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Dirt Cheap DSL?
SBC takes intro-offer lower still
SBC takes the DSL price limbo one step lower with a new $26.95 offer for new customers who order on-line. The deal requires a one-year agreement with an early termination fee of $200. While the deal's information page indicates there may be a $50 activation fee involved, members of our SBC Ameritech forum who are discussing the fine print of the deal note that fee is waived for this offer. It's not made clear if customers who recently signed up for the $29.95 offer will be able to benefit from some form of 'price protection'. SBC originally introduced the $29.95 DSL price-point in February as a limited time offer, but extended the deal in August. The new $26.95 offer now sits only three dollars higher than AOL's dial-up service.
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kapil
The Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL

kapil

Member

Yay!!!

The first post!!! :::clap clap clap:::

Omega
Premium Member
join:2002-07-30
Golden, CO

Omega

Premium Member

Re: Yay!!!

nevermind, I posted another down the page.

**edit**
[text was edited by author 2003-09-30 18:31:03]

ross96
join:2000-11-02
Huntersville, NC

ross96 to kapil

Member

to kapil
1536/128 pkg is changing to 1536/128-256(rate adaptive upload) for the same rate $26.95. That price cannot be beat, period. Bellsouth offers their light service 256kbps for more than that.

kapil
The Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL

kapil

Member

Re: Yay!!!

This isn't predatory pricing at all, now is it?
LostMile
Premium Member
join:2002-06-07
Coloma, MI

LostMile

Premium Member

Re: Yay!!!

said by kapil:
This isn't predatory pricing at all, now is it?
No way! SBC is known for its unbelievably low prices. That's why Caller ID with Name is only $9.50/mo and Voice Mail Plus can be had for a mere $9.95/mo.
And if all the CLECs were put out of business, SBC would lower their prices even more.

kapil
The Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL

kapil

Member

Re: Yay!!!

Are you saying that SBC was lying when it told the FCC that competition is growing by leaps and bounds in its territory? A CEO lying? ...that can't be!

SBC can offer long distance calling anywhere on this planet for 3 cents an hour and STILL MAKE A PROFIT.

Now, tell me why the hell my phone bill is over $60 each month.
LostMile
Premium Member
join:2002-06-07
Coloma, MI

1 recommendation

LostMile

Premium Member

Re: Yay!!!

said by kapil:
.....
Now, tell me why the hell my phone bill is over $60 each month.
Hang in there, buddy. As soon as the bloodsucking CLEC leeches and independent ISPs are dead and gone, SBC will lower their prices even more. You'll soon have a very nice phone bill.

ScottJr
join:2001-10-10
Charles Town, WV

ScottJr

Member

Re: Yay!!!

I have to assume your comment is a joke, right? Isn't that exactly what a monopoly wants? Lower prices to eliminate competition then hose everyone and laugh all the way to the bank?
[text was edited by author 2003-10-01 08:11:13]
LostMile
Premium Member
join:2002-06-07
Coloma, MI

LostMile

Premium Member

Re: Yay!!!

said by ScottJr:
I have to assume your comment is a joke, right? Isn't that exactly what a monopoly wants? Lower prices to eliminate competition then hose everyone and laugh all the way to the bank?
[text was edited by author 2003-10-01 08:11:13]

Bull's-eye!
Alky
join:2001-08-12
Cleveland, OH

Alky to kapil

Member

to kapil
Hmmm. My DSL/phone bill is about $55 per month. $29.95 is for DSL. You may have other services on your phone bill than I have, but bundled with SBC's dsl pack, it sounds like an average bill.

kapil
The Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL

kapil

Member

Re: Yay!!!

I have the complete solutions package - $39.99
Voice Mail 98 - $5.95
Taxes & Fees - $16

DSL - $35 (including taxes)

wwdubbia
join:2002-06-03
Clinton, NY

wwdubbia to LostMile

Member

to LostMile
That is, if SBC doesn't go bankrupt first by giving this stuff away....
93388818 (banned)
It's cool, I'm takin it back
join:2000-03-14
Dallas, TX

93388818 (banned) to kapil

Member

to kapil
said by kapil:
This isn't predatory pricing at all, now is it?
oh waaaah!!! In a mass market product - lowest price/best value wins.

