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Windstream Communications internet reviews

Windstream Communications brand
Staff rating
3.6
Customer rating
3.9
(23)
Price: $39.99 - $89.99/moSpeed: 34 Mbps - 1000 Mbps
STAFF REVIEW
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Rebecca Palmer smiles for the camera
Headshot of Dave Schafer
Researched by
Headshot of Bri Field
Reviewed by
Bri FieldAssigning Editor
Updated 2/7/23

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Great rural internet provider, with some room to improve on customer service

Kinetic by Windstream aims to bring better internet to rural and remote areas. While it offers one of the best values in internet service anywhere, it’s hampered by a mediocre customer experience.


What we like

  • Good rural coverage
  • No data caps
  • No contracts
What we dislike

  • Limited fiber availability
  • So-so customer service

Our expert assessment

Value
3.5
Kinetic by Windstream is one of the best values in internet service today

Windstream’s Kinetic internet service offers a surprisingly strong value. Prices are competitive—in fact, the 1 gig plan ties Google Fiber as the most affordable option we’ve seen for gigabit download speed. They both cost just over 50% of the national benchmark for similar plans (1).

The advertised prices are for a 12-month introductory period and will increase in the range of about $15 after the first year. This practice of second-year price hikes used to be the norm, but the best fiber internet providers we review have abandoned the practice.

Overall, Windstream represents one of the best values in home internet if you can get fiber. It's also a good deal if you can get only DSL, but your speeds will be much slower.

Performance
5.0
Excellent performance for rural internet, particularly compared to competitors

Kinetic by Windstream is a fiber and DSL internet service. Normally, that would mean two sides to the performance story—excellent speed, reliability, and consistency with fiber, and then DSL. That’s technically true of Windstream, but there’s a big “but” to consider.

The “but” is that Windstream is primarily targeted at rural areas, where other internet options may be limited to satellite or even dial-up (yes, that’s still a thing). In these markets, the Kinetic service can actually be a breath of fresh air—including its DSL. Plus, there are no data caps to worry about, which is a major limitation with satellite. Finally, the fiber performance is excellent, with speeds up to 2 gigs.

Equipment and installation
3.5
Misleading installation costs, but otherwise a decent experience

Windstream charges a pretty standard $10–$12 per month for equipment rental if you are in its fiber service area. This gets you a very usable wireless gateway.

If you are in a DSL area, you'll be charged a $10 monthly modem fee but will also need a router. You can technically bring your own equipment, but Windstream officially supports a very limited number of modems, so it might be easier just to rent one.

The Windstream professional installation fee seems very reasonable at first—just $35 (or free, with some promotions). However, there’s a $50 activation fee on your first bill that brings it more in line with other providers. If you need a phone jack installed, you’ll be charged another $65 on top of the other fees. Ouch.

You can install your DSL connection for free if you're home is already wired correctly, and online instructions make it a breeze.

Customer experience
2.5
Windstream’s otherwise-good service is brought down by lackluster customer service

The customer experience with Windstream leaves something to be desired. The provider ranks low in independent industry benchmarks like the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) (2), with a score of 62 out of 100. This is slightly below the industry average of 64.

Customer reviews of Windstream are generally mixed, with some pointing out that since they are often the only decent choice in an area, they try to get away with the bare minimum customer service. Customers also complain about frequent outages that sometimes last for days (3). That said, if your only other option is satellite internet (with its high prices and higher latency), it may be worth dealing with less-than-stellar customer service.

We stand by the validity of our reviews and are committed to transparency: Our team uses consumer sentiment software to source customer reviews, which are entirely unique to this website. Reviewers attest to being current customers of the providers they review and are not incentivized to speak positively or negatively about their experience. We do not alter the reviews in any way. Learn more about how we source reviews.

Windstream Communications customer ratings overview

Windstream Communications
3.9
(23)
5 Star
35%
4 Star
39%
3 Star
18%
2 Star
4%
1 Star
4%
Our reviews come from real customers who weren't incentivized to leave a review. The rating distribution typically shows a range of experiences and opinions that helps you get a sense for the average customer experience, not just extremes.

Top reviews from Windstream Communications customers

B
Brandonfrom Aberdeen, NC
Windstream Communications Customer for Less than a year
Reviewed on: 2022-11-25
Their connection sometimes goes out but it only takes us to unplug and plug the router back in for it to come back and it's mostly reliable. The internet speed is good, not great that's why I couldn't give it a higher rating but overall it isn't bad. For what I pay for the internet service it's a great value.
J
Johnfrom Arlington , KY
Windstream Communications Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 2022-11-10
Faster speed and lower prices
C
Chasity from Moultrie , GA
Windstream Communications Customer for 1+ years
Reviewed on: 2022-11-05
They are great
K
Kennethfrom Albemarle, NC
Windstream Communications Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 2022-10-26
Windstream has been very good. They upgraded us to fiber free of charge and their customer service is the best.
R
Robertfrom Pencil Bluff, AR
Windstream Communications Customer for 1+ years
Reviewed on: 2022-10-17
I have been satisfied with my service. It has also been affordable.
C
Charlottefrom Lexington , KY
Windstream Communications Customer for 8+ years
Reviewed on: 2022-09-26
They ate very poor with customer service. They gave us a plan and is now trying to over price
S
Stacyfrom Elizabethtown, KY
Windstream Communications Customer for Less than a year
Reviewed on: 2022-09-19
its a good price for what you get but they could improve speed
S
Stephaniefrom Tulia , TX
Windstream Communications Customer for 1+ years
Reviewed on: 2022-09-13
Service is always good very few problems
J
Jerry from Granite Quarry, NC
Windstream Communications Customer for Less than a year
Reviewed on: 2022-09-12
They provide fiber optic internet service. It is more affordable than our previous provider with the same speed. So far, there has been no service interruptions as we used to have.
L
Lisafrom Ashtabula, OH
Windstream Communications Customer for 1+ years
Reviewed on: 2022-09-12
It's the very best
C
Crystal from London, KY
Windstream Communications Customer for Less than a year
Reviewed on: 2022-09-07
They are really reliable. They offer techs when a problem. They need more service
C
Calebfrom Cisco , GA
Windstream Communications Customer for Less than a year
Reviewed on: 2022-09-06
The price is reasonable, and I've had no buffering issues while using my fire stick and having 2 Android phones connected as well. So overall I'm very satisfied.
J
Jayfrom Perry, GA
Windstream Communications Customer for 1+ years
Reviewed on: 2022-09-04
It's really good. There is usually never any outages.
M
Mersadiesfrom Bainbridge , GA
Windstream Communications Customer for 1+ years
Reviewed on: 2022-08-29
It’s a very good internet company . It’s very fast and worth the money. I love it !
M
Mikki Jorgefrom Jal, NM
Windstream Communications Customer for 4+ years
Reviewed on: 2022-08-28
They amazing. Customer service amazing. Kinda slow service rho
Is this provider in your area? Find out!
Endnotes and sources
1. “2022 Urban Rate Survey – Fixed Broadband Service,” FCC. Accessed 17 June 2022.2. “Internet Service Providers,” American Customer Satisfaction Index. Accessed 17 June 2022.3. "Windstream outages reported in the last 24 hours," Downdetector. Accessed 16 December 2022.