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Kinetic by Windstream internet

Joe Supan Last updated: December 1, 2023

Kinetic by Windstream offers high-speed fiber internet plans up to 8 Gbps as well as cheaper DSL internet options.

  • Up to 100 Mbps starting at:

    $39.99/mo.

    Windstream will provision the fastest speed available at the time of order but cannot guarantee, and is not liable or responsible for, speeds or uninterrupted, error-free service. For speeds over 25 Mbps services are provisioned in a range including a min and max speed. Speed availability, capabilities and provisioning vary depending on network and terrain conditions, Internet website, or network congestion, and customer geo-location. In select areas, includes unlimited incoming calls, and outbound calls will incur add’l charges.

    Call to order: (844) 451-2720

Best Kinetic internet plans for your home

  • Kinetic Internet Up to 100 MBPS
    Speeds up to
    100 Mbps
    Contract length
    None
    Connection type
    Fiber
    Rating
    High
    Plan cost
    $19.99/mo.
    Pricing breakdown
    Check with Windstream
    Or give us a call
  • Kinetic Internet 500 MBPS
    Speeds up to
    500 Mbps
    Contract length
    None
    Connection type
    Cable
    Rating
    Average
    Plan cost
    $19.99/mo.
    Pricing breakdown
    Check with Windstream
    Or give us a call
  • Kinetic Internet 1Gig
    Speeds up to
    1000 Mbps
    Contract length
    12 mos.
    Connection type
    Fiber
    Rating
    High
    Plan cost
    $69.99/mo.
    for 12 mos.
    Pricing breakdown
    Check with Windstream
    Or give us a call

Windstream internet overview

Kinetic Internet is available in 18 states and offers the most coverage in Georgia, Texas and Kentucky.

Currently, Kinetic provides DSL internet to approximately 14 million people, making it the sixth largest residential DSL provider in the U.S. by population coverage. The Kinetic fiber service is available to nearly four million people, offering speeds up to 2,000 Mbps.

What we like

  • No contracts or early termination fees – Month-to-month options are available if you’re looking for commitment-free internet service from a reputable provider.

  • No data caps – With unlimited data, you can browse and stream the internet as much as you like.

  • Symmetrical fiber speeds – The Kinetic fiber network can deliver equally fast upload and download speeds.

  • Rural availability – Kinetic offers internet service in 14,405 ZIP codes nationwide, making it one of the best options for those who live in more rural areas.

Things to consider

  • Limited plans – Available Kinetic speed options can vary by location, and the speed you need, or are looking for, may not be offered in your area.

  • Lower customer satisfaction – The American Customer Satisfaction Index gave Kinetic by Windstream a score of 62/100 in 2022, which was slightly below average.

  • Price increase – Kinetic plan pricing increases after 12 months. Your monthly internet bill could increase from $15 to $18/mo., depending on your plan.
Windstream authorized retailer logo

Kinetic by Windstream Fiber internet rating

Allconnect Rating

3.91 / out of 5 stars

This score is based off of the 3 plans Kinetic by Windstream Fiber has available

Rating breakdown

  • Affordability

    3.16 / 5

  • Performance

    4.41 / 5

  • Value

    4.59 / 5

  • Customer satisfaction

    3.95 / 5

How we calculated our rating
Windstream logo

Kinetic by Windstream DSL internet rating

Allconnect Rating

3.11 / out of 5 stars

This score is based off of the 4 plans Kinetic by Windstream DSL has available

Rating breakdown

  • Affordability

    3.44 / 5

  • Performance

    2.97 / 5

  • Value

    2.37 / 5

  • Customer satisfaction

    3.95 / 5

How we calculated our rating

As you can see from the scores above, there’s a large gap between the two types of service. Windstream’s fiber plans cost a bit more, but they get you much faster speeds. If you can get it in your area, Windstream’s fiber service is a better option for most people, and compares favorably to most other internet providers. On the other hand, Windstream’s DSL service has the lowest scores of any internet service we’ve reviewed.

How we scored internet providers

We evaluate broadband providers in four categories: affordability, performance, value and customer satisfaction. Each category contains multiple sub-factors, all of which are weighted differently to impact the provider’s overall score.

We evaluate broadband providers in four categories: affordability, performance, value and customer satisfaction. Each category contains multiple sub-factors, all of which are weighted differently to impact the provider’s overall score.

For each sub-factor, we score all providers on a continuous scale of 1 to 5, relative to the industry as a whole. Because the average download speed in America is currently 180 Mbps, for example, we assigned all plans with download speeds between 100 and 299 Mbps a score between 3 and 4. Xfinity’s 200 Mbps plan received a 3.50 score for download speed, while Spectrum’s 400 Mbps plan got a 4.16.

We only considered standardized data points in our scoring system. More abstract data like consistency of service and brand reputation is still part of our analysis, but we opted to let our writers address them in the context of each review.

Best plan: Kinetic Gig

Kinetic Internet prices and plans

Kinetic has four plans to choose from starting with its 100 Mbps DSL plan. Its fastest plan offers speeds up to 2,000 Mbps, but plan availability will depend on your location.

Kinetic by Windstream: Limited-time, non-transferable offer for residential customers, cannot be combined with other offers. Credit restrictions may apply. Subject to availability and Windstream Terms & Conditions (windstream.com/terms). Updated 12/01/23.