You know SBC also lowered the cost of the wholesale product to all the other ISPs...you see them cutting rates??
IAmTheEvilest
There Is Nothing Like A Restart
join:2001-01-03
Milpitas, CA

IAmTheEvilest

Member

Re: Yay!!!

For most ISPs, the wholesale rate SBC is charging exceeds the retail pricing SBC charges its customers...

Sedated3
Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars
Premium Member
join:2002-11-02
Brooklyn, NY

Sedated3 to kapil

Premium Member

to kapil
GO DSL.

Sed

Techie2000
In Vertigo
Premium Member
join:2001-12-05

1 recommendation

Techie2000 to kapil

Premium Member

to kapil
said by kapil:
The first post!!! :::clap clap clap:::
Go back to slashdot plz...

kapil
The Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL

kapil

Member

Re: Yay!!!

NO!

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI

Nightfall to kapil

MVM

to kapil
At least post an opinion or something. :P
Expand your moderator at work
93388818 (banned)
It's cool, I'm takin it back
join:2000-03-14
Dallas, TX

93388818 (banned) to kapil

Member

to kapil
It is volume based pricing.
67845017 (banned)
join:2000-12-17
Naperville, IL

67845017 (banned)

Member

No Brainer

Is that even any consideration? $3.00 over AOL? AOL must be hating it.

Rambo76098
join:2003-02-21
Columbus, OH

Rambo76098

Member

Dumb AOL

Hmm.... how long until aol figures out that to get new customers and keep existing ones that they need to offer COMPETITIVE PRICES! im sorry but aol, seems to be in the dark that prices and services are a lot of what draws people to an isp. For Aol broadband in my area i would be paying double what i pay for Sbc Yahoo dsl. AOL is really DUMB! Note to aol: GET A CLUE!!!
67845017 (banned)
join:2000-12-17
Naperville, IL

67845017 (banned)

Member

Re: Dumb AOL

said by Rambo76098:
Hmm.... how long until aol figures out that to get new customers and keep existing ones that they need to offer COMPETITIVE PRICES! im sorry but aol, seems to be in the dark that prices and services are a lot of what draws people to an isp. For Aol broadband in my area i would be paying double what i pay for Sbc Yahoo dsl. AOL is really DUMB! Note to aol: GET A CLUE!!!
Arrogant as well. It's only arrogance that leads to the type of delusional thinking that customers won't jump from a sinking boat. I think the message is starting to get through though, the way they are scrambling. Still, it's not enough.

Omega
Premium Member
join:2002-07-30
Golden, CO

Omega

Premium Member

Man!

I am paying $29.95 for DSL.

I recieved the $29.95 offer in August 2002. SBC then renewed it in August 2003 for a year.

So I will have had broadband for two years @ 29.95, no activation fee, no installation fee.

Even though I would like it if we could get lowered by the three dollars, I am still happy for the price.

Now all they need to do is higher it to 1500/256.

Sisqo
World Champs. Babe Who?
Premium Member
join:2002-08-14
Methuen, MA

Sisqo

Premium Member

Re: Man!

It's at 1.5/128 now right?

devrandom
I got a pot, full of random stuff here
Premium Member
join:2003-06-28

devrandom

Premium Member

Re: Man!

Actually they are moving the upload profiles a bit. You should be able to find out in the SBC forums or from one of the techs here. I think its 384 or 256, but again..check..I might be wrong.

Omega
Premium Member
join:2002-07-30
Golden, CO

Omega to Sisqo

Premium Member

to Sisqo
said by Sisqo:
It's at 1.5/128 now right?
Nope, I am running 768/128.

