In article <telecom26.165.4@telecom-digest.org>, dannyb@panix.com
says:
> from a "Legal Notice" in today's newspaper (reformatted) [a]
> "Notice of proposed tariff filing for certain rate changes
> .. they will go into effect on June 16, 2007
> "Dial tone monthly access line rate
> - residence service
> - current rate: $ 9.85
> - new rate: $11.85
> [a] NY Daily News Tues 11-June-2007 p. 70
> _____________________________________________________
> Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
> dannyb@panix.com
> [to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: It appears to be a twenty percent
> increase doesn't it? PAT]
Ah, the dying gasps of Verizon. It's the same here in RI, they've lost
43% of their local loop business and their answer is to hike rates.
Granted, I think the biggest hike is 13% but still, now they'll be
MORE expensive than their competitors.
The Providence Journal recently did a comparison between Verizon and
Cox. The cost per month between the two only varies by a couple
dollars. This is what happens when a duopoly is in control.
Fortunately I found a way around it all. A 20mbps net service from Cox
is $51 a month. My Vonage service is $33 a month. I'm loving it.
I also have a decent TV antenna (Made of copper AWG 24 wire of
course!) and a joost membership. So I'm not missing anything.
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I can't get by _quite_ that inexpen-
sively here in Independence, KS. TV antennas are basically useless
unless mounted quite high with expensive rotors attached. Being 80-125
miles away from the nearest television stations (Tulsa, to the south;
Wichita and Topeka to the northwest/north and Pittsburg/Joplin, MO to
the east) and much further away to Kansas City, we can choose to turn
the antenna north by northwest for a choice of two stations and forget
about Tulsa, or south/southeast for a compromise between Tulsa and
Pittsburg, KS/Joplin, MO, but forget about Wichita/Topeka. Cable TV
is almost an essential even if 'basic cable' is sort of skimpy by
itself; at least the cable grabs all three 'markets', Tulsa, Wichita
and Pittsburg/Joplin; in addition one or two of the KCMO stations.
And we get Fox! Cable channel 3 although it is the 'Tulsa Market
Fox' rather than than the 'Pittsburg/Joplin market Fox Network.'
But -- CableOne does offer internet as well, and they are starting
phone service in a month or so. Rates quoted on both are inexpensive.
I suspect I will discontinue Vonage once CableOne gets its phone
service started. One thing in its favor for me is that CableOne has a
local office here in Independence and a local, in-town crew working in
the office and in the field. Whenever -- quite rarely -- I call them
on any sort of repair matter, they are here in an hour or less. They
say once telephone service starts they will be in a position to port
our existing 620-331 phone numbers as desired, using a 'phone modem'
which is sort of like my 'cable modem' but for phone and cable
internet in one unit. I doubt I will move my 620-331 phone number, in
which case they will give me a 620-330 number to replace Vonage, most
likely. When I call on the phone or stop by their office on Penn
Street downtown, I get whatever I want in five minutes or less.
Like yourself, I am not missing anything, except the crowds of people
in line waiting to get service. That's why I love Independence: every
thing I deal with, cable internet/TV, telephone service, gas, electric, even
Social Security, has a _local_ office here in town with _local_
employees handling it. We now even have WiFi for our internet all over
the downtown area; it would be nice if it was all over town, but
having it in three or four downtown areas is a quite good start. PAT]
T (nospam.kd1s@cox.nospam.net)