neufie
@Level3.net
|  Verizon Broadband 30 day trial
We tried the Verizon Wireless system for their 30 day trial period and found it wanting. As soon as a download bagan, the speed would start dropping into the 50 kbs range. That is about 1/8 the beginning speed. Absurd, isn't it? It reminded me of the old Juno that would begin rationing service as soon as you started downloading anything more complicated than short text files such as e-mails. Sad, so sad. For comparison, the local cable company gets the same complaint from several subscribers we know. The dial-up service we use consistantly drops from 14 kbs to below 3 kbs under the same conditions. Is this some kind of "industry standard" -- to lower bit rates once you connect to a web page?
In all fairness, the sign-up and set-up and billing and disconnect all went without problems. It was all handled through a local cell phone store contracted as a Verizon agent since they have no store of their own within a hundred miles. Considering the almost universal dissatisfaction with that part of many businesses, we consider ourselves quite fortunate to have escaped the "billing-from-hell" stories that are so common. That itself is a sad comment on the industry as a whole.
We're off to searching for Reviews of Sprint Broadband service in spite of the horrid business practices that company seems to have.
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O.K., we're back. Either the Sprint web pages are hopelessly out of date or their pricing schedule guarantees they will get no takers. Too bad, they have a great display of coverage area maps for their wireless signals. Then again, it wouldn't be the first example of 100% signal and really slow thruput because of what is on the other end of the line. Anyone else getting the impression that wireless is where all the excessed car salesmen have found jobs? |
