Alternatives to TWC high speed internet ?

[Ralph Kramden]

Are there any cheaper alternatives to TWC for internet? I currently have Road Runner Standard service. I live in the Village of Summit, just south of Oconomowoc. Thanks.

[budda]

U Verse or at@t is the only other high speed I can think of. But if you can't get more then the 6mbs I would stay with RR. Is the cost or speed the issue? Would also look at http://www.netwurx.net/

[Ralph Kramden]

Thanks budda. Cost is the issue. RR seems to be getting more and more expensive. That link is stricty DSL correct? I curently have 7 Mbps and I don't want to go with anything slower.

[budda]

link is wireless, not sure of speeds. My buddy has it in Erin. They also have DSL. A ant is put out side pretty small. And you pull in a wireless signal. Just a option , thought it might be worth a look.

[Ralph Kramden]

So the signal comes in like TV or satellite? Do you know the price or the speed? Thanks.

[budda]

Follow the link its all on the site;

[duncantuna]

Thanks budda. Cost is the issue. RR seems to be getting more and more expensive. That link is stricty DSL correct? I curently have 7 Mbps and I don't want to go with anything slower.

Just a note .. you can very easily get by on far less than 7 Mbps.  -- My company had a T1 for 80 people .. (1.5Mbps)..  it was fine, honestly.  True, maybe only a dozen people were surfing the net at any time.

If you want to stream video, like Netflix, OK, you need more bandwidth.  Otherwise, you can get by just fine with far less.

[ArgMeMatey]

Check with AT&T to see if 6 Mbps ADSL is available to you and get their intro pricing.  Then go back to RR and tell them you want to cancel because it's too expensive and AT&T has a better deal.  They should send you to retention, and retention should offer you a better deal.  

If not, sign up with AT&T and after you've done your speed tests and things are running smoothly, only then should you cancel RR.  

In many wire centers AT&T seems to be encouraging people to move to UVerse, which can use either IP-DSLAM or VDSL at speeds comparable to or higher than 7 Mbps.  

I call AT&T at least every six months or a year and get my rate reduced from the "rack" rate to something better.  I haven't paid the full rate for years, and right now I am paying about $30 for 12 Mbps.  

I'm due again next month so we'll see how that goes.

[Ralph Kramden]

I've been getting rate reductions also, but $44.09(after fees and taxes) per month is the best they will do now. I need to try again when this rate ends. In the meantime I want to check into alternatives.

And I do stream Netflix HD, so I need at least 6 Mbps from what I understand.

[ArgMeMatey]

I've been getting rate reductions also, but $44.09(after fees and taxes) per month is the best they will do now. I need to try again when this rate ends. In the meantime I want to check into alternatives.

My point, which I didn't state very clearly, was that when you call them to cancel, not just to seek a better rate, they get a lot more serious about doing what they can to keep you.  If you just call a CSR and say, "Hey, can you give me a better rate?" they might or might not find something for you.  

However you could call and say, "AT&T's offering 12 Mbps for $30 for 12 months.   I can't afford to pass that up, but if you can match it, I'd rather stick with Time Warner."   They might say, "So you want to cancel your account?" and then they'll transfer you to somebody who can make a better deal.  

I called Time Warner to cancel, three times, and although they offered me better deals on calls #1 and #2, I did actually cancel on call #3 because AT&T was doing OK for me.  

Likewise, I've called AT&T to cancel and they offered better deals there, too.  For example when I ordered 12 Mbps the phone agent told me I'd have to pay $100 up front for the VDSL (3600HGV) modem but there would be a $100 rebate.  Well, that wasn't on the order confirmation.  I called to complain, and was told that the agent had been mistaken.  So I said "OK, that's a shame, then I need to cancel that order."  I was promptly sent to retention.  The woman there apologized for the misunderstanding and said she'd put a $100 credit on my bill on such-and-such a date after the first billing cycle. So sure enough, that's what happened.  

We've all heard the anecdote about how much more it costs to find a new customer, than to hang on to the one you have now.  That's part of the textbook in whatever MBA class most of their marketing managers have taken.  So use it!

[kevbeck122]

I had RR Turbo for a couple years at $40/month.  It went up to $45 so I downgraded to standard at $35/month.  When I dropped cable TV and kept RR, I somehow got an indefinite discount other than that $5 rate raise... they told me the other discounts would last 2+ years.

I dropped RR for Uverse in October, but now I'm back on RR with the new customer rate (RR Extreme 30Mbps for $50/month for a year).

Go through retentions like others have said and you should be able to get some discounts.