CenturyLink vs ALLO Fiber: Boulder Home Internet

calendar May 26, 2026 / · 4 min read · CenturyLink Quantum Fiber ALLO Communications Fiber Internet Boulder  ·
Share on: linkedin copy

Where Quantum Fiber can light up a Boulder address today, ALLO's city-backed fiber is still a 2026 promise — which makes this less a plan-versus-plan shootout than a buy-now-versus-wait decision. Both run fiber to the home with symmetrical speeds and no data caps. The difference that matters right now is that one of them you can actually order.

Side-by-Side Comparison

FeatureCenturyLink / Quantum FiberALLO Communications
Status in BoulderAvailable nowPhased rollout from mid-2026
TechnologyDSL citywide; fiber on select streetsFiber
Top speed940 Mbps fiber (100 Mbps DSL)Up to 2 Gbps (other markets)
Price/mo~$50 DSL · $50–$75 fiber~$50–$90 (other markets; Boulder TBD)
ContractNone on most plansNot yet announced
Symmetrical uploadFiber plans onlyYes

ALLO has not announced Boulder pricing. The figures above are drawn from ALLO's existing markets and may not match local rates.

Speed

Winner on paper: ALLO. ALLO's multi-gig fiber tiers reach 2 Gbps in other markets, topping the 940 Mbps ceiling of Quantum Fiber's gig plan. But "on paper" is the operative phrase — only Quantum Fiber can deliver those speeds to a Boulder home today, and only where fiber has actually been laid. Where your street still gets DSL, CenturyLink tops out near 100 Mbps and degrades with distance from the central office.

Price

Winner: roughly even, edge to the known quantity. Quantum Fiber's gig plan lands around $75 a month, with a price-for-life guarantee on some fiber tiers that holds the rate flat after the promo period — a meaningful hedge against the post-year-one jumps that plague cable. ALLO's other-market gig pricing sits in a similar $60–$70 band, but with Boulder rates unconfirmed, the only price you can sign for today is CenturyLink's.

Availability

Winner: CenturyLink / Quantum Fiber. DSL reaches most of the city, and Quantum Fiber has lit a growing share of Boulder streets. ALLO's buildout runs on a 20-year City of Boulder conduit lease and rolls out neighborhood by neighborhood starting mid-2026 — so for most addresses, ALLO is a future option, not a current one.

Contract & Pricing Stability

Winner: CenturyLink / Quantum Fiber. Most Quantum Fiber plans are no-contract, and the price-for-life option removes the renewal-cliff guesswork. ALLO's terms for Boulder have not been published, so there is nothing to commit to yet.

Who Should Choose CenturyLink / Quantum Fiber?

  • You need home internet now, not next year
  • Quantum Fiber has reached your street (check before assuming fiber speeds)
  • You want a locked, price-for-life fiber rate
  • Your address only has DSL but you need a no-contract wired line today

Who Should Wait for ALLO?

  • You are not in a hurry and your current connection is adequate
  • You want symmetrical multi-gig fiber and your neighborhood is on the early rollout map
  • You value a city-backed provider built around affordability and competition
  • You are renovating or moving and can time installation to the buildout

Bottom Line

If you need a wired connection in the next few months, Quantum Fiber is the only fiber you can actually order in Boulder today — check address availability first, and take the price-for-life option if it is offered. If you can wait, ALLO is worth watching: its mid-2026 arrival should expand fiber choice and push rates down citywide. Watch the neighborhood rollout map and revisit once it reaches your street.

More Resources

Sources

Posts in this series