Maxo
Your tax dollars at work.
Premium Member
join:2002-11-04
Tallahassee, FL

Maxo

Premium Member

Re: Man!

said by Omega:
said by Sisqo:
It's at 1.5/128 now right?
Nope, I am running 768/128.
Unless there are distance limitations affecting you, you might want to call billing and get that straightened out.

Omega
Premium Member
join:2002-07-30
Golden, CO

Omega

Premium Member

Re: Man!

I am not extremely close to the CO, I am probably within 8000ft of it.

I max out at 80kb/s. My freind who lives closer to the CO gets around 115kb/s.

I believe the only package they are offering right now if the 768/128.

It suits me fine, but I would still like faster.

Sisqo
World Champs. Babe Who?
Premium Member
join:2002-08-14
Methuen, MA

Sisqo to Omega

Premium Member

to Omega
I can't get SBC anyways but unless I read it wrong their website says 1.5.128 if i'm not mistaken

Speedy8
Premium Member
join:2002-08-22
Alliance, OH

Speedy8

Premium Member

Re: Man!

said by Sisqo:
I can't get SBC anyways but unless I read it wrong their website says 1.5.128 if i'm not mistaken
The website still says 128k upload, but it is 256k now for new customers, the support here on the site have a post about it.
Alky
join:2001-08-12
Cleveland, OH

Alky to Sisqo

Member

to Sisqo
I believe it is the 764/128 package. I may be wrong.

Sisqo
World Champs. Babe Who?
Premium Member
join:2002-08-14
Methuen, MA

Sisqo

Premium Member

Re: Man!

It's not a big deal, but I was just curious! Wow! all we need is more speeds for dsl & we can catch up to Japan & South Korea in broadband I pay $29.95 for 1.5/134. Doesn't get any better than that , of course I wouldn't mind 3.0/512. But I guess i can't have my cake & eat it to

Harddrive
Proud American and Infidel since 1968.
Premium Member
join:2000-09-20
Fort Worth, TX

Harddrive to Omega

Premium Member

to Omega
If I could justify another $40, I'd have the 1.5Mbps-6.0Mbps Download and 384Kbps Upload.

••••••••••

devrandom
I got a pot, full of random stuff here
Premium Member
join:2003-06-28

devrandom to Omega

Premium Member

to Omega
Can I..get my DSL prorated now?

I ate into the 29.95 hook too Would always be nice to get a cheaper price even if by 3 dollars (it all adds up).

But anyway, I wonder how they are offering these prices while keeping the tech support that they have. Phone tech support in my area is good, and the online techs here must be making extra pots of the brown stuff to be here all the time.

Maybe SBC has spare pocket money? 3 dollars less adds up.

••••••••••
devrandom

devrandom to Omega

Premium Member

to Omega
They only time you will have to call tech support is if you need something that can't be done via the internet, ie physical problem with line preventing any connection to the internet. Like if your next door neighbor got pissed one day and decided to go trash your interface somehow to cut your DSL off. (Don't know how, don't know why..but just an example )

Other than that, use the online techs.

Friendly, fast and helpful. Can never go wrong with them.
devrandom

devrandom to Omega

Premium Member

to Omega
The Netgear mention. You should see the horror stories in the Netgear forum. You would cry and laugh at the same time..

Maybe you just bumped the wrong person at the wrong time..SBC tech support is usually very good

kapil
The Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL

kapil

Member

Re: Man!

said by devrandom:

Maybe you just bumped the wrong person at the wrong time..SBC tech support is usually very good

SBC Support is horrible. I am a techie, professionally, and consequently understand the need to perform basic troubleshooting. I also understand that it's the level 1 serf's job to read the script and usually put up with it....but there are some people who just don't belong in I.T.
I can almost guarantee that SBC has made a conscious decision to staff the level 1 support department with idiots...they are cheaper...and it's a cost effective way to reduce the number of calls that go to the "real" technicians.

devrandom
I got a pot, full of random stuff here
Premium Member
join:2003-06-28

devrandom to Omega

Premium Member

to Omega
"Well son.. a woman is well..
Its like mixing lemonade. Sometimes you get a sour combination, sometimes you get a sweet combination. See, adding one lemon will make a large pitcher taste really off. If you add five lemons, you get one that is sour.

