 Review by drlouis 
UPDATED: 1.7 years ago
member for 6.3 years, 973 visits, last login: 248 days ago
 Juniata,Adams,NE
 $40 per month (12 month contract)
 about 7 days
 AllTel
 "Fast install, good connection reliability-Free upgrade to 1.5 from 756!"
 "Sales staff very _UN_educated about the products"
 "Good service/reliability, a little more $ than some others"
| Pre Sales information:
Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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The sales staff are pretty clueless. I got 3 different stories when I called to inquire about the service - separate calls (3 different speed packages for tier 1, and 3 different prices, only one of which was correct - the worst of the 3 of course!) Once I ordered I had my modem in 6 days, and was live in 7 so no complaints there! for the first 2 months or so, I got between 600 and 630 down, and 100-105 up (for 768/128 package). Then for no apparent reason about 2 weeks ago I started getting 600-630/525-530!! I wont complain! The service has only gone down twice both times after big storms, and then only for 10 or 15 minutes, so I am pretty happy with the reliability too.
The contract is an insult. They basically tell you they don't promise anything, and you must continue to pay regardless of what might happen or you will be charged penalties. However, as long the product remains this good it's a non-issue.
Also, from what I have seen of other packages Alltel appears to be on the high end for their $$ to speed ratio.
All in all not bad, I'm happy.
UPDATE 7/04 -
A little over a month ago I noticed my downloads were finishing faster, so I did a couple of speed tests, and found I was getting nearly twice the download I had been. I called Alltel to see what speed package they had me listed at and was told they had discontinued the 756/128 package I had signed up for and so I had recieved a free upgrade! They didn't even bother to tell me - COOL! Then I got an email stating that if I would sign another 1 year contract the price would DROP from $40/mo to $35/mo! The only thing I DONT like is I don't want to sign a contract. But how can you complain too much when they double your speed, AND give you a $5/mo price drop??
Connection reliability is still rock solid (only 2 outages I recall this past year both 1/2 hr or less), Tech support is still lukewarm, but value for the money went up a lot.
UPDATE 12/04 -
About 2 months ago I noticed on a speed test that my upload had been bumped to 384, but my download was still the same at 1500. I had been told this change was "in the the works" by a customer service rep when looking into current "deals" for a friend, but anyone who has dealt with Alltel customer service can tell you the chances they know what they are talking about are roughly 1 in 3 so I didn't put much faith in it. Tech support is good, but not customer service!
Since my last update there have been no outages I have noticed. So connection reliability is still very solid.
So currently for $35 a month I am getting 1500/384. Altell has just gotten better since I signed up a year and a half ago. I would say it is a solid deal overall. Oh, and they still offer a back-up dial up connection for free which I use frequently with my laptop when I am away from the house.
UPDATE 1/08 - Had an outage and called Tech support. The short and sweet: Tech support is now sourced out of India, and is ROTTEN.
First, I told the tech I knew it wasn't the modem, since I had also tried a modem I know to be working. He ignored me and informed me I had a bad modem. He would not entertain the idea that it could be anything else. Next they LIED to me - twice (said they'd overnighted me a new modem, and it FINALLY arrived UPS ground). Once I FINALLY had my new modem the tech took me through his script again and then informed me the problem was not my modem, but was in my line (hello!) and that they would send out a technician the next day (I'd heard that one from them recently). Fine. Once he was finished and asked if there was anything else I said: "yes, you realize I told you 3 days ago it couldn't be my modem, but you wouldn't listen to me and as a result I've been without internet for 3 days." To which he replied: "If the technician has to step into your house you will be charged $38.50."(!? - nice customer skills there) After several complaints about the service I received from tech support (placed with customer service) I got a call from a tech in the USA who was able to get me online within 5 minutes and no technician even had to come to my house! ( it was a setting that got inadvertently changed on their end).
If they still hired competent tech support I would not have been without internet for 3 days, and I would't be looking to switch to cable internet. Big drop in rating.
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