[Discuss] data caps

[srehrlich at gmail.com (Scott Ehrlich)]

On Tue, Jan 22, 2013 at 10:46 AM, Edward Ned Harvey (blu)
<blu at nedharvey.com> wrote:
>> From: discuss-bounces+blu=nedharvey.com at blu.org [mailto:discuss-
>> bounces+blu=nedharvey.com at blu.org] On Behalf Of Tom Metro
>>
>> How is Verizon any better than the cable
>> company? Essentially the same model. If you happen to live somewhere
>> with a good provider, this should be the best option from a technical
>> standpoint.
>
> Calling Fios an "alternative to cable" is merely a technicality, which has no resulting performance or characteristic difference.
>
> I was psyched at first to get Fios (like 6 yrs ago).  I can say now, it is indistinguishable from cable.  It's no faster, no more reliable...  which is to say cable and fios are both very fast and very reliable...  Except when it's not.
>
> But most of all, if you don't want to be a piece of meat, fios has no advantage over cable.  I was 1 yr into the middle of a 2yr contract, and they suddenly did a "channel reallignment" which means they shut off all the channels I cared about.  I had to call them up, argue for hours, and *still* pay an increased rate just to get my service back.  And they tried to stick me with a $375 early termination fee on top of it.  As far as I'm concerned, if they're not going to honor any 2yr contract, from now on, I'll always just subscribe for the contract, and when I want to move or cancel service, I'll just cancel the credit card and let them figure it out.
>
> Every 5th time I turn on the DVR, I have to sit through some pop-up ad.  Whatever they felt like delivering.
>
> If your objection to cable is the business/marketing model, Fios is no better.  They *are* the cable company.  Just like comcast, rcn, etc.  Which we used before fios.
>
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I got rather annoyed with Comcast when they were threatening me, about
3 years ago, to cancel my cable modem service because I only had a
DOCSIS 2 modem, and they were forcing customers to DOCSIS 3.

I had no desire to rent a modem, and I wasn't going to buy one because
I wasn't sure how long I was going to be with them.

FIOS finally came around and I cancelled with comcast.

I think I get faster speed for the money - I'd normally have
subscribed to Comcast's value plan for Internet, as I don't need the
speed.  I also need not pay for my own cable modem nor rent one.
Verizon requires theirs, and I'm perfectly happy with it.

Scott