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About Windstream Internet
Windstream is a local telecommunications company spun off from the merger of Alltel and VALOR Communications. They offer many products and services, including residential internet/TV/phone bundles. Windstream's high-speed Internet product is called Kinetic Internet. Kinetic Internet is available in three tiers: 200 Mbps, 500 Mbps and 1000 Gbps. Pricing and internet speed depends on location. Windstream is based in Little Rock, AR, and serves mostly rural communities in 21 states.
Features of their high speed service include:
Advertised speeds of up to 500 MBps depending on the plan
1000 Gbps fiber plans available in select markets
30-day money back guarantee
Commitment-free monthly contracts
Free professional installation available
Phone and TV bundles available
History of Windstream
The company dates back to 1943 when the Allied Telephone Company was founded in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Allied Telephone Company served rural areas in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Alltel was born in 1983 when the Allied Telephone Company and the Mid-Continent Telephone Company of Ohio merged. At the time, Alltel was the 5th largest local telephone company in the United States.
Ten years later, in 1993, Alltel acquired GTE Georgia's service area and their telephone directory business. In 1999, Alltel gained 193,000 customer telephone lines after merging with the Standard Group (Georgia) and Aliant Communications (Nebraska). Alltel gained an additional 600,000 lines in Kentucky after purchasing them from Verizon in 2002.
In 2005, Alltel spun off its landline telephone business and merged it with the VALOR Communications Group. The Windstream Corporation formed as part of this merger. By 2009, the company had one million internet customers. This milestone was reached after a series of acquisitions in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Windstream continued to acquire companies throughout 2010 and 2011. These acquisitions expanded service into Iowa and Minnesota for a total of 16 states. The company further expanded their technology capabilities in 2014 by acquiring fixed broadband provider, Business Only Broadband, and deployed a 100G long-haul express network.
In 2016, the company further increased their fiber and wireless broadband offerings. They expanded their fiber transport network throughout the western United States and increased coverage in the eastern United States. Their long-haul fiber optic network spans approximately 125,000 miles. Windstream also introduced 1-Gigabit high speed service to four market areas.
Over the past few years, Windstream has focused on building a fixed wireless service. This wireless network will bring broadband internet access to rural areas throughout the United States.
Windstream Coverage
In rural markets, the most common packages are:
Premium Plus Kinetic Internet: Up to 100 Mbps. Provides smooth, fast service for downloading movies, streaming music and video chatting.
Premium Kinetic Internet: Up to 50 Mbps. Ideal for households with several devices streaming at the same time.
Enhanced Kinetic Internet: Up to 25 Mbps. Good for households where there are multiple users streaming and downloading or sending pictures.
Standard Kinetic Internet: Speeds up to 15 Mbps. Best used for basic internet activities like checking email and surfing the web.
In addition to broadband service, Windstream offers Kinetic GIG Fiber Internet in 150 cities in 18 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas. Many of these cities are in rural areas, providing a great alternative to satellite or cellular internet service. Fiber coverage includes northern Florida, northern Georgia, western North Carolina, upstate New York, and north Texas, among many other areas. Kinetic Gig Internet is Windstream's fastest internet plan and is the best product for home wi-fi networks.
In many rural areas, Windstream is the best option for high speed service. Windstream offers TV/phone/internet bundles so customers can get a good deal on the products they need. Windstream also allows unlimited internet usage, with no data caps or overage fees. They also offer flexible monthly packages with no commitments. It's easy to find the best deals and order Windstream service online: See what Kinetic products are available by entering a service address on in the comparison form on this page.
Choosing the Right Windstream Plan
Windstream prices vary depending on the selected plan and area. Windstream generally offers one fiber internet plan and two broadband DSL plans:
Kinetic GIG Fiber: The best Windstream plan is Kinetic Fiber, which offers speeds up to 1000 Mbps (one Gigabyte). This product provides the fastest wi fi speeds and is ideal for a home with multiple users and many devices, like phones, tablets, gaming consoles, and "internet of things" devices like smart thermostats and appliances. The Kinetic Fiber service is very reliable and allows unlimited usage with no data caps.
Kinetic 500: This plan has speeds up to 500 Mbps and is suitable for streaming music and video on several devices. You can download large files quickly with the Windstream Kinetic 500 plan.
Kinetic 200: This plan has speeds up to 200 Mbps and is widely available in rural areas. It is good for streaming and downloading shows and movies. There are different tiers of Windstream Kinetic 200, ranging from 15 Mbps to 100 Mbps.
Kinetic Terms and Fees
Kinetic plans are available on a month to month basis with no minimum contractual commitment, but customers may save on their monthly bill by agreeing to a minimum term. Where an agreement applies, a cancellation fee may also apply. Additional monthly or one-time fees may apply to modem rental, taxes, paper billing, regulatory and network infrastructure upgrades, and installation. Some fees may be waived during specific promotions. It's worth reading the fine print and asking questions to determine the full monthly cost.
Additional Kinetic Services
Windstream Kinetic has several extra features that enhance their service. With the Kinetic wi-fi tool, you can visit Windstream online or on your phone to manage your connections and devices. The Windstream online portal also allows you to perform speed tests, view signal strength and troubleshoot. Kinetic also makes it easy to manage access. You can create a guest network, reboot your Kinetic Gateway and change the network name and password with the Windstream online tools.
Windstream plans have an optional security package called Kinetic Secure. With this plan, you can manage wi-fi usage and content for connected devices. Windstream Kinetic Secure also offers antivirus and malware protection software and Windstream online tech support. Pricing for Kinetic Secure ranges from $9.99/month to $14.99/month.
Windstream also bundles TV, phone and entertainment with Kinetic service. Phone options include unlimited local and long-distance calling throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories for only $20 extra per month. Windstream offers TV and entertainment bundle options with DirecTV and YouTubeTV.