In the past 15 years or so, most of us have switched from dial-up Internet to faster cable broadband Internet access. More people have cable or satellite than ever before. With these changes, the providers have scrambled to keep customers and maintain networks as consumer demand increased. Even with 400 channels at our fingertips and an average 8 Mbps broadband speeds, people generally complain when you ask them about their Internet provider. What options are out there for those of us looking to get the best bang for their buck?
TV and Internet Options: Cable
Cable companies often control large chunks of any major city. For instance, In Kansas City, my cable options are pretty limited. While there are a few cable companies that service the suburbs, my area only has the option of Time Warner Cable. In my area, if I wanted to replace my current services with a new cable and Internet service, I’d get a bundle rate of around $135 a month with Time Warner. That includes all the things I require, HD DVR and up to 15 Mbps broadband speeds. Of course, that’s an introductory rate. In 12 months I’d be paying closer to $160. That's a savings of just $15 a month, compared to national averages, than if they were purchased separately.
If you’ve noticed that your bandwidth speeds seem to be slow or nonexistant during certain times of day, you are likely not the only person in your area. One of the reasons people are unhappy with cable broadband is that the bandwidth they need is not available during peak usage due to throttling, which can slow down your Netflix stream, cause downloads to slow and pages to time out.
TV and Internet Options: FiOS and U-verse
For fans of service bundling, you can also get deals with Verizon’s FiOS network, or AT&T’s U-Verse product. Both offer television, Internet and phone services and provide super-fast connection speeds through different technologies. With U-Verse, you could replace my current Internet and cable for around $162 a month for the first six months, with internet speeds promised at up to 12 Mbps. U-Verse does not need to throttle bandwidth during peak hours, which is icing on a relatively expensive cake, but the service was promised back in 2007 with lightning fast internet speeds. Now it seems to be competing closely with cable, which tops out at around 15 Mbps with most residential providers.
Verizon’s FiOS service is a bit more palatable to those of us that hate paying a ton for services, as you can pick up pretty decent speeds, television service and home phone for a reasonable price. FiOS TV + 15 Mbps Internet + home phone can be picked up for about $85 a month for one year. FiOS has strong reviews, though coverage is still relatively skimpy for those of us that live in the middle of the US.
Internet Only: DSL
With top speeds hovering around 6 Mbps, DSL is quickly becoming an outdated option for Internet service, though it is a low-cost alternative for the casual user that doesn’t do a lot of downloading or have a lot of devices in use at one time. Major national providers include AT&T and Earthlink, with bundle pricing starting at around $30 per month.
TV Only: Satellite
If you are satisfied with your Internet provider but want another option for television, take a look at the satellite companies. The major players in the satellite market are DirectTV and Dish Network. Dish Network’s bundles start at $30 a month, going up to the most-inclusive bundle starting at $85 a month for one year ($70 a month after that) and includes 250 channels, 30 premium movie channels and your standard local affiliates. DirectTV’s least expensive bundle starts at $61 a month and ranges to its largest bundle, which runs $115 a month and includes premium movie channels in its 285-channel lineup.
One downside to having satellite installed is the dish that needs to be placed outside your home. In order to work properly, it will need access to the open sky, which means it has to be placed on your roof or on a stand outside your apartment building. Rain and snow can cut out your signal, as well. Satellite is a great option, however, for those that live in rural areas, want inexpensive TV options and don’t mind missing a few minutes of their shows due to weather.
Since Internet and television options vary wildly from region to region, your mileage may vary, of course. What providers do you use? Would you recommend them to someone looking to change providers?
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