Four years years ago AT&T, a company that, for years, cheapened out on upgrading its broadband lines to fiber, effectively stopped selling DSL. While that’s understandable given the limitations of the dated copper-based tech, the problem is that thanks to concentrated telecom monopolization, many of these customers were left without any replacement options due to a lack of competition.
In our area we have Spectrum (formerly Time Warner), Breezeline (formerly Atlantic Broadband), and AT&T.
Breezeline came into this area by buying a regional ISP called WOW (Wide Open West). The first thing they did was cancel all existing plans and double the prices. I had 200 Mbps at $30/mo., which immediately went to $70/mo with no speed increase. Then they began
sabotagingupgrading the infrastructure, and suddenly I was without Internet. It would take a tech a month to get out and “check my equipment”, along with a $50 service fee.So I dropped them.
Spectrum offered 300 Mbps at $70/mo.
AT&T offered UVerse and claimed to have fiber in our area. But not for apartments ofc. The only other option from AT&T was 50 Mbps at $60/mo. “But that’s the actual speed, other ISPs don’t actually deliver 300 Mbps, it’s really more like 40.” An actual quote from the AT&T sales rep.
So I still have spectrum, and it works well enough. ~270 down and 10 up, at now $80/mo.
Never work with a company that has the back of the Death Star as their logo
I do wonder what Nintendo is going to try and do about Louigi if this keeps up as I expect it to.
My choices are them or comcrap. Probably switching to the later because ATT is never going to upgrade my lines to fiber, despite living in a major metropolitan area. It really is infuriating.
