CenturyLink SIP - getting better, but still room for improvement
February 24, 2022
CenturyLink SIP - getting better, but still room for improvement
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with CenturyLink Enterprise Voice SIP Services
I have multiple clients using Lumen/CenturyLink for SIP handoff. The experience is mostly positive, but there have been interruptions/downtime. I believe there are better providers/solutions out there if you are willing to spend a bit more.
The benefits of SIP are resiliency and failover that traditional PRI and traditional voice trunks don't offer. The disadvantages are that the voice quality is dependent on the ISP/carrier for quality. In this case, Lumen/CenturyLink.
The benefits of SIP are resiliency and failover that traditional PRI and traditional voice trunks don't offer. The disadvantages are that the voice quality is dependent on the ISP/carrier for quality. In this case, Lumen/CenturyLink.
- Failover.
- SIP handoff for SIP based on prem PBX like Mitel, ShoreTel, etc.
- Lumen-CenturyLink is improving in communication, organization, and reliability.
- Lumen-Centurylink has suffered from many noticeable outages in the last few years - this is a blow to their reputation that they still have to recover from.
- Lumen-CenturyLink does not peer well enough with OTHER carriers - they depend on their own network to give you SIP, which means less true redundancy.
- Lumen-CenturyLink needs a better customer portal/interface to handle failover, see the real-time status, etc.
- Failover.
- SIP hand-off via reliable Adtran.
- Lumen CenturyLink has one of the largest/best fiber networks available.
- Some improvement in failover and flexibility in outages.
- Frustrating technical support hold time during larger Lumen CenturyLink outages.
I have found a better solution is to run two different carriers through SD-WAN (such as Bigleaf or Velocloud MSR) and use a provider like BCMOne (formerly NexVortex) to manage the SIP. BCMOne/Nexvortex is an AWESOME SIP provider with better planning, deployment, and technical support. When paired with redundant internet paths on SD-WAN (BigLeaf or Velocloud) a very resilient solution is created.
Do you think Lumen Next-Generation SIP Voice Services delivers good value for the price?
Yes
Are you happy with Lumen Next-Generation SIP Voice Services's feature set?
No
Did Lumen Next-Generation SIP Voice Services live up to sales and marketing promises?
No
Did implementation of Lumen Next-Generation SIP Voice Services go as expected?
No
Would you buy Lumen Next-Generation SIP Voice Services again?
No
Evaluating CenturyLink Enterprise Voice SIP Services and Competitors
- Product Features
- Prior Experience with the Product
Convenience, primarily. Since Lumen-CenturyLink was already providing the fiber/MOE, it made sense for them to handle the SIP as well.
For most clients, I now use NexVortex (BCMOne) for SIP service. Excellent planning, deployment, and support. Flexible and reliable. I will typically pair this solution with a form of SD-WAN since the SIP is using the Internet. For SD-WAN I often use BigLeaf or Velocloud MSR.
CenturyLink Enterprise Voice SIP Services Support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Quick Initial Response | Escalation required Difficult to get immediate help |
As I mentioned before, Lumen-CenturyLink support is improving. More frequently I've had US-based support that resolved my issues. Once recently I had a network problem that I assumed could be CenturyLink SIP caused and was not. Other times I've had strange SIP issues (numbers that would not dial, etc) and could not get Lumen to take me seriously when the phone vendor had isolated the issue to Lumen's network.
Yes - No, the issue was never owned or fixed.
Yes, I had one incident where I asked CenturyLink to troubleshoot their SIP service extensively after hours and then assisted with regular communication through midnight.