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Comments on news posted 2013-05-02 18:32:53: The other day Time Warner Cable announced that they'd be cutting back on promotions and would be shifting away from pushing the triple play. ..


josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

Ditch It All

Cellular for voice, Netflix/Hulu/Amazon Prime for video and LTE for Internet.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 recommendation

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: Ditch It All

said by josephf:

LTE for Internet.

That won't save you any money if you use the Internet at all throughout the month. In fact it would easily wipe out whatever savings you got by ditching landline Internet.

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

Re: Ditch It All

You can get LTE for your cellphone wireless. Then you use your phone's WiFi hub to use its LTE when you are home. So you only need one internet service (your wireless which you have anyways) instead of two. (No cable or DSL.)

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

2 recommendations

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Re: Ditch It All

said by josephf:

You can get LTE for your cellphone wireless. Then you use your phone's WiFi hub to use its LTE when you are home. So you only need one internet service (your wireless which you have anyways) instead of two. (No cable or DSL.)

I guess you have not heard of caps. All the major cell providers that operate LTE networks have caps on data use that WILL give you a major case of bill shock if you use too much data. And plans that advertise unlimited DO have excessive use policies where they will throttle or terminate your service if you exceed a set threshold.

I myself would like to go cellular Internet only and I would like to buy the Netgear router with Verizon built in but the low caps pushed me towards staying with Comcast.
Happydude32
Premium Member
join:2005-07-16

Happydude32 to josephf

Premium Member

to josephf
quote:
You can get LTE for your cellphone wireless. Then you use your phone's WiFi hub to use its LTE when you are home. So you only need one internet service (your wireless which you have anyways) instead of two. (No cable or DSL.)
What don't you understand about small caps, slower speeds and higher pings? Gaming, VPN and other low latency applications will not function ideally on cellular broadband. And the speeds are not consistent. Using your phone as a wifi hot spot will kill the battery. And for the unfortunate saps who own an iPhone 5, in usual Apple fashion, you’re screwed. If you have a CDMA provider, you cannot use data and voice simultaneously. So if you use that as a wifi hot spot, welcome to the days of dial up internet in 1996 when you could not talk and be online at the same time.

Again, cellular broadband is no replacement for a real internet connection at home.

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy to josephf

Premium Member

to josephf
Verizon offers landline voice/DirecTV bundles. For me I would like to kick Comcast to the curb but its either $61.99/250 GB cap (not currently enforced) or Verizon Home Fusion for $120/30 GB cap with overages. DSL is an option but its the 2013 version of Dial-up or like going from MacBook Pro to WebTV.

If you get basic cable ($5.02 per month in my area), you get the multi product Internet prices. As much as I am fed up with Comcast, they are the best bargain for Internet in my situation.

I keep a landline for 911, alarm dialer, and calling numbers with extended hold times or where dropped calls are unacceptable. I was talking on my cell phone today with someone from the hospital and the call went dead with one way audio.

I may consider forwarding my cell phone to the home phone when I am at home but I may forget to turn off call forwarding when I go out.

anoncow
@federalreserve.org

anoncow

Anon

Re: Ditch It All

Couldn't Google Voice do something like this? I know it can ring multiple lines.
46436203 (banned)
join:2013-01-03

46436203 (banned) to josephf

Member

to josephf
said by josephf:

LTE for Internet.

I see we have a comedian here.

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

Re: Ditch It All

Have patience. LTE will reach your neighborhood too.

YukonHawk
join:2001-01-07
Patterson, NY

YukonHawk

Member

Re: Ditch It All

No thanks. I'll stick with Comcast even if they reinstate the cap of 250 GB which we never even come close to. LTE offers paltry caps and you get torn a new one on the overages.
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

silbaco to josephf

Premium Member

to josephf
The low caps and high latency make LTE a joke for anything other than facebook.
Happydude32
Premium Member
join:2005-07-16

Happydude32 to josephf

Premium Member

to josephf
You’re joking right? None of that delivers the same quality or convenience.
said by josephf:

Cellular for voice


Not reliable enough. I’m sure I’m not alone in this, I have no reliable cellular reception indoors at my house. I can take a call in my house move three feet and get nothing but garbled audio.
quote:
Netflix/Hulu/Amazon Prime for video
No thanks. I have no desire to wait and grow old by the time Netflix gets the shows I watch.

