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Some of ya'll know I live, not in the deep backwoods but, off the beaten trail. Keeping that in mind, our local phone service (Embark) FINALLY started offering high speed a few months ago BUT it is considered "extended reach", which means it is faster than dial-up but not as fast as it could be,and they are not even able to give us a choice of how fast we would like it (or pay for faster speed).
Unfortunately it cost more than what seems acceptable for the speed I'm getting. For example, subscribing to a high speed pkg that they say (on their website) would be 15 Mbps at $30/month is the amount they charge me for only getting a speed of 512 Kbps. Not fair, eh? And why?...because I'm on extended reach and it costs them more.
SO! Keeping that in mind, if our lines only deliver a slower speed to begin with why do I pay so much? And that is when someone told me I can find another DSL provider on the Web who offers cheaper service. If I can find someone who offers service for 10 or 15 bucks a month I would come out to the better, right?
My question is "has anyone changed service providers like this, and if so, do I need to sign up with a new provider before canceling my Embarq internet service line?" I wonder if I cancel my Embark DSL will they pull the plug at the main office (so to speak) and other providers will read it as "no service available" at my location.
Any ideas, thoughts, words of wisdom out there?
Basically, if I can only get a slower speed on our lines then why shouldn't I get a lower price for the service instead of a higher price. That being said, is it wise to bring in a lower-priced DSL provider or what would I be getting into? Has anyone else gone through this before?
The problem with DSL is the farther you are from a substation, the slower your speed. DSL works like spokes on a wheel. You really need to be within 1000' (600' is better) to take advantage of the speed. Cable works in series. If everyone on a street has it, and all get online at the same time, chances are it'll bottleneck and noone will get the speed they pay for.
In the outback, if you want highspeed, you're probably best to go with one of the satellite providers. This has drawbacks too, if you're a gamer (or want to do other things in real time). Think about it... The signal has to go from your modem, to orbit, to the server, back to orbit, and finally back to your modem. This takes roughly two seconds (seems fast, but in a game it can get you fragged before you know it, hehe). For surfing, email, downloading, etc, it may be your best option.
And, no... I don't think you'd get blacklisted if you cancelled. I also don't think you'd find another provider whose service you'd be satisfied with.
I knew changing providers wouldn't increase any speed but just hoped if I'm getting a slower speed I could get a lower price for it. I guess they might give me a lower price at some places if I deal with advertisements galore or something, eh?
Some friends a few miles away get internet thru Verizon, they said it was like another phone line. Guess there are all kinds of satellite deals, too, eh? Maybe I'll do some searching for that. (And nope, not into gaming and such but sure would like to watch a U-tube video w/out it cutting in and out (streaming?).
As to the youtube vids... You can always hit the pause button for the vid as soon as the page loads, and let the download a bit more (or all) of the vid, before watching. =)
