CenturyLink is closing its Platteville office next week.
In addition, CenturyLink is no longer offering its Prism TV service to new customers except to what it calls “qualified” new customers, offering instead DirecTV satellite service, according to a telephone call to CenturyLink’s Platteville office.
CenturyLink is Platteville’s main Internet provider and only cable TV and landline telephone provider. CenturyLink also provides Internet and landline service in Bloomington, according to its website.
The Platteville office at 135 N. Bonson St. north of the Municipal Building has two customer service employees. A sign on the door directed customer questions to the La Crosse office, (608) 796-5440.
Another sign on the door directed payments to be mailed to P.O. Box 4300, Carol Stream, IL 60197-4300, online at CenturyLink.com/myaccount, or via phone at 1-800-201-4099.
“CenturyLink, as all businesses, continually evaluates its cost structure and business practices and adjusts its operations, including retail locations, to meet the needs of the business,” said Mark Molzen, issues manager — corporate relations for CenturyLink in Phoenix. “Customers who are accustomed to visiting this location to pay their bills or conduct other business can visit the La Crosse retail location, www.centurylink.com or call customer care or repair for support.”
Molzen said the Platteville office was closing as of March 31 “after careful consideration.” Signs on the doors of the CenturyLink office said the office was closing as of March 29.
CenturyLink also has an office in Randolph that sells its TV services. CenturyLink is the state’s second largest broadband and voice provider, but the smallest cable TV provider. Platteville is one of seven Wisconsin markets that have CenturyLink TV, Internet and digital phone service.
“While we do not plan to expand our Prism TV service offering in Wisconsin, we will continue to provide service and support to our current Prism TV subscribers and will make the service available to qualified customers who request it,” said Molzen. “CenturyLink also offers DirecTV services to customers through an existing sales agency relationship with AT&T. Subscribers can receive a discounted rate and combined billing when DirecTV is bundled with CenturyLink High-Speed Internet service.
“CenturyLink is committed to providing excellent customer service in Wisconsin and will continue to look for opportunities to enhance our products and services and expand them to additional areas across the state.”
Cable TV service in Platteville dates back to the early 1960s. Platteville Telephone purchased Platteville Cable later in the 1960s. Platteville Telephone was purchased by Northwest Telephone of Tomah in 1990. Pacific Telecom Inc. purchased Northwest Telephone in 1996. Century Telephone purchased Pacific Telecom in 1998, one year before Century Telephone changed its name to CenturyTel. CenturyTel changed its name to CenturyLink in 2009.
In addition to Platteville, CenturyLink provides landline service in Benton, Boscobel, Darlington, Gratiot, Hazel Green, Highland, Leadmine, Livingston, Montfort, Muscoda, New Diggings, Rewey, Seneca, Shullsburg, Steuben, Stitzer, Wauzeka and Wiota, according to LocalCallingGuide.com. CenturyLink provides cable TV service in the city and town of Platteville and the Town of Belmont, according to the Wisconsin Cable Communications Association.
CenturyLink began rolling out its 1-gigabit Internet service and its Prism TV service in Platteville after two years of fiberoptic installation in 2015, while phasing out its old cable TV service, with infrastructure dating back to the 1960s, and TeleVideo service. At the time, CenturyLink said Platteville was its smallest market to get Prism service.
CenturyLink announced rollout of its G.fast copper Digital Subscriber Line in a 44-unit Platteville apartment complex in 2016. G.fast is an “alternate solutions to provide high-speed Internet service through the existing copper networks” in “areas where fiber networks are yet to reach,” according to NASDAQ.com.
CenturyLink received $332 million under the Federal Communications Commission’s Connect America Fund to extend high-speed Internet service to rural areas. The subsidy is intended to bring high-speed Internet to more than 129,000 addresses in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Public Radio and the Associated Press contributed to this story.
Note: The print version of this story incorrectly stated that CenturyLink also has offices in Madison and Berlin.