Hulu is a just a fuckin joke. Mostly the same ole shitty shows you get on network TV, and a bunch of lame clips. Just went to the website for the first time in a few years after forgetting Hulu even existed , while I'll give them credit for having the pilot episode in it’s entirety of Inside Amy Schumer from Comedy Central, it sucked not being able to skip over the ad. People will cry, whine, bitch and moan like there's no tomorrow about commercials on cable TV, but at least when you DVR stuff, you can fast forward through the commercials. And the quality is hideous on my 23” monitor, I shudder to think what it would be like blown up on the 55” TV.
quote:
and LTE for Internet.
That’s a laugh. Verizon just turned on LTE on the tower I’m connect to at home last week Friday. I’m surprised the speeds are as good as they are considering how awful my voice reception is. I max out about 20Mb Down in the house and less than 3Mb up. Faster outside naturally. A far cry from my 50Mb/5Mb cable connection. Taking into consideration higher ping times that are completely unacceptable for online gaming and the usage caps, anyone that thinks cellular data can replace a good land based broadband service is a complete moron.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

1 recommendation

IowaCowboy to josephf

Premium Member

to josephf
If you get LTE for Internet, you might as well get a pay TV service as streaming video will send your LTE bill into the hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Verizon Home Fusion caps out at 30 GB for $120 per month with $15 per GB overages.

I considered going to HomeFusion as I am fed up with Comcast but at $61.99 for a non enforced 250 GB cap is a much better deal than $120 for 30 GB with $15 overages.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to josephf

Premium Member

to josephf
LTE for internet lol. Show me an LTE connection that can beat my cable. For the same cost as the highest capped LTE I can get DOCSIS3 cable at or close to 100mbit with a much larger cap. Or I can get business class cable internet with no cap and faster repair service if something goes wrong.
cramer
Premium Member
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC

cramer to josephf

Premium Member

to josephf
HAH! "LTE for Internet"... If you want internet access to cost more than your house.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

In defense of Cable Digital Voice

It ain't Voip, and it operates transparently to the landlines it supplants. It isn't "redundant" for folks who are expecting POTS-level performance and voice quality.

Not everyone prefers half-duplex conversations where every other word must be guessed or interpolated, and half of the dialogue is the word "What?".

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

Re: In defense of Cable Digital Voice

Non-cable VoIP is highly reliable and of high quality.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: In defense of Cable Digital Voice

depends on the Internet connection you have and the provider. But still hands down Cable Phone is better than non-cable VoIP. Especially since it does have true e-911 and just works. You also don't need a stand-alone Internet connection for it if you choose not to unlike with companies such as Vonage, MJ, BroadVoice, PhonePower, etc.

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

Re: In defense of Cable Digital Voice

Non-cable VoIP also has true E-911.

And most of the major cable operators require you also have internet service with them in order for them to provide your phone service.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Re: In defense of Cable Digital Voice

Most will sell phone without Internet, they just disable the Internet port on the EMTA. They want the business of elderly customers (biggest consumer of landlines these days), who are less likely to own/use computers.

I would take the cable VoIP as those modems have batteries and the facilities have backup power to keep the VoIP lines going. Also, cable VoIP has fewer points of failure as the connection begins at the modem and ends at the headend where it enters the PSTN. Non cable VoIP has many more points of failure and alarm companies will not allow their use for monitoring for liability. While POTS is best for alarm monitoring, cable VoIP is second best choice and many alarm contractors recognize that. Just make sure you tell the cableco that you have an alarm system so they make sure they deliver the dial tone to the correct side of the RJ31X jack.
elefante72
join:2010-12-03
East Amherst, NY

elefante72 to josephf

Member

to josephf
I haven't had a land line for almost 12 years. It's been VOIP all the way, and by that I mean 3rd party. I had FIOS digital voice (VOIP) for a year but then they started adding magic taxes, it was only dial tone, and just the phone was $16 a month w/ taxes and boom they were gone.

