Darkev
join:2008-12-17
Kanata, ON
1 edit |
to TSI James
Re: Poor customer service, no real cost savings, dramaticallyI was in touch with customer service at TekSavvy this morning. Someone sent me this:
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Hi,
We didn't know it was going up by $2 until today, apparently it was something that the owners of the company were debating and they did in fact let us know about it today. We had no plans for it that we were aware of and we have never changed our normal DSL price since we started offering DSL service.
As for the price increase, its going toward installing DSLAMS and CO installs so basically we can give you more speed. Currently we are limited with what Bell will allow us to offer, with DSLAMS and CO installs of our own, we can offer 50Mbps services even if the lines support it.
Regards,
Xxxxx
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I don't know what he means by "even if the lines support it". How could you offer it if the lines couldn't support it?!? At least he was honest by saying you are limited by Bell.
That talk about speed increases all sounds wonderful, but in the original letter there was no mention of Gatineau getting this 50 mbps service. Nor is there any deadline as to when it will be available. Nor is it available now. So why are we paying extra now for something that is not available now? When running a business, you have to spend money to make money. You guys are putting the cart before the horse and there's no way I'm going to pay more for inferior service than what Bell is currently charging for double the speed. What happens when you get the 50 mbps speed increase? What then? Are you going to jack the cost up again? Or is this increase supposed to sustain the new speed as well as the 2 or 3 years of work you are putting into bringing people the new speed?
There is no excuse that I will accept for this increase. The real reason prices are going up is nothing more than the usual greed. I have not even been with you guys for 6 months yet!!!
Thanks to your new greed pricing, if I switch to Bell I'll save $60. per year on the cost of the dry loop internet. Since I'm with them for TV, I'll also save $60 off my Bell TV bill. So if I stay with you guys I'll lose $120. It's really no-brainer. I'm just not understanding why a 3rd party seller would jack their costs up when Videotron, Bell and other companies have been bringing theirs down lately. I know I know - it's to install DSLAMS, and likely new lighting in the employee's lounge, and maybe new toilets in your restrooms. Of course you all deserve 5% raises while the rest of us get none. Whatever...
All customers care about is getting a fair price for services, and your prices are no longer fair when you consider the sub-quality of your service. |
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BigVe
join:2005-07-15
Gulliver, MI |
BigVe
Member
2010-May-29 8:14 pm
Isn't that ignorant of you.Here's someone trying to get things straightened out and you completely ignore him.Yeah, go to Bell and start your whining there(should not take long) I take no-ones part here but you bet if i did live in Canada TekSavvy would be the place for me. |
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1 recommendation |
said by BigVe:Isn't that ignorant of you.Here's someone trying to get things straightened out and you completely ignore him.Yeah, go to Bell and start your whining there(should not take long) I take no-ones part here but you bet if i did live in Canada TekSavvy would be the place for me. as i've stated in previous reviews i like the negatives as much as i like reading the positives. He is posting it publicly instead of making it private. He's upset, upset customers is what makes a company show their stuff and how they will handle it. Customers no matter good or bad are like wild animals and need to be made to feel comfortable and happy for as little as possible. He's entitled to his opinion and from my own previous expirence i agree with how i was also treated and spoken to on the phone by their billing department. My ex roommate posted his review on it and his frustrations. TSI is changing a lot and sure change is good but if we compare the customer service 3 years ago to today, it's started going downhill. I see Rocky defending his company when people say anything negative but i believe Marc and Rocky should start listening to this recorded conversations with some irate customers and how they are trated on the phone. It isn't a small minority latey of upset, it seems to happy more and more these days. I find service 100% lately and the increase i think is deserved, it's only $2 but the way we are talked to if we complain on the phone is unacceptable and i hope it changes in the comming years. Unfortunately there are teksavvy fans who will insult those who complain but just ignore them and hopefully teksavvy can work this out with you. I've been told if i don't like it leave. Anyway even though it's a negative review thank you for posting. Hope it may change to a positive one day. |
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 Jeffer71
join:2008-09-13
Carrying Place, ON |
to BigVe
That Gold Star award at the top of the page and 90 percent overall average must mean nothing...lol!