The trick is adding two lemons to the pitcher. Then it tastes good. But then again, you have to add enough sugar into the mix. And you have to add the right amount. You want a good taste from your lemonade. Otherwise it might taste really bad, and you'd have spent too much money trying to make the lemonade taste good."

"Dad? What does this have to do with women?"
"Everything son. Everything."

######

SBC is upgrading their profiles to increase upload speed. Its no longer going to be at 1500/128. Check the SBC DSL forums for more information.
Alky
join:2001-08-12
Cleveland, OH

1 recommendation

Alky

Member

Re: Man!

women...

JackieO
@keen.com

JackieO

Anon

Not really, but..

...it is if SBC can't make the DSL work, which seems to be a major hangup for them.

TexasGuy
49 States And Texas
Premium Member
join:2002-12-02
Houston, TX

TexasGuy

Premium Member

What about cable?

I pay like little less than $50/month for Earthlink Cable. It seems to be twice as expensive. Though it is twice as fast. Oh, well. I guess I still like speed. I'll pay for it.

Dagda1175
join:2001-06-17
Goleta, CA

Dagda1175

Member

VERY nice price....

...but for what speeds? I'm still willing to pay more for 3Mbps cable

••••

Anti_Cyrix
Premium Member
join:2003-03-06
Sacramento, CA

Anti_Cyrix

Premium Member

Dirt Cheap is Good!

Now if i were only about 10,000 feet closer to the CO.

•••

DaBoxx
Winnie Da Pooh
join:2003-09-14
Calgary, AB

DaBoxx

Member

telus is still cheaper

well for 1.5Mbps service from telus here in canaduh, its 16.95 4 6 months when u sign up. and datz in can dollars,not american funny money.

i am thinkin about gettin it myself

James

••••

Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY

Transmaster

Member

Qwest are you reading this

Oh Qwest P AH lease read this. Oh fat chance; figures.

kapil
The Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL

kapil

Member

Re: Qwest are you reading this

I have reached the end of the internet.

Poopsmith
That's Mr. Smith To You.
join:2003-03-12
Boulder, CO

Poopsmith to Transmaster

Member

to Transmaster
They are reading this.... and they don't care. The thought of Qwest breaking the 1mbit barrier as standard gives them the willies.
2farfromCO7
join:2000-10-14
Farmington, MI

2farfromCO7

Member

THE CATCH.....

Of course the biggest catch is that DSL must be available, but other than that the catch is that you must take one of their total bundles with local toll and long distance. You don't have to be a neew customer. They are really just separating this from the bundle to show the $26.95 price. I think this is really an attempt to defend themselves against VOIP. At $26.95 combined with a POTs line, DSL is probably cheaper than cable+VOIP, even after the taxes.

•••••
IAmTheEvilest
There Is Nothing Like A Restart
join:2001-01-03
Milpitas, CA

IAmTheEvilest

Member

The competition is really going to flip...

At these prices, you can get two DSL lines for price of a Comcast cable connection. And if you load balance the lines correctly, you could potentially almost all of the speed.

Dialup, cable, anything... they must really be hating it now.

•••
2farfromCO7
join:2000-10-14
Farmington, MI

2farfromCO7

Member

DishNetwork bundle

So if/when they have a DishNetwork bundle, will it drop even further to like $23.95(a nickle more than AOL dial-up) if you have DishNetwork too? All they need to do is deploy the RTs and they can compete, and all we need to do is find away to solve world hunger.

••••
B04
Premium Member
join:2000-10-28

B04

Premium Member

Verizon Continues To Bite

Verizon's still at $34.95. Too bad these monopolies don't work together more.