Which Kinetic by Windstream internet plan is right for you?

Kinetic by Windstream plans mostly come in two types: Fiber and DSL. Cable plans are also available in small areas. Fiber is considered the best type of internet connection available, providing the fastest speeds and the most reliable connections. DSL, meanwhile, uses your phone line to connect to the internet, and is usually much slower than cable or fiber. 

Which type of plan you’ll have access to depends on what’s available in your area, but for almost everyone, Windstream’s fiber plans are a better option. You’ll get much faster speeds often for the same price. Here are some of our favorite Windstream plans, along with what types of situations we think they’re best for:

Kinetic Internet up to 100: Fastest DSL plan

This plan is a good fit for moderately-sized households with two to three users who enjoy heavy browsing, streaming and connecting smart home devices. That said, upload speeds are still limited, so you might run into issues with gaming and video conferencing.

Large households with five or more users that stream, browse, game, host live streams, work from home and connect smart home devices might want to upgrade to this fiber plan.

We’ll be honest — most people probably don’t need 1,000 Mbps of upload and download speed. But if you want to have lots of devices connected at once and do some serious gaming or uploading, it might be worth upgrading to Windstream’s GIG plan. At $69/mo., it’s actually on the affordable side for such a high-speed plan.

Windstream authorized retailer logo

Shop Kinetic by Windstream plans

Kinetic by Windstream offers high-speed internet, TV and home phone plans.

Call to order: (844) 451-2720

Kinetic availability and coverage

Kinetic Internet is currently available in 18 states, with coverage concentrated in Georgia, Iowa, Texas, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Nebraska. Check Windstream’s availability with Allconnect’s map.

Kinetic Internet limited-time deals

New to Kinetic by Windstream? Shop Kinetic internet plans online today and get a $100 Visa prepaid card. New subscribers must not have registered with Kinetic in the past 30 days and must be located in select locations.

Kinetic Internet equipment, data caps and security

All internet providers come with extra fees and stipulations tacked on to their terms. Fortunately, Windstream’s aren’t very expensive compared to other providers, and you’ll also get some nice perks you don’t usually see elsewhere. 

Data caps

None of Windstream’s plans come with data caps, so you won’t have to worry about watching how much you stream, game or browse every month. 

Security

Available with all Kinetic internet plans, Kinetic Secure is total internet protection for your family and devices. This allows you to block dangerous viruses, malware and ransomware to keep your online identity and data secure. You can also manage Wi-Fi usage and content accessed in the home. Kinetic Secure is available for $14.99/mo.

Equipment

Renting: You can rent internet equipment from Kinetic for an additional fee of around $9.99/mo., which is on par with or lower than equipment rental fees from other providers. There is no option to purchase internet equipment from Kinetic.

Purchasing: You also have the option of using your own equipment to avoid the $9.99/mo. fee, but it must be compatible with your Kinetic internet connection. Additionally, using your own equipment may reduce the amount of technical support Kinetic can provide should you have an issue with your connection. However, buying your own equipment could help you save money long-term.

Windstream authorized retailer logo

Allconnect Rating

3.94 / 5

Windstream internet compared to other providers

If Kinetic internet is available in your area, you may also have other options from cable or satellite internet providers. Compare pricing, internet speeds, data caps, contract requirements and more between Kinetic and other leading internet providers.

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 12/01/23.
**Wireless speeds may vary.

Overall, if you can get Windstream’s fiber service in your area, there are few options that offer a better deal. The only provider that overlaps with Windstream that scored better in our analysis was AT&T Fiber. 

But if you have a choice between Windstream DSL and a cable provider like Mediacom, Spectrum, Suddenlink or Xfinity, you’re probably better off going with one of the cable providers. The price is usually about the same, and you’ll get much better speed and reliability than you would with a DSL connection. 

How to bundle Windstream internet with TV

Windstream does not have its own TV service, but you have the option of adding YouTube TV or DIRECTV to your internet plan. There are no additional savings from bundling these services compared to buying them on their own.

Kinetic by Windstream internet customer satisfaction ratings

According to the 2023 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), Kinetic internet scored a 70/100 in customer satisfaction, which is an improvement over the score it received last year.

It’s also important to note that customer satisfaction scores are notoriously low in the internet and TV industries.

FAQs

Does Kinetic have data caps?

No. DSL and fiber optic plans from Kinetic include unlimited data, so you can browse, stream and game online without worrying about going over a monthly data allowance.

No, Kinetic does not have its own TV service but you can consider bundling your Kinetic internet service with DIRECTV or other satellite TV or streaming services.

Windstream has both fiber-optic and DSL plans available, depending on where you live. Its DSL service is more prominent, with availability in 18 states. Many of Windstream’s fiber optic plans utilize a hybrid fiber/DSL network to deliver faster speeds than traditional DSL.

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Joe Supan

Written by:

Joe Supan

Principal Writer, Broadband Content

Joe is a senior writer for CNET covering home technology and broadband. Prior to joining CNET, Joe led MYMOVE’s moving coverage and reported on broadband policy, the digital divide, and privacy issues for the br… Read more

Robin Layton

Edited by:

Robin Layton

Editor, Broadband Content

Read bio

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