As with your speeds if you'd have done any research on dsl before diving in you'd realize that when your put on a 5 meg profile you will never get 5 meg speeds. The overhead restricts you down to around 4meg maximum speeds. The large majority of users are on the same profile you are with the exact same speeds as you and Teksavvy has no control if your buddy next door got bumped to a 6 meg profile by Bell. There is no rhyme or reason with Bell's insanity.
Anyways having a tantrum and writing a shitty review on one of the best rated internet providers in Canada while your getting the exact speeds you should be getting is pretty much a no-brainer that dsl is not for you.
Good luck finding a company with better customer support in Canada! |
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Darkev
join:2008-12-17
Kanata, ON |
to BigVe
Huh, you think I'm ignorant? Oh dear. You don't live here but you know all about TekSavvy and Bell? I'm sure it's someone from TekSavvy writing that.
Nobody at TekSavvy is trying to help anyone. I got a call this afternoon from the same guy who emailed me this morning. He tells me the reason the cost went up is because they plan on bringing more speed. Maybe Bell, Videotron, Comcast, Verizon, and other companies should raise their prices in anticipation of bringing higher speeds. Gatineau isn't even one of the cities to benefit from any new high speed according to their idiotic letter.
It's a dumb excuse. Give me more speed! THEN raise the price!
During the call I realized I wasn't going to get anywhere. Just more lame excuses. So I've cancelled my subscription to TekSavvy. I'll be giving the three people I work with an earful on Monday. I'm hoping they will leave TekSavvy too. They recommended TekSavvy to me. I wonder how many people they will advise to switch to TekSavvy after this.
TekSavvy Charge: $44.30 per month for 4 Mbps
Bell: $36.07 per month for 7 Mbps.
Plus -5.00 off of TV subscription due to bundle.
It's amazing a 3rd party reseller would have the nerve to raise their prices in light of that. I think there is even a law here in Quebec where companies are not allowed to bring you in as a customer and then switch prices a few months later. At this point I don't care. I'm just glad to have seen their true colors and got rid of them. |
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| Darkev |
to mary2010
Thanks for the understanding Mary. You are absolutely right! I can only report my experiences with this company. I'm not going to lie about it. I read a few negative points before I joined TekSavvy, and I regret not listening to those people. I'm a new customer. I've only been with them since January. Most of these reviews were written prior to that. Whatever is going on now is not good, and I'm not going to give compliments to a company that has costed me time and money, just because others have praised them. If Johnny jumps off the bridge I'm not jumping too.
The sad thing is we need more competition here in Canada. It's disappointing that TekSavvy who isn't and cannot offer the services of other companies feels they can charge the same (or more in this case). I cannot begin to guess where they get their nerve. |
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1 edit
1 recommendation |
to Jeffer71
said by Jeffer71:That Gold Star award at the top of the page and 90 percent overall average must mean nothing...lol! As with your speeds if you'd have done any research on dsl before diving in you'd realize that when your put on a 5 meg profile you will never get 5 meg speeds. The overhead restricts you down to around 4meg maximum speeds. The large majority of users are on the same profile you are with the exact same speeds as you and Teksavvy has no control if your buddy next door got bumped to a 6 meg profile by Bell. There is no rhyme or reason with Bell's insanity. Anyways having a tantrum and writing a shitty review on one of the best rated internet providers in Canada while your getting the exact speeds you should be getting is pretty much a no-brainer that dsl is not for you. Good luck finding a company with better customer support in Canada! how long until it hits 89% ?? No one i know buys from anyone on ebay at 90% let alone 89%. close to hitting 89% is a sign of dropping ratings. As i said above Darkev, teksavvy fans get sooooo defensive it's crazy. They sometimes even resort to personal insults defending them. I wouldn't buy from anyone on ebay with a 90% rating, the 10% that are negative reviews could turn me away easily. i wanted to note that TSI was at 96% when i joined. I do still reccomend them even at 90% but i hope to see that rating go up soon |
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 JGROCKY
Premium Member
join:2005-05-19
Chatham, ON
1 edit |
to Darkev
What's $44.30/month for 4Mbps in comparison to Bell's 7Mbps at $36.07? I'm fairly certain you're comparing apples and oranges on this one.
....and they/we do care.
