Lincoln is one of the few cities in the country where two separate fiber networks compete for the same households, and neither of them is a national cable company. ALLO Communications, a Nebraska-based fiber builder, reports fiber reaching roughly nine in ten serviceable locations in Lancaster County in its FCC filings. Kinetic, the fiber brand of Windstream, reports a much smaller footprint, about one in five locations. So most Lincoln homes can order ALLO, and a smaller group can choose between the two. When both reach the same street, the trade-off is unusually clear. Kinetic's published prices undercut ALLO's at every speed the two sell in common, and its entry tier is cheaper still. ALLO answers with full disclosure: matching upload and download speeds on every tier, no data cap, and a rate it lists as both the starting and the ongoing price. This comparison walks through who reaches where, what each network's lower or higher price actually buys, and which kind of Lincoln household should pick which.
The short version
For most Lincoln addresses the decision is made by geography: ALLO's fiber is available to the large majority of the county and Kinetic's is not. Where both are on offer, Kinetic is the lower bill, and its cheapest tier is the most affordable fiber connection either company sells in Lincoln. ALLO is the better-documented product. Every tier is symmetrical, data is unlimited, and the price on the plan table is the price it says you keep paying. A budget-focused household that mostly streams and browses can reasonably start with Kinetic if its address qualifies. A household that works from home, uploads a lot, or simply wants every term spelled out in advance will usually be better served by ALLO. Neither company requires an annual contract, so trying one and switching later costs nothing but an installation appointment.
Cheapest intro: Kinetic by Windstream · Fastest download: ALLO Fiber
Plans side by side
| Provider | Plan | Down / Up | Intro price | After promo | Contract | Data cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALLO Fiber | Essentials (500 Mbps) | 500 / 500 Mbps | $79/mo | $79/mo | None | Unlimited |
| ALLO Fiber | Pro (1 Gig) | 1000 / 1000 Mbps | $108/mo | $108/mo | None | Unlimited |
| ALLO Fiber | Max (2 Gig) | 2000 / 2000 Mbps | $133/mo | $133/mo | None | Unlimited |
| Kinetic by Windstream | Fiber 100 | 100 / — Mbps | $24.99/mo | Not published | None | Not specified |
| Kinetic by Windstream | Fiber 300 | 300 / — Mbps | $39.99/mo | Not published | None | Not specified |
| Kinetic by Windstream | Fiber 1 Gig | 1000 / — Mbps | $59.99/mo | Not published | None | Not specified |
| Kinetic by Windstream | Fiber 2 Gig | 2000 / — Mbps | $79.99/mo | Not published | None | Not specified |
| Kinetic by Windstream | Fiber Max 2 Gig | 2000 / — Mbps | $89.99/mo | Not published | None | Not specified |
Prices as encoded on our provider pages, last reviewed 2026-09-29. "Not published" means the provider does not publish a standard post-promo rate — expect the promotional price to rise. Coverage shown is modeled; verify the providers available at your exact address before ordering.
Which should you choose?
Choose ALLO Fiber if…
- FCC filings show its fiber reaching about nine in ten Lancaster County locations, far wider than Kinetic.
- Every tier uploads as fast as it downloads, and data is unlimited on every plan.
- ALLO lists the same figure as its starting and ongoing rate, so there is no promotional step-up to plan around.
Choose Kinetic by Windstream if…
- Its published prices are lower than ALLO's at each speed the two companies both sell.
- Its entry tier is the cheapest fiber plan either company offers in Lincoln.
- There is no annual contract, so a household in its footprint can try it without being locked in.
Who can actually get each network in Lincoln
Availability is the first filter, and in Lincoln it is lopsided. ALLO's fiber build across the city is extensive, and its FCC filings now cover roughly nine of every ten serviceable locations in Lancaster County, a reach that rivals Spectrum's cable network. Kinetic's fiber reaches about one location in five. Kinetic is Windstream's fiber brand, and where its fiber is built the service is real, but large parts of the city simply don't have it yet.
In practice that means three kinds of Lincoln households. Most can order ALLO and not Kinetic, and for them this comparison is settled. A smaller group sits inside both footprints and has a genuine choice. A few addresses may be served by neither fiber network and will be choosing among Spectrum cable, 5G home internet, or satellite instead. The county-level percentages are a guide, not a guarantee, so check your exact address with both providers before deciding.
What the price difference buys
Line the two plan tables up and Kinetic is cheaper at every matching speed, by a meaningful amount at the gigabit level and above. It also sells a slower entry tier that ALLO doesn't offer at all, which makes Kinetic the lowest-cost way to get fiber in the city. Kinetic's advertised prices require enrolling in AutoPay, a condition worth knowing before you compare bills.
What ALLO's higher price buys is information as much as performance. ALLO publishes upload speeds equal to download on every tier, states plainly that data is unlimited, and lists its price as the ongoing rate rather than an introductory one. Kinetic's published plan details don't state upload speeds or a data allowance, and they don't say what happens to the price after the first term, which is why our plan table shows those cells as not published rather than filling them with a guess. Fiber networks usually deliver strong upload speeds, so Kinetic may well perform similarly, but a household that depends on uploads can confirm it in writing with ALLO and has to ask Kinetic directly.
Which Lincoln household fits which network
A household of one or two people who stream, browse, and take the occasional video call will find either network more than fast enough, and if Kinetic reaches the address its lower price is hard to argue with. A home with several remote workers, students uploading coursework, or someone who backs up photos and video to the cloud every night benefits more from ALLO's guaranteed symmetrical speeds. Gamers care most about latency, which is low on both fiber networks. Households that dislike surprises on a bill should weigh ALLO's flat published rate against Kinetic's unstated long-term price.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Kinetic fiber available everywhere in Lincoln?
- No. Windstream's FCC filings show Kinetic fiber at roughly one in five serviceable locations in Lancaster County, while ALLO reports about nine in ten. Many Lincoln homes can order ALLO but not Kinetic, so check your exact address with Kinetic before comparing prices.
- Is ALLO or Kinetic cheaper in Lincoln?
- Kinetic's published prices are lower than ALLO's at every speed both companies sell, and its entry tier costs less than any ALLO plan. Kinetic's prices require AutoPay and it doesn't publish a long-term rate, while ALLO lists the same price as both its starting and ongoing rate.
- Does ALLO or Kinetic have data caps in Lincoln?
- ALLO advertises unlimited data on every plan. Kinetic's published plan details don't specify a data allowance, so ask Kinetic to confirm the terms in writing before you sign up if your household moves a lot of data each month.
Bottom line
Both the numbers above and the trade-offs are only as useful as what's actually available at your address — start there, then pick the column that fits.
Dig deeper
All providers in Lincoln · ALLO Fiber in Lincoln · Kinetic by Windstream in Lincoln · Check your address