CenturyLink agreed to pay Phillip Stickney and Anders Lund $8,000 each and cover their attorney’s fees to settle their separate lawsuits over internet-rate increases, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive. The company admitted no fault. Both men had initially sought $200, and they declined an earlier settlement proposal that would have required them to sign nondisclosure agreements, the outlet reported.
The disputes and the cases still pending
The two lawsuits followed increases to monthly rates the customers said they had been promised would remain fixed. Stickney, a 37-year-old U.S. Postal Service letter carrier in Southeast Portland, said his $65 monthly rate rose by $10 in late 2024. Lund, a 46-year-old Northeast Portland resident, said his $65 rate increased to $75 that year. OregonLive reported that Lund complained, received a temporary return to the $65 rate, and later faced another increase. He filed complaints with the Oregon Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission before suing in February 2025; Stickney filed suit in March 2025.
Separate litigation may affect more customers. Three other Portland residents filed a federal lawsuit that is proceeding in U.S. District Court in Oregon; it could involve hundreds or thousands of former Price for Life customers if a judge grants class-action status, OregonLive reported. CenturyLink and its parent, Lumen Technologies, did not respond to requests for comment on Stickney and Lund’s settlements, according to the outlet.
Attorney Michael Fuller also represents Albany resident Jeff McCulloch in a separate case filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court in July 2024. McCulloch’s lawsuit seeks class-action status and concerns an alleged increase of $10 despite a stated rate cap of $70, according to OregonLive’s earlier report.
Regulatory history and current rates
Oregon’s Department of Justice opened an investigation in 2024 after receiving what it described as many complaints about CenturyLink’s lifetime price guarantee, OregonLive reported. The state had also investigated CenturyLink billing practices earlier: OPB reported that an Oregon DOJ investigation began in 2014 following more than 1,000 consumer complaints, and that the number exceeded 1,200 by 2020. That earlier inquiry concerned deceptive billing practices and undisclosed fees.
Portland CenturyLink customers have since been moved to Quantum Fiber, which is also owned by Lumen Technologies. OregonLive reported that Stickney continues to pay $75 a month, while Lund’s monthly rate remains $65.