I love Earthlink over Time Warner cable, but $27 ! That's so hard to resist, even with reduced bandwidth.

-- B

•••
TrustedZero
join:2001-08-25
Claremont, CA

TrustedZero

Member

DSL and Cable

It is evident that DSL providers are competing with cable for the broadband market in a different way. Verizon and SBC are trying to win consumers over by offering dirt cheap connectivity while cable companies are keeping the price the same (if not increasing it with extra fees) and pumping the bandwidth caps to higher levels. This is something the DSL companies cannot due because of length restricts on the line.

Freiheit 09
Cool Chicks Will Dig Me Soon
Premium Member
join:2003-06-08
Saint Louis, MO

Freiheit 09

Premium Member

Re: DSL and Cable

No, You don't have to get the sbc hail mary or any other services to get a dsl account with sbc. However, I am paying $34.95 per month and I am wondering if this discount is going to effect users that got sbc dsl before i did (they probably felt the same way when they heard about the discount).I will probably have to keep paying the same price beacuse of the contract...

stickfigure
join:2002-06-11
El Cajon, CA

stickfigure

Member

Re: DSL and Cable

Don't know if it works for Southwestern Bell, but in California you can re-up for a new contract and get the new promotion

Sperkowitz
Premium Member
join:2002-03-30
Valencia, CA

Sperkowitz

Premium Member

SBC rocks

Very happy customer of SBC, good to see them lower their price even more. Hopefully their quality of service doesn't suffer from it though. More customers equals more toll on the network.

linicx
Caveat Emptor
Premium Member
join:2002-12-03
United State

linicx

Premium Member

We want more

Customers want lower cost and more bandwidth. As I am not a stranger to the Internet or broadband I think the most equitable solution is a fair price for reliable service, good support and enough bandwidth to stream radio with zero disconnection errors. Downloading a program five minutes slower than my neighbor isn't nearly an issue when compared to paying $40 a month for 200/400 and constant disconnections.

Face it. Some ISP's are third party and totally inept like a local WISP provider I formally used. Others like a local Cable company are plagued by bottlenecks they can't control. And a very few rare providers actually give the customer the very best they can every day. They all use the same phone lines and bandwidth. They all use modems. What they do with it makes the difference.

How a customer is treated, how well and how quickly problems are solved, how good the equipment is makes a huge difference in customer comfort when it comes to paying the piper.

SBC has always had a software issue for as long as I can remember. Buy a NAT Firewall Router and let it handle Internet connections; you won't need PPPoE or Yahoo. The fact that they control the phone lines gives them a big competitive edge.

I have SBC. The connection is stable, there are no speed surprises, I can stream the radio for 12 hours with no connection problems. I get what I pay for. Do I wish I had more bandwidth? Of course, but I am not willing to pay for it.

What does concern me is what happens when this low cost connection expires? Will the new price shoot the moon or will it still be affordable? Will I be willing or able to pay twice the amount for exactly the same thing I have now? Since I don't have a crystal ball, I guess I will have to wait eleven months to find out.

djrobx
Premium Member
join:2000-05-31
Reno, NV

djrobx

Premium Member

Re: We want more

quote:
What does concern me is what happens when this low cost connection expires?
Regular price is still $49.95/mo for 1500/128(-256). That has not changed for a long long time. SBC was promotional at $39 and shot up to $49 for about a year before the prices fell again.

Mrq5
The Fab Four
join:1999-08-21
Warren, MI

Mrq5

Member

SBC For Only $5!!!

When you consider that SBC DSL INCLUDES UNLIMITED NATION-WIDE Dialup, which is a $15-25 value, you have the deal of a lifetime.