I moved primary to anveo and average $4-$6 month (with true e911 whatever that means), and office phone to GVout/voip.ms in so that combo costs me $1-$2 a month because I use primarily 800 and GV is free (even to canada). My Obi handles both. Two lines under $10...

Now if you use u-law the sound quality is on par w/ say your telco which happens to use the same codec. So it's not like there is some magic going on there. Theoretically telco provided VOIP is better because it gets tagged in a higher class QoS or in some cases different channels but VOIP is pretty resilient.

I haven't had a cut out once since I have been on FIOS, and the last time I had any problems when I was on viatalk and it was because their service was so s**tty, not the internet.

ATT Callvantage was the best ever (sound wise) and it could reliably do faxes, like 100% of the time. It was $40 a month though, but for the day that was reasonable...

Faxes now go through anveo for free (you pay the min) and they come in reliably too to your home number.

Verizon FIOS (DV) believe it or not had to give me like $70 and $10 a month in credit for a year because incoming local callerid would report 7 digit, and they would only allow outgoing of 10 digit. And this is a phone company. They never fixed it. I had to buy a phone that would auto-prefix the area code just to dial back. Not to mention the feature set was basically dial tone. Oh boy. VOIP 101.

bobjohnson
Premium Member
join:2007-02-03
Spartanburg, SC

bobjohnson to josephf

Premium Member

to josephf
said by josephf:

Non-cable VoIP also has true E-911.

And most of the major cable operators require you also have internet service with them in order for them to provide your phone service.

Maybe Vonage who is also $30 a month has e-911.
Which cablecos require internet to get phone?

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

Re: In defense of Cable Digital Voice

Virtually all non-cable VoIP providers have E-911.

Cablevision and some other major cable companies (including Time Warner Cable, I believe) will not sell you phone service unless you have Internet with them.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Re: In defense of Cable Digital Voice

said by josephf:

Virtually all non-cable VoIP providers have E-911.

Cablevision and some other major cable companies (including Time Warner Cable, I believe) will not sell you phone service unless you have Internet with them.

They'll gladly sell you any or all of they services provided that you hand over your hard earned cash. Remember that the MSOs are overhead and the customers are profit.

Most people have Cable TV and they buy the phone and/or Internet as an add on or as a bundle.

I'm surprised the cable companies don't require you to purchase a minimum of basic cable in order to buy Internet. They already require the purchase of basic cable in order to purchase higher TV tiers. And basic cable contains the local broadcast channels, any required PEG channels, and a few shopping channels. At least with basic cable, you get the cheaper rates on Internet.

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

Re: In defense of Cable Digital Voice

Cablevision requires you purchase internet service from them in order to purchase phone service from them.

bobjohnson
Premium Member
join:2007-02-03
Spartanburg, SC

bobjohnson to josephf

Premium Member

to josephf
I'm not sure about the random VoIP companies with e911 recently.
But TWC, Comcast, Charter and bright house will sell you phone service standalone. You're right about cablevision though.

josephf
join:2009-04-26

josephf

Member

Re: In defense of Cable Digital Voice

FCC regulations require all VoIP providers include E-911.

bobjohnson
Premium Member
join:2007-02-03
Spartanburg, SC

bobjohnson

Premium Member

Re: In defense of Cable Digital Voice

It has been for all interconnected providers since 2006 or so. So I guess that would apply to any VoIP service you can receive incoming calls on. Learn something new everyday.
excalibur26
join:2013-02-02

excalibur26 to josephf

Member

to josephf
Yep. My $29.95 Obi 100 and GV are just fine with Optimum Online basic.

wa2ibm
Premium Member
join:2000-10-10
San Jose, CA

wa2ibm to elray

Premium Member

to elray
Not only the quality, but the way that Comcast has the triple-play priced, it's cheaper to have the voice than not to. The double-play (TV/Internet) price is more than the triple-play price.

