Question, I'm changing Internet provider

[DaveFan'51]

My wife, in a cost savings move. Has set it up for us to 'Bundle' our AT&T phone bill, using them as our "Internet provider" too. We have been using Time Warner as our Internet provider up to now. This Bundling will reduce our phone bill, and eliminate our Time Warner bill, for a savings of approx. $200 a month!
My question is, ' Should I be concerned, for any reason, changing To AT&T! Has anyone out their had any problems with them? Anything I should LOOK OUT for? I hate change, But saving $200 a Month is a lot of money, when your retired as I am! ( This change is scheduled for tomorrow, so any input would be appreciated!)

 

[Dodgersrf]

I have Charter Cable Internet at home, along with directv.
I have Verizon Fios at my business.
I haven't had problems with either.

I use to have Verizon dsl at home. That was a complete disaster. They were terrible.
So, as you can imagine, I was very sceptable about going with Verizon again at my business. I gave them another shot and haven't regretted it to this point. Been about 2 years now with no issues.

My point being. I think the technology has gotten so much better in recent years that I doubt you will have much of a problem.

Keep in mind though that I'm not a gamer. I use my IP for business and ROD. Both at home and at work.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Depending on your plan, watch for data caps.

 

[Angry Ram]

I don't use ATT, but it's fine. And I'd sure as hell take them over Time Warner/Comcast any day especially if it's $200 a month less. I don't care how rich you are.

I'm so lucky I live in an area where the internet devil doesn't have a place.

I hope you guys didn't have a pain in the ass when canceling Time Warner.

 

[snackdaddy]

Depending on your plan, watch for data caps.

Yeah, I have comcast and they don't charge me any data overages. I checked into ATT and they have a 250GB limit or they start charging more. My grandkids visit a lot and stay overnight most weekends. They watch netflix all the time. So do we. I used over 350GB one month and I asked the ATT guy how much that would cost and it woulda doubled my comcast bill with the overage. So I stayed with comcast even though the plan is a little more.

 

[LosAngelesRams]

Your internet is probably going to be slower depending on what you have with TWC right now. I believe ATT only has DSL.

 

[DaveFan'51]

Depending on your plan, watch for data caps.

Thanks for the advice!!

I hope you guys didn't have a pain in the ass when canceling Time Warner.

I haven't actually canceled TW yet, that will come tomorrow after the New hook-up! Have you had a problem with them!?

Yeah, I have comcast and they don't charge me any data overages. I checked into ATT and they have a 250GB limit or they start charging more. My grandkids visit a lot and stay overnight most weekends. They watch netflix all the time. So do we. I used over 350GB one month and I asked the ATT guy how much that would cost and it woulda doubled my comcast bill with the overage. So I stayed with comcast even though the plan is a little more.

Thanks to you and Bluecoconuts I'll be checking this out before I let them go foreword!!

 

[DaveFan'51]

Your internet is probably going to be slower depending on what you have with TWC right now. I believe ATT only has DSL.

I'm not sure if this will be a problem or not, as I also have DirectTV, but I'll check this out too! Thanks!

 

[Angry Ram]

I haven't actually canceled TW yet, that will come tomorrow after the New hook-up! Have you had a problem with them!?

No, like I said I'm lucky I live in an area where I don't have to worry about them. But Time Warner/Comcast are notorious for bad customer service and difficulty when cancelling.

 

[-X-]

I'll never use AT&T for internet again (if I can help it). I've had them twice, and both times it was a nightmare. My preference is cable, as I've never had an issue with them, and the speeds are phenomenal. Of course it costs a little more for the highest speeds, but they bundle too. DirecTV is nice and all, but adverse weather always craps out your reception. If you live in an area that has more good weather than most, then you'll be okay. But I refer back to my original statement. I'll never use AT&T for internet again.

 

[Faceplant]

All depends on the tech. If AT&T only offers DSL in your area, you probably won't be happy unless they mux together multiple loops to get you a higher speed. If they have U Verse (Fiber otptics) in your area, your speeds will be great.