Actually the Dial-up included is sorta smart for SBC. I know when my DSL goes out I quickly access via dial-up and check this Web site for DSL outages - saves them a Tech call. Also with the dialup option any DSL outages become far less painful and urgent, which increases customer satisfaction. The included Dialup should NEVER be over looked, Cable ISP's dont offer this added bonus. I use my dialup very often when traveling and visiting with my laptop:)

Bottom line, SBC is on the ball with mixed value and quality service. I ALWAYS recommend SBC DSL to friends and coworkers. With SBC now offering UNLIMITED NATION-Wide phone service I soon will be in heaven with a SBC DSL/Phone bill I can smile at:)
[text was edited by author 2003-10-01 05:14:08]
Intim3
join:2003-10-01

Intim3

Member

Re: SBC For Only $5!!!

Yeah but the only thing is BELL drops the price for a year but most time it goes back up after the first year!! Overall I would never recommend them to anyone I would go with anyone else except COX to get a High Speed Connection!

boogie74
join:2001-06-19
Neenah, WI

boogie74

Member

Re: SBC For Only $5!!!

said by Intim3:
Yeah but the only thing is BELL drops the price for a year but most time it goes back up after the first year!! Overall I would never recommend them to anyone I would go with anyone else except COX to get a High Speed Connection!
You can always re-sign for another year at the discount. Also, the price is permanent if you have total connections with SBC (combine bill cellular, toll, 2 vertical features, dsl)

Boogie
AzRobert3
join:2001-10-03
Sierra Vista, AZ

AzRobert3

Member

Not advailible in all areas

Sorry. Broadband service is currently available only to SBC customers in the following 13 states: AR, CA, CT, IL, IN, KS, MI, MO, NV, OH, OK, TX, WI
AileyDJ
join:2001-12-18
Milwaukee, WI

AileyDJ

Member

Re: Not advailible in all areas

Located in Northwest Milwaukee, WI, I have currently got an unbundled 768/128 ADSL circuit which was purchased when Ameritech still existed.

I have received 75 (or so) letters from SBC telling me they want me to "upgrade" to Yahoo DSL. However, after calling about a dozen people at SBC, they tell me that I cannot get ANY other service from their company (or any other because SBC controls all the copper leading to my residence.) Apparently, my distance from the broadband CO is MUCH more than my distance from the local CO.

Obviously, this seems strange to me because I already have ADSL. Guess I'm stuck at the speed I'm at until they put in a new remote terminal.

Suggestions, anyone? Know any way I can get more bandwidth from these people before 2007?
[text was edited by author 2003-10-01 11:54:04]

boogie74
join:2001-06-19
Neenah, WI

boogie74 to AzRobert3

Member

to AzRobert3
said by AzRobert3:
Sorry. Broadband service is currently available only to SBC customers in the following 13 states: AR, CA, CT, IL, IN, KS, MI, MO, NV, OH, OK, TX, WI
These happen to be the only states that SBC serves.

gwilson5
Think Outside Of The Box
join:2001-10-31
Fountain Valley, CA

gwilson5

Member

Nice ordering system

Would be nice if I could actually order the service!!!! have been trying for past 2 hours to order this nice new low price service but keep getting page cannot be displayed.....and then you gotta love it...says please phone customer service to order...in which case they tell you that you have to order online to get the special rate

bigdaddy175
join:2003-05-08
Miami, FL

bigdaddy175

Member

wow

wow! that is dirt cheap! Now if only BellSouth can get off their asses and step up to the plate which I dont think its going to happen. I am still paying 1.5/256 for $50 and I dont even get what their advertised speeds. I am capped at a 200 upload and a typical 1.5mbps. When is BellSouth going to do a damned thing? No doubt about it SBC is the best.
john262
join:2003-09-26
Elko, NV

john262

Member

Re: wow

Of course, there always have to be some nit pickers who are never satisfied, but I really believe that over all, this is a great deal. I am very satisfied with SBC at 29.95 monthly plus tax, and now that it has gone down in price even further for new customers, that will be an even better deal.

Will it be perfect? Of course not. But if you read these forums enough you will discover that there are complaints against every ISP. People with cable broadband complain, and people with DSL from either their telco or another provider also complain. That's just the way it goes and those complaints keep these forums interesting.
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