In Bell land, they currently get a little over $20 for every $30 we charge, so to expand we're doing everything within the $10/month. It simply wasn't enough, which was why the $2 increase happened. |
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Darkev
join:2008-12-17
Kanata, ON |
Darkev
Member
2010-May-30 7:35 am
Rocky,
I was told there would be no price increase in the near future. I've only been with TekSavvy for 4 months when I get a letter stating there's an increase.
In the future, it would be wise to postpone price increases to your new customers. Nobody likes bring screwed, which is exactly what happened here. Give a person at least a year with the price they switched to you. This bait and switch scenario is shameful. I spent $100 to switch to you, plus time and trouble getting all set up. I was not expecting a price increase notification a mere 4 months in.
Can you guarantee that these prices won't go up again once these new features come along? Why are you charging for new options when these options don't yet exist?
When do you plan to offer IPTV, voip, fibre in Gatineau's Aylmer sector? Bell isn't here yet with fibre and when speaking to them yesterday they do not have plans to come to this area for a long while. Yet you want me to pay in advance for it? Come on. Get off of it. |
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dgass
join:2007-09-27
Etobicoke, ON |
dgass
Member
2010-Jun-3 8:35 pm
Darkev, To me you seem like a difficult customer to please.
If you knew 5Mbit was the speed offered why are you complaining about getting what you paid for? Also, I assume your $44 per month is for an unlimited DSL plan. Your $37 Bell for 7 Mbit is FAR from unlimited. If your going to argue that you don't use over 60GB per month and would prefer the faster connection, why would you go with the $40 unlimited plan?
If however your $44 includes a dry loop fee, and your Bell offer is due to a bundle do you not then have POTS? Or are you a Bell TV customer? Then ask yourself why would Bell NOT require a dry loop fee from an existing customer (Bell TV) (POTS would be a wet loop of course) Because your being over charged for the TV and they STILL make huge profits off your patronage.
Just remember who recommended you to Teksavvy, most likely USE the internet for many things and do not like being restricted to a LOW 60GB cap and on top of that Throttling.
If you want a guarantee, go with a company that requires a 1 + year contract. And be stuck with there crappy service for that 1+ year if you don't like it. But when you renew your contract you could be stuck with a $5 per month increase which has NO explanation as to why the increase was needed.
Also, remember that because Teksavvy has no contracts you have the choice to leave BEFORE the price increase will even affect you.
And Good Luck finding a more open and honest company to deal with for your Internet.
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1 recommendation |
Pedros
Anon
2010-Jun-3 9:24 pm
why is everyone on this guys case. He has a complain, legitimate or not. I too am not happy with the increase, I already posted somewhere else this but will mention it again.
If the increase is for future upgrades and for our own benefit, great! however i don't believe for a second that teksavvy will not charge you more to increase the current bandwidth from 5Mbps to say...6mbps...once the time comes they'll nail you again with another price increase or option to upgrade for more $$.
I happy happy with teksavvy but have no issues in complaining and showing my disaproval of these types of tatics. (my other issue will come once i receive my first home phone bill- which i just signed up and was not told an increase is coming- if in fact it is) |
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Darkev
join:2008-12-17
Kanata, ON |
Darkev
Member
2010-Jun-3 11:07 pm
Great points Pedros. I just checked their website and it still reflects $29.95. So if you are a new customer signing up, you'll get less than a month of that price and then you'll be hit with an increase.
It's the business practices that get me. It's not that I cannot afford $2 extra per month. I was told my neighbor was getting 6 mbps and that there was no price increase happening in the near future. Any reasonable person would agree that 4 months later is the near future. Even 6 months later is very soon, but it's not even that. I was also told to call them back once I got service if the speed was low, and they would get Bell to bump it up. Yet when I called back to complain about the low speed I was told there was nothing that could be done about it. It's funny how the tune changed once I bought the modem and paid for the hook up fee that they won't return to me. I was willing to live with this even though I felt cheated. The price increase was the point of no return for me.
I'm going with Bell since Bell is being blamed for everything anyway. How crazy. I'm not locked into a contract, the price is less, I average around 11 GB a month data usage, so the 60 GB I'll be getting from Bell is more than enough to cover my usage. I even downloaded three TV shows from iTunes recently and am still under 15 GB. The date I was supposed to return my modem to Videotron was May 28th, and on that morning I dropped it off at their service center. Coincidentally I get an email the same day from TekSavvy saying their prices are going up. Had I have known that a week earlier, I could have at least saved the cancellation of my Videotron account.
