Do you still have a "land" telephone line?

[Pixguy]

When I switched, Comcast was not up to the speeds they are now. This is maybe 5 to 7 years ago, they obviously made some upgrades but I hate their advertising. I get mail every other day from them. I started FIOS at 5/2 and I think for like $30, I may be off on my numbers a bit. Then they offered the 30/15 for $40 and I jumped at it. It's been that price for 2 or 3 years. Comcast is more here except for the try it price. The slow upload speeds is what turned me off. Took forever to send pictures and trying to do some work from home was blah. Who cares if the download speed is 1000mb if the upload is 384k, I needed both directions.

I just tested my speeds with TimeWarner again, with downloads at about 10mb and uploads not even reaching 1mb. Time for me to look at DSL for cheaper rates as Fios is not in the rural area.

 

[toppop52]

The more competition the better you get from all. Since there's been better fios around our speed are constantly in the 26.5-30.5 and up runs mid to high 6's and my server is over 100 miles away.

 

[KubotainNH]

The more competition the better you get from all. Since there's been better fios around our speed are constantly in the 26.5-30.5 and up runs mid to high 6's and my server is over 100 miles away.

True enough. Monopolies suck. Unless you're ok with satellite then your only option here for TV is Comcast. No TV over the fiber, thank you PUC. So I go with plan C, stream everything I want to watch. When I dropped cable it was going up to well over $50 a month for basic channels plus the box I would need to rent.

 

[KubotainNH]

The more competition the better you get from all. Since there's been better fios around our speed are constantly in the 26.5-30.5 and up runs mid to high 6's and my server is over 100 miles away.

True enough. Monopolies suck. Unless you're ok with satellite then your only option here for TV is Comcast. No TV over the fiber, thank you PUC. So I go with plan C, stream everything I want to watch. When I dropped cable it was going up to well over $50 a month for basic channels plus the box I would need to rent.

 

[Gunny]

Here, you don't need landline service to be able to call 911. If there's a phone jack in the house and it's wired up, you can still dial 911 and get connected. Several years ago, they went to a centralized dispatch center and added a "911 tax" to phone services. (Yep, another tax, paid on landline and cell phones) to pay for it. The tax allowed them to install the enhanced 911 for locations and also provided for the ability to dial 911 without a having telephone service.

Since several people here have stated that 911 is the only reason they've kept the landline, they may want to see if that option is available in our ares.

I know ours works because we had to respond to a bunch of 911 hangups when someone would move into a house, hook up a phone and "just see if this thing works", at some point when the other numbers they dialed didn't go through, they'd try 911, then get scared and hand up when the dispatcher answered.

 

[toppop52]

Here, as long as you have a phone jack or as long as your cell phone has a charged battery, they can locate you.

 

[cqaigy2]

The central office serving work is two blocks away... the problem is it is the same central office that serves my home and the cable run in miles away over 60 year old poles/lines.

Don't expect anything to improve... 1.3 is the max I can expect with DSL in Oakland CA and no DSL/Comcast outside Olympia WA.

Friend of mine got dsl a couple years ago, he lives out by the Mima Mounds in one of those "rural" neighborhoods. But it's pretty dismal as far as any reasonable internet access. I was driving up above Blewett Pass going up towards Hainey springs (sp) and came apon a sign indicating fiber optic burial. Thought, what the heck? In the middle of nowhere a fiber optic. Talked to some people in Liberty about there highspeed internet access.... sheesh. I swear everybody east of the cascades has high speed internet, but not on this side.

 

[the old grind]

I keep a land line just to have a number to give to the public, thereby to funnel junk calls away from the cel, and to me it's worth the cost to keep the cel # very private. That said, I don't answer either one if I don't recognize the number. Phones are for my use, not to be interrupted by just anybody when I'm busy.

No answering machine here, 'cuz if a robo-call ever gets picked up the number is validated and passed on to others. I google a lot of numbers, and really get a kick out of folks going to a call-complaint site and saying "Please stop calling me!" Yeah, scammers really respond to that.

btw: My last answer-box response was, "If you know me, talk to me. If you don't, you've got the wrong number. If it's really important, I'll call you." No i-crutch for me in the foreseeable. No offense, but I'm too busy having a life to hear about yours if you're too busy to stop by and tell it face to face. At least you wouldn't have to talk over a TV. IMO life is too short to watch it.

 

[ultrarunner]

Friend of mine got dsl a couple years ago, he lives out by the Mima Mounds in one of those "rural" neighborhoods. But it's pretty dismal as far as any reasonable internet access. I was driving up above Blewett Pass going up towards Hainey springs (sp) and came apon a sign indicating fiber optic burial. Thought, what the heck? In the middle of nowhere a fiber optic. Talked to some people in Liberty about there highspeed internet access.... sheesh. I swear everybody east of the cascades has high speed internet, but not on this side.

Located only minutes from the steps of the Capital in Olympia... yet, it is very rural out Boston Harbor way...

There is a ban on cell towers and comcast must bury everything so it gets expensive.

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm house sitting for my 79 year old mom who is away visiting family.

Poor lady... I swear everytime I answer her phone it is a telemarketer. Starting to think she would be better off with no phone.

They are mostly relentless and I just hang-up.

She must be on a list somewhere. I write her checks/pay bills and can only imagine if I didn't.

Some of the organizations are real scams... less than 5% goes to whatever they are collecting for.

The so-called police and fire seem to be the worst! My Uncle died in the line of duty and I'm not ashamed to tell them our family has already made the ultimate sacrifice.