I'm using the triple-play and another family member is subscribed to triple-play, but doesn't even use the phone line because it's cheaper (on a contract) than not to have it.

•••
cramer
Premium Member
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC
Westell 6100
Cisco PIX 501

cramer to elray

Premium Member

to elray
I would agree, in that the customer never sees (or can even access) the VoIP packets; they're handed a device that provides an analog phone interface. But that's true of everyone... FiOS, Uverse, Cable, hell, even Vonage -- while one can get to those packets, they're all encrypted.

I've never used TWC's voice, 'tho my sister was crazy enough to sign up for that over priced crap even though they never use a land line (cell only for YEARS). I've NEVER understood why anyone would pay TWC $40/mo for that crap. And that's the advertised price; tax, tag, dealer prep, under coating, and reach around are all extra.

•••••••••••••

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

I'd rather have Time Warner

I've dealt with both CC and TWC. I think TWC has better service and rates.

Grandma has Time Warner, I have Comcast at my house (Internet and basic cable). I think TWC has better support.
BiggA
Premium Member
join:2005-11-23
Central CT

BiggA

Premium Member

Re: I'd rather have Time Warner

I'd MUCH rather have Comcast. TWC abuses the copy flags, which cripples TiVos and MCE machines.

mackey
Premium Member
join:2007-08-20

mackey to IowaCowboy

Premium Member

to IowaCowboy
said by IowaCowboy:

I think TWC has better service and rates.

Lol wut? You're smoking crack. CC internet starts at 25/5 for $45 (after promo ends) whereas TWC is 15/1 for $53. The next tier up has CC with 50/10 for $75 and TWC with 30/5 for $83. TWC also eliminated the "$23/mo off for the first year" promotion and the most you can get is $10 off now.

I've had both TWC and CC, and hands down CC runs laps around TWC. I really wish CC served my current area

/M

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

for those that need AT least 2 of the products...

It's a deal. (for now at least )
as video transitions to internet expect IP/tele packages to rise but it still beats the separate ISP- CATV-Telco seprate services of old

Probitas
@teksavvy.com

Probitas

Anon

think it's silly

Most information is flowing along internet lines anymore anyway, so why ARE we paying fees as though they are separate services still? I've been told in EU that they don't pay these outlandish fees in the US and Canada for services that run on the same lines for the most part (one fee for phone/internet/tv, all inclusive and usually around 50 bucks total). Why IS it so expensive to run a last mile service using lines that were placed for the most part 25 years ago (cable) and long ago paid for, and then some?

I suppose it's just greed, and because they can due to a completely useless regulatory body with no teeth and government officials more interesting in lobbying dollars than performing service for consumers who can actually vote.
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

intenet only

cable-tv as it's evolved is an obsolete product. voip can be had cheaper as a 3rd party or prepaid cell phone. consumers need the cheapest price & highest speed they can get for internet.. that's about it..

HOWEVER, the cable & telcos are spoiling to make this option VERY difficult to find any value in being $10 - $30 off the base prices for dual & triple play services. THIS, IMO goes beyond price gouging it speaks to the very dysfunction of competition between service providers.

And in the broadband black holes.. ripe for wholesale change via a muni fiber project or Google fiber. I look forward to see AT&T make a run at Google fiber in Austin. Sofar even from Verizon it's been hot air about making good on faster internet-- in several months another year will tick by.. and nothing new happens where you have sad duopolies, except higher prices.

xstation20
join:2005-05-03
San Jose, CA

xstation20

Member

ooma

If you really want a home phone service... one word.. OOMA

Its free and it works great!!!

JMHO42
@verizon.net

JMHO42

Anon

Re: ooma

That's not really a word ...and the service isn't really "free" either. Good--and cheap--I hear, so worth the money, but let's not "overstate".

tonyinpa
@comcast.net

tonyinpa

Anon

google voice

google voice(free) and callcentric($1.50)/month for e911 all on my Obi device. CHEAP! Why do people need expensive ISP voip service?