Millenicom → moving from FIOS to satellite

Hi all,

I'm hoping ya'll can give me some advice. I purchased a home with five acres in 22709. It's close to my grandkids Familiar with the area when we lived in Culpeper years ago.

I know it's gonna be a change coming from the northern Va area. Currently have FIOS 35/35. Choices at my new home are Directv or Dish bundle pkgs.

I watch all the Detroit Tigers games using MLB.TV. We also have Netflix. I've looked on line at different providers hotspots and Verizon seems to be the best data pkg 20GB for $110.00 to use my AppleTv.

Will the jetpack MHS291L work and what else would I need. Checking the map, it looks like I can get 4G.

Thanxs in advance.

I would go with the Millenicom Hotspot package. It's cheaper. 20GB for $70 and you are still on the VZ network.

That said, I wouldn't plan on being able to use Netflix like you currently do. Youtube, Netflix or any of the video streaming services will eat your data...fast. You will hit your monthly data cap very quickly. Few times of that and you will be asked to purchase a second account, or you will be dropped. Your post sounds like you are a regular user of streaming video.

The Jetpack would likely provide you with adequate Internet access. There are other hardware solutions, but when you move into cellular internet, those "other hardware solutions" tend to be somewhat pricey.

Check your area for a wireless ISP before committing to cellular internet. You may find a service that has higher data caps.

See if your new place can get cable - even if you only use it for internet. Going from FIOS to anything besides cable will be frustrating as heck. If you can't get cable, see if maybe you can at least get DSL. You may have to call and speak with someone in the internet group, as the website is sometimes wrong. DSL will be much slower, but is generally cheaper than cellular based internet and there won't be a cap to deal with.

If you currently have FIOS and are moving to LTE broadband....you're in for a shock. Don't expect service to be nearly as consistent or as fast. I would suggest looking around to see if there are any WISP's in the area or any telco facilities at all to service your location. I use mobile broadband only when I'm in the field or travelling as my usage simply is too high for mobile broadband.

I know verizon is trying to paint their 4G service all rosy and that it's perfect for DSL and cable replacement but what they don't tell you is that it'll cost you a fortune to try and replace it due to their ungodly low caps and high overages.

Ouch... heart felt condolences.

Do yourself a favor and look into cable/dsl if you can... even a wisp perhaps.

Having said that, mcom is a much better value than verizon directly.

Enjoy the country living, fireplaces are fun to watch and they don't use any bandwidth

New home is in a rural area where even DSL is not available. I was able to find a wisp data package. I'm going to have Directv install and haven't decided if I want HughesNet too. It will be a big adjustment and I'll have to watch my usage for a couple of months. I also have unlimited data on my iPhone.

Thanks for the suggestions.

What carrier is your iphone with?

Also I would go with wisp before hughesnet. What package did the wisp have?

You don't want Hughes if you have any alternatives, which it sounds like you do (Verizon 4G).

Not with the kind of use he plans. Verizon does not offer plans that allow for the Netflix, Detroit Tigers games using MLB.TV and other uses.

ATT, and I haven't been throttled yet. wisp is 50GB/mon. Found out yesterday that is what the current owner has. He works from home and hasn't had any issues. He does have a smaller data package and hasn't gone over his limit. And a Directv satellite dish is already on property. I'm ordering Directv from a local company. I'm really not keen on getting HughesNet as I have read many bad reviews here and googling them.

I'm going to have to cancel MLB.TV premium and just do with MLB at Bat. I'll have to get extra innings from Directv at a higher price than I pay for MLB.TV. I can always go into the town cafe and watch games there since I am friends with the owner.

Buying this home in a very rural area has been an education on internet providers. I will miss FIOS, but definitely not their customer service. As always, any questions I have asked within the DSL reports community have been very useful.

Thanks

You may find that 50 gigs is less than one thinks it is, particularly given how many video streams these days are HD. When I first got Millenicom's late lamented Sprint service with the 50 gig soft cap, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Within a year, that heaven had turned to a hell.

Thanks, I do plan to monitor our usage very closely. We don't stream or download videos. They have their iPhones or iPads with data to do that stuff.

If you have an unlimited data plan on your att iphone - you should be fine but I have heard they do throttle the unlimited plans after a certain amount of transfer. Does the WISP have any other higher caps for different prices? 50gb/month really doesn't seem like much.

People on this board don't like how much I transfer on my FIOS but with how I use my connection, 50gb would only last me a little over a week. And given the usage I've seen other people use on their FIOS, I'm no where near high enough lol. But I'd have a REAL hard time giving up my FIOS connection though, so I don't envy you one bit....But yes, rural area internet does get fairly pricey. I have lots of relatives who can't do the things I am able to simply because of that.

I also say try to go with a WISP (I forgot about that option when I posted before) over any cellphone carrier. Even if you have unlimited data on your phone, almost all the carriers place limits on tethering and modems. You may be able to get some kind of deal with the WISP as well since the existing/previous owner has their service, and they won't have to remove or install equipment outside of setting up your computer.

As far as DirecTV goes the installer will very likely replace the existing dish, and possibly redo some (or all) of the wiring, or at least replace the connectors depending on their opinion of the original installers work.

Agreed, I know VABB is in and around culpeper heavily. »vabb.com/coverage.php

VABB is who I am going with. They don't have to do an install since the current owner uses them. They do want to come out and check their antenna and wiring before starting my service.

Current owner says he is ok with their service as the antenna points directly to their tower.