Internet and phone costs

[JHZR2]

Our bill for Internet and phone (I boycott pay tv and refuse to pay to watch commercials) is creeping up. This past month it went to a hair under $70/month, just for a landline and Internet. We signed up for the slowest possible speed, which IIRC is 15/15. I'd be happy with much slower but they don't offer it.

The landline is around $14/mo (plus taxes and fees), about the same as its been for the last decade - it's the Internet charges that went up by $8 this month!

While it's not a lot of money in the big scheme of things, these increases are not providing me with more value, more capability, or anything of substance.

To put it in perspective, the price I pay for my ATT mobile service for our two lines, with unlimited data, is the SAME as when we first signed up with our iPhone 3G phones in 2008. Same price, much faster data now as they transitioned to LTE, more coverage, more network. Yet for home services, nothing has changed in the service on my street, it's speed, or capability.

So, what are folks doing for home Internet? And how much are you paying? Fees, equipment, etc for a bottom line cost, please.

Thanks!

Ps while we have Verizon, I find Comcast worse. Interestingly they offer a teaser price when you sign up for a 24 month plan, but they severely increase the price after 12 months - holding clients hostage.

 

[dishdude]

$39.99 for basic cable internet (15 Mbps down/2 Mbps up) and just use my work cell phone for voice.

 

[jcwit]

X Finty 250 channels, plus Starz & HBO, plus Hi Speed internet, and unlimited Phone, $130 bucks a month, locked in for 3 years, by then I'll Stream.

 

[Rendezvous]

I need to switch providers I guess lol. I am paying $240 a month for tv,phone and internet. I don't even use the landline either so its such a waste.

 

[blupupher]

$59/month for internet (50/5) with Comcast, $18/month for Vonage (looking into other VOIP services though) and don't have cable, I use OTA TV only (and lots of Netflix)

 

[JTK]

$119/mo for basic cable with DVR. Internet and land line. Problem is, once taxes and fees are added, it's almost $150/mo.

 

[Al]

$133 Comcast Internet, Phone, Cable TV. Includes all taxes.

Originally Posted By: jcwit
X Finty 250 channels, plus Starz & HBO, plus Hi Speed internet, and unlimited Phone, $130 bucks a month, locked in for 3 years, by then I'll Stream.

That's a deal for sure.

 

[Delta]

Originally Posted By: jcwit
X Finty 250 channels, plus Starz & HBO, plus Hi Speed internet, and unlimited Phone, $130 bucks a month, locked in for 3 years, by then I'll Stream.


That was about the same package we got except for phone, with taxes it was about that much. We recently had to add phone since we are in-between Verizon cell coverage areas, could never get through a whole conversation. So now with taxes it's about $175/mo. Most times I'm gone all week and never get to enjoy any of it...

 

[53' Stude]

I have the "digital premier" package thru Comcast for 2 years and pay out the door $79.80/month. I have plenty of wifi spots near me as well as a relative nearby that has Internet

 

[zzyzzx]

I have a cellphone with a data plan. It's $35/month @ cricket. It also doubles as my home ISP. I ditched my $30/month land line and use an antenna (connected to a Philips DVR) for TV. I don't understand why so many people pay so much for TV. Home high speed internet is too expensive as well.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Our home Internet is 15mbps down, 10 up and we pay $49/month. Since we're in a rural area our ISP is wireless (not satellite) so there are no data limits or constraints. There are no equipment costs-everything is included up to the router which I own. Other than occasional local news and weather which comes in over the little HD antenna, we have no use for tv-period.

We have no use for a traditional landline phone; I have no idea how much one would cost out here. When we built the house it was wired for phones, but never used since it was about the time we transitioned exclusively to cell phones. I've never bought into the smartphone thing so our cell phone costs are $30 for two lines. Even my 95 year old dad got rid of his landline several years ago and went to just a cell phone that costs him about $15/month. The advantage is that it's with him all the time, on a tractor, combine, even out walking the fields.

 

[eljefino]

Road runner 2/1 Mbits/sec, $15 a month.

Landline that the wife won't get rid of is $31. The phone company must be hurting as we don't do any optional things, like toll calls out. We just want the line "for emergencies". Cell coverage isn't fantastic at my house.

And we can stream a netflix and watch youtube at the same time.

My Virgin Mobile smartphone rolls in at around $37 a month. Unlimited everything but it starts slowing the data down after 2 GB, IIRC.

 

[spasm3]

I kept our landline until my son grew up. Dial 911 and they can find you fast, I think probably faster than cell. its worth it if you have a child at home. After he grew up we dropped the land line.

 

[Cutehumor]

my home tv plan is free OTA antenna, $8 netflix, $25 sling TV, and $5.50 amazon prime (my wife bought the $67 yearly amazon prime last month deal). with taxes, I am estimating $42 per month.

I have business internet through my job, a paid company expense.

I don't have a landline. I have republic wireless 10 dollar plan and my wife's ringplus sprint network prepaid.

With cable tv/internet, it's best to call them and threaten to leave to comcast with their special. If they value your business and with the cord corders out there, they will offer you some temporary deal. You may have to do this every 3-6 months or so. Do not get locked into a 2 or 3 year contract. they don't want you to leave. Competitors are offering deals all the time for new sign ups.

did you hear that espn has laid off over 300 people? I heard it was mostly 100k yearly employees. rumor is it's due to the cord corders.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
I kept our landline until my son grew up. Dial 911 and they can find you fast, I think probably faster than cell. its worth it if you have a child at home. After he grew up we dropped the land line.


That's precisely why I plan to keep ours.

 

[Warstud]

I have the slowest internet thru Comcast for $40 a month. Got rid of cable and hooked up an antenna. I have a cell phone so no need for a landline. Recently dumped Sprint...$40 a month just for phone. Went with a smartphone from Tracfone (Verizon) for $9 a month... 1200 min...1200 texts...1200mb of data a year. The deal was thru Home Shopping.

 

[KD0AXS]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
I kept our landline until my son grew up. Dial 911 and they can find you fast, I think probably faster than cell. its worth it if you have a child at home. After he grew up we dropped the land line.


My wife is a 911 dispatcher, so I can tell you that you are correct.

When you dial 911 from a landline, your exact address pops up on the dispatcher's computer screen immediately. They have your address before they even answer the phone.

When you dial 911 from a cell phone, your location is calculated by the phone network and/or GPS. They never get an exact address unless you give it to them. They get your location on a map with an accuracy of X number of meters. This accuracy can vary greatly. If you have good cell and GPS signals, it will usually pinpoint you to within just a few meters, in which case they should be able to fine you pretty quickly. If you have poor cell and GPS signals, the accuracy can be 5000 meters or more. That makes it nearly impossible to find you.

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
I don't understand why so many people pay so much for TV. Home high speed internet is too expensive as well.

BC I can afford it and its worth it to me. You can't take it with you. If you have better places to put your money that give you more enjoyment have at it.

 

[Warstud]

Why can't you just store the numbers of the Police...Ambulance...Fire Dept. directly into your cell phone.

 

[KD0AXS]

Originally Posted By: Warstud
Why can't you just store the numbers of the Police...Ambulance...Fire Dept. directly into your cell phone.


What numbers do you need to store? The number for police, fire, and ambulance is 911.