One thing I cannot stand is people lying to me. It's the worst thing a person or business can do in my book. Any adult who has lived long enough knows that no good can come of these sorts of tactics. If more people stood up to companies that tell you useless lies to get you in the door, these companies wouldn't be playing games like this with people. So for those of you who condone this sort of behavior, thanks for contributing to this sort of disgusting business practice we are dealt with from these companies.
I'll definitely be steering clear of any 3rd party resellers from now on. This was a horrible experience and all I can say to the rest of you who enjoy TekSavvy is I hope you never have a customer service issue with them. |
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2 edits
1 recommendation |
Though i agree with you darkev on the price increase to an extent i can't say i agree with staying away from third party ISP's.
Teksavvy isn't reselling, they are their own ISP, just using bell's lines. I do agree they post too much blame on bell when sometimes they should just say sorry and find a way to fix it before bringing up bell at all.
But, but but...do me a favor, don't switch to bell. I hate the idea of anyone supporting bell. They are the evil guys and slight mess ups which do happen souldn't make you turn back to bell. This is what bell hopes on and i'm telling you i DO have my share of issues with TSI and the attitude coming about these days but they are the better of everyone out there.
Rocky above even sounded a bit edgy in his response but i can't help but stand up for them in this case and say that (bell, rogers, telus, cogeco, videotron and so on) are NOT better.
I hope you do change your mind, call in to TSI and voice your opinion and hope they try to keep you as a customer. People like degass don't get it. Someone god forbid complains and suddenly you are a horrible customer. This day in age we pay for service and expect it, sometimes these days it just doesn't happen that way but switching to bell is the worst move you can do.
And i think EVERYONE on this forum will agree 100% all round.
And when i say they need to accept blame sometimes i mean in regards to the refund he asked for. If it's not possible don't blame bell, accept the blame that it went to the install and it's non refundable. If you want to be an internet service provider i don't accept posting the finger elsewhere when things get irate. No matter whose to blame.
Can't say your an ISP only until there is a problem then it's bell. It's non-refundable and TSI doesn't need to say who it went to, just say it's TSI. Outages, don't blame bell i just wan't to hear less about bell from TSI and more about TSI. You're a good company but stand out as independent not a reseller because you are not a reseller. |
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1 edit |
to Darkev
Darkev,
I think you're overlooking some big aspects, which TSI is trying to fight. However, the $2 increase is their first in 10+ years. Bell and the other corporates raise their rates at least once a year, and normally $5 or more. The increase is on one product, not everything. The corporates raise ALL of their prices at the same time. TSI has the problems that all other companies have, in that not everyone all of the time is informed of changes. In the end, we're talking about $2- slightly more than a cup of coffee. Bell still forces you to "rent" a modem from them. $4 a month, even if you buy your own; so tack on another $4 on their advertised price.
We have a major problem in Canada, in that the last mile to the houses is controlled by 2 companies. The regional Cable monopoly (Rogers/Cogeco/Videotron etc etc), and the regional telephone company (either Bell or Telus). ALL others are forced to use the majority of their infrastructure. The fact that you're getting 4MB, is really good considering you'll never get 5. Same with Bell's service, you'll simply NEVER get the advertised price. And if you don't download much, 4MB is plenty. Quite honestly, you won't see a huge difference between 4MB and 6. Certainly not a showstopper.
One thing to wonder, if you can't stand people lying to you, why would you go with Bell??
Bell would say ANYTHING to get you to sign up. Some have even been caught saying the "Fibe" is actually a Fibre service to your house. 100% false. It's just the same copper lines. So sign up with Bell. And the next time you need tech support, have fun with the folks in India- since that's where your money is going.
