MONROE, La. -- CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) has deployed faster broadband speeds to more than 1 million homes and small businesses this year and will bring faster speeds to nearly 2 million more by the end of 2017. Half of those homes and businesses will now have access to speeds up to 100 Mbps and higher. In conjunction with faster speeds, the company is also now offering residential customers CenturyLink Price For LifeHigh-Speed Internet service with a monthly rate that stays the same as long as customers keep their same internet service plan and remain at the same address.

The company's investment in its local networks across the country is enabling broadband speeds from 40 Mbps up to 100 Mbps and, in some areas, up to 1 gigabit per second. In addition, CenturyLink has expanded its broadband network into many rural communities this year, providing speeds of at least 10 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload in locations identified as eligible for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s Connect America Fund (CAF).

"CenturyLink is committed to improving the lives of our customers by connecting them to the power of the digital world; that's why we're investing in new broadband technology and offering customers a fair and straightforward monthly rate for high-speed internet service," said Maxine Moreau, CenturyLink president of consumer markets. "Our deployment of faster broadband speeds in big cities as well as small towns helps CenturyLink connect its customers to the things that matter most to them."

The average household has five devices connected to the internet and nearly one in five homes has 10 or more connected devices, according to the Pew Research Center. With that number expected to rise, CenturyLink is investing in faster broadband speeds to help customers handle the demands of numerous connected devices.

CenturyLink Inc. (NYSE: CTL)