
- Parent company
- Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO)
- Founded
- 2022
- Headquarters
- Charlotte, NC
- Service types
- Fiber · DSL
- States served
- 19 states: AL, AR, FL, GA, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MS, MO, NC, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI
- ZIPs covered
- ~3,400
- Residential subs
- ~850,000 (2026-Q1)
- Gateway fee
- Included
- Install fee
- Free
- Contract
- None
Plans & pricing
| Tier | Down | Up | Price | Data cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiber 200 Mbps | 200 Mbps | 200 Mbps | $49/mo | Unlimited |
| Fiber 500 Mbps | 500 Mbps | 500 Mbps | $59/mo | Unlimited |
| Fiber 1 Gig | 1 Gbps | 1 Gbps | $79/mo | Unlimited |
| Fiber 2 Gig | 2 Gbps | 2 Gbps | $99/mo | Unlimited |
Notes: Fiber tier has no contracts and price-lock. DSL tier (where they haven't yet built fiber) is legacy CenturyLink copper.
Ownership & corporate history
Ownership type: private-equity (since 2022)
Previously known as / acquired: CenturyLink fiber/DSL in 20 states (carved out and sold to Apollo 2022)
Owned by Apollo Global Management. Carved out of Lumen/CenturyLink in 2022. The legacy CenturyLink stores in this footprint are now Brightspeed-branded or shut down. No consumer retail.
Customer service & support
- Customer service
- 1-833-692-7773
- Technical support
- 1-833-692-7773
- Billing
- 1-833-692-7773
- Support portal
- https://www.brightspeed.com/support/
- Billing portal
- https://www.brightspeed.com/myaccount/
- Mailing address
- Brightspeed, 5511 Capital Center Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606
Returning your equipment
Accepted return methods: ups-store-prepaid-label
You must return: Brightspeed router/ONT, Set-top boxes (if applicable)
⚠ Do NOT drop equipment at these stores
These branded retail stores share the carrier's name but cannot accept equipment returns for this service. Confirm before driving:
- Any legacy CenturyLink stores still standing (they're not affiliated with Brightspeed anymore)
Common mistake: Brightspeed shares legacy CenturyLink infrastructure but is now a separate company under Apollo. Don't go to old CenturyLink offices.
Where you can actually go in person
Confirmed company-operated stores that can sign up service AND accept equipment returns. Authorized-retailer addresses are tagged separately because they cannot always handle returns.
-
Any UPS Store — Brightspeed prepaid label UPS Store partner
Any UPS Store, (nationwide), — —
Accepts equipment: Brightspeed router/ONT, Set-top boxes
Branded as: The UPS Store
ONLY method. Pull label from Brightspeed support.
BEAD & broadband grants
- AL: $14,000,000 · awarded 2024-11 · source
Safety, legal, and regulatory flags
Data breaches
- 2026-01: 1M customers PII · source
Active or recent lawsuits
- Filed 2026-02 (Multiple): 4 putative class actions consolidated re: 2026 data breach · source
State Public Service Commission findings
- MO: Gross negligence in service quality (formal complaint) · source
Does Brightspeed serve your address?
Use our ZIP-coverage tool to confirm availability — we cross-reference live FCC Form 477 data with the carrier's own footprint map.
Check coverage at my ZIP →Brightspeed Warning — Data Breach + Class Actions
We've written a long-form review of Brightspeed going deeper than this stub — real pricing tests, install-day stories, competitor comparisons, the works.
Read the full review →Sources & verification
Last verified 2026-05-27. Records over 180 days old are auto-flagged for re-verification.