As well, if you have an issue with Bell on here about your service or what you were told and not told, do you think Bell themselves will ask you to call them on the phone, and ask for an agent by name (i.e James)?? Technical issues aside, THIS is the testament to TSI's service. Bell would simply ignore you, and lie to you again. Give TSI a chance to resolve things. Give James a call and allow him the opportunity. I'll guarantee you'll change your mind. |
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scday
join:2010-04-17
Mississauga
1 recommendation |
to Darkev
Darkev,
Please switch to Bell as fast as you can. It's a good company for you. |
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1 edit |
to Pedros
Pedros, I feel your pain, but then again, you feel none.
Let's start with "He has a complaint, legitimate or not." See your first mistake? Legitimate or... NOT? If he doesn't have a legitimate complaint why are you opening your mouth? Let's move on.
If you bought a toaster that was for two toasts at a time and you wanted to make four, but weren't happy because it couldn't and called the manufacturer stating that you have a complaint (because of your choices), legitimate or not.... see where I'm going with this? They'd tell you to buy another toaster. Hopefully from another manufacturer.
I'm not happy with any price increases either, but here are my choices: Pay two dollars more to a company that charges less than anyone else, or say screw it and pay twenty dollars more to another company because I know they won't raise the rates in the "near future"..... oh wait, nobody in this post defined "near future" yet.
Care to be the first? |
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 ReformCRTCSupport Your Independent ISP
join:2004-03-07
Canada |
to mary2010
I concur with the "don't switch to Bell" thought.
We need to SUPPORT independent ISPs, so that their growing pains can be worked out for the long term. Rewarding Bell when it it Bell that is causing most of TekSavvy's problems doesn't make sense in my opinion.
The OP makes a good point or two about the $2 increase, but because TekSavvy is growing so rapidly and the landscape is so fluid with regards to competitive solutions, I am willing to overlook this with regards to the long term picture. |
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 Packet LossPacket Loss
Premium Member
join:2005-06-12
Guelph, ON
SmartRG SR808ac
1 edit |
to Darkev
said by Darkev:Great points Pedros. I just checked their website and it still reflects $29.95. So if you are a new customer signing up, you'll get less than a month of that price and then you'll be hit with an increase. It's the business practices that get me. It's not that I cannot afford $2 extra per month. I was told my neighbor was getting 6 mbps and that there was no price increase happening in the near future. Any reasonable person would agree that 4 months later is the near future. Even 6 months later is very soon, but it's not even that. I was also told to call them back once I got service if the speed was low, and they would get Bell to bump it up. Yet when I called back to complain about the low speed I was told there was nothing that could be done about it. It's funny how the tune changed once I bought the modem and paid for the hook up fee that they won't return to me. I was willing to live with this even though I felt cheated. The price increase was the point of no return for me. I'm going with Bell since Bell is being blamed for everything anyway. How crazy. I'm not locked into a contract, the price is less, I average around 11 GB a month data usage, so the 60 GB I'll be getting from Bell is more than enough to cover my usage. I even downloaded three TV shows from iTunes recently and am still under 15 GB. The date I was supposed to return my modem to Videotron was May 28th, and on that morning I dropped it off at their service center. Coincidentally I get an email the same day from TekSavvy saying their prices are going up. Had I have known that a week earlier, I could have at least saved the cancellation of my Videotron account. One thing I cannot stand is people lying to me. It's the worst thing a person or business can do in my book. Any adult who has lived long enough knows that no good can come of these sorts of tactics. If more people stood up to companies that tell you useless lies to get you in the door, these companies wouldn't be playing games like this with people. So for those of you who condone this sort of behavior, thanks for contributing to this sort of disgusting business practice we are dealt with from these companies. I'll definitely be steering clear of any 3rd party resellers from now on. This was a horrible experience and all I can say to the rest of you who enjoy TekSavvy is I hope you never have a customer service issue with them. Again, you are comparing Apple to Orange like Rocky said. TSI offers internet service and phone service ONLY. NO TV. You can't compare to a bundle package while TSI doesn't even have bundle packages. Yes you pay more with bundle than just the bell internet alone to get a cheaper overall price for each service. Point is, if you want TV, Phone and Internet all together. TSI is not for you. I don't see the point of your complaint. it is very absurd. If you want good comparison, I'm sure Bell internet alone is twice has much than TSI. Unless you go for bundle which is far more expensive to paid up in total. |
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1 recommendation |
to Darkev
I totally agree with Darkev.