 

[DaveFan'51]

All depends on the tech. If AT&T only offers DSL in your area, you probably won't be happy unless they mux together multiple loops to get you a higher speed. If they have U Verse (Fiber otptics) in your area, your speeds will be great.

They are working on the change now, and o have U Verse. thanks!

 

[RAMSinLA]

Value in the Bundle

You hear a lot about people 'cutting-the-cord' or getting off of cable TV and going with internet or 'over-the-top' (OTT) content viewing. The biggest reason for 'cord-cutting' is cost. Many people believe that cable has gotten too expensive and many of the channels they are paying for they never watch. But is this true? If you look at the numbers you get a different picture.


what is referred to as

Despite the hype, OTT packages offer a very limited number of channels, and most don't have all of the sports - that many people young and old crave. Even non-sports fans get short-changed as they have to subscribe to several OTT packages or services to satisfy their entertainment needs. Factor in the cost of basic broadband and the total cost of OTT approaches a 'double' or 'triple' play from a cable provider. 'Double' play means having cable TV and internet connection. 'Triple' play means having cable TV, internet connection, and phone connection.

To me 'cord-cutting' sounds great in conversation but crumbles when faced with reality. When taken individually, none of the OTT offerings provide everything viewers want, and cable providers will move toward a menu driven programming whereby subscribers can pick-and-choose the channels they want to see and only be charged for these.

What Are The Costs

A cable TV provider 'bundle' (TV, internet (broadband) service, and phone service) runs about $100 per month - give or take. The cost of OTT services varies greatly, but here is a current rundown:

- Amazon Prime - $99/year and free Amazon shipping. Offer some original series and library of old movies, music, etc.
- Apple TV- $30-40/month. 25 live channels including ABC, CBS, and Fox.
- Sling - $20/month. Live streaming channels, including ESPN, TNT, TBS. Other content and extra $5/month.
- HBO Now - $14.99/month. Movies and original series
- Hulu Plus- $7.99/month. Current and past TV shows from major broadcasters and cable networks.
- CBS All Access - $5.99/month. Live and on-demand programming from CBS network.
- Noggin- $5.99/month. Ad-free programming for kids.
- PlayStation Vue - $49.99/month. 50 networks including CBS, NBC, Fox, TNT, TBS, etc.
- Netflix - $7.99/month. Original programming plus library of movies, TV shows, etc.
- Xfinity - $49.99/month. Offers 140 channels including major networks, plus ESPN and others.


So, you still need an internet (broadband) connection to access any of the above. Average cost of broadband $50-60 per month. On all of the above a lot of the newer content, especially movies, are on a pay-per-view basis and most don't offer 'everything' that you want. The result is that most 'cord-cutters' wind-up subscribing to two OTT services and sometimes more! So the 'bundle' being offered by the cable TV provider gets to look better and better in terms of value, accessibility, and content variety.

What is happening is that the folks are, by-and-large, sticking with their cable provider (which also provides broadband service) and subscribing to one or two of the OTT services - like Amazon or Netflix.

 

[Ozoneranger]

My wife, in a cost savings move. Has set it up for us to 'Bundle' our AT&T phone bill, using them as our "Internet provider" too. We have been using Time Warner as our Internet provider up to now. This Bundling will reduce our phone bill, and eliminate our Time Warner bill, for a savings of approx. $200 a month!
My question is, ' Should I be concerned, for any reason, changing To AT&T! Has anyone out their had any problems with them? Anything I should LOOK OUT for? I hate change, But saving $200 a Month is a lot of money, when your retired as I am! ( This change is scheduled for tomorrow, so any input would be appreciated!)

I have AT&T at home and work (MPLS Network). It's always been up but support, especially on the T1 side, is fuzzy. Other than that, I have no issues.

 

[DaveFan'51]

Thanks to every one for your input! The Changes have been made, everything is working fine, and things seem just as fast, if not a Tad faster!