1 I switched to Teksavvy because Bell instituted a $2.00 increase on my contracted price. I complained, and was told to read the fine print, it states "rates subject to change from time to time" even if you are on a contract. Well I switched to Teksavvy and guess what - I got stuck with the $2.00 increase after all.
2 When dealing with Bell Technical support (in foreign countries) I usually get very frustrated because of the communication gap - Well guess what? I switched to Teksavvy and when I contact technical support they talk to me as if I am an imbecile, and they definately "argue and speak in a condescending tone over the phone", they treat you with an eliteist attitude.
3 Also, I am still trying desparately to understand - if I switch my Bell services to Teksavvy and I use the same modem the same computer the same router, the same wall outlet (demarcation point), the same extention cord in other words everything stays the same (except for the date ans service provider) why does Teksavvy keep insisting there is a problem on my end.
** Nothing changed except the date (1 day) and the Service Provider (from Bell to Teksavvy, a flip of a switch), and the elitist TechSupport, who knows everything but still cannot explain why is the service and speed is slower if everything remains the same.**
4 Why does Tech Support ask you what brand of router you are using e.g. Bell router, Verizon router etc. They ask you to buy your own router and now the are questioning if your router is Bell, Telus, Verizon , AT&T etc. What the hell do I know or care, I bought it from eBay, Craigslist, Tiger Direct or where ever! If it ias inportant they should have warned for example: You may purchase a 2Wire router but not from Bell or Verizon etc.
Although, I am a new Teksavvy customer, I will be changing service providers very soon.... Oh well what a waste of an Activation Fee. |
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Darkev
join:2008-12-17
Kanata, ON |
Darkev
Member
2010-Jun-9 7:25 pm
Well I did some speed tests now that I'm on with Bell and wow!! Almost double. Now if I have any issues, I can go right to the source instead of getting "Bell" as an excuse every single time. The cost was also confirmed today through an email from Bell. It's nice to have it in writing.
If the service and speed continues like this, I should not have to bother ever calling Bell support. I was with Bell years ago and the service was not very good. Now if you call, as I did to add channels to my Bell TV last month, they asked me to do a survey where they wanted to know how courteous the clerk was. To me, all companies should be doing this.
Bell has changed, and it's for the better! |
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to Darkev
Darkev wrote:
I don't know what he means by "even if the lines support it". How could you offer it if the lines couldn't support it?
I believe (and my understanding is general at best) James means this:
3 things control your "max" sync rate.
A. Modem max Sync
B. DSLAM max sync
C. Line Length -- or Loop Length
You control A, by your modem purchase/rental.
The DSLAM is the equipment at the other end of the line, at the Central Office (CO). If any DSL provider doesn't have their own DSLAM in the CO where your dry loop terminates, they have to use a Bell DSLAM, and thus Bell ends up controlling B, even if you are with another DSL provider. James was indicating that TekSavvy was installing their own DSLAMs so that they could control B, and offer higher DSLAM max sync rates than what Bell currently allows on their DSLAMs.
James was talking about the ideal world, where A and B are able to sync at ridiculous speeds, and he was acknowledging that in that ideal world, DSL is still limited by C. The shorter the line is, (dry loop and line mean the same thing) the faster you can sync.
That is why DSL is always sold "up to X Mbps", if your line/loop is too long, trying to sync are higher speeds just generates errors, and both ends--the DSLAM and Modem will slow down until they "sync" without errors.
I advise you to stick with Videotron, or if you haven't completely soured on TekSavvy and can get it, go for TekSavvy cable.
DSL is only going to frustrate you--mainly because Bell controls most of the DSLAMs, and they set policies on their DSLAMs that limit what the other DSL providers can do for you.
I have Rogers, and am looking for a new provider because of Cap, Cost and Traffic Shapping on VPNs. If none of those things matter to you--stick with Videotron, based on your comments it's the right fit for you. Otherwise I expect you will be here souring on Bell or whatever DSL provider you try instead of Videotron.
Best of luck. Your review while negative has still helped me to form my own opinion of TekSavvy in my search to replace Rogers. |
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| seventymgb |
It appears I have mistakenly attributed an unnamed TekSavvy support persons email comments to James from TekSavvy. Sorry James, a careless mistake on my part. |
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