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story category Qwest 1.5Mbps 'For Life' Plan
Deal, or no?
(old news - 10:06AM Monday Aug 21 2006)
tags: dsl · prices · telco
Users in our Qwest forum point out that Qwest is now offering new 1.5Mbps customers a fixed "discount" price for life if they sign two year contracts. The push, aimed at locking down customers that might flee to competing cable VoIP, is null and void if you move ($200 early termination fee unless you move to an unserved location), change landline provider, or want to change speeds at a later date. Our readers say after one year on a discount price plan, they can often call and negotiate a lower price, making the need for a 2-year deal questionable.

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Forums » Qwest 1.5Mbps 'For Life' Plan
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ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Bridgeport, WV
clubs:
·VOIPo

Better check the fine print...

Can guarantee that they have a clause in there that they can change the price at anytime or if they get enough people signed up they will do away with the 1.5Mbps plan all together and force the people to buy a higher priced plan.
--
FWD#: 223611

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

Re: Better check the fine print...

That happened to AT&T Wireless users that signed up for the $99 unlimited charter plan. Cingular bought out their contracts and killed it. Some of their fine print is that they have the right to terminate plans based on blah..blah..blah and will.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

Qwest 4 Life?

That's a fine and dandy idea... but what will happen for the vast majority of customers who will outlive Qwest?
--
Only SHATNER is Kirk.
chemaupr

join:2005-06-06
Alexandria, VA


1 edit

Wrong Idea

The price for DSL have decreased over the last 2 years, while the speeds increased. Why would you lock at 1.5??
The plans featuring 1.5 2 yrs ago where at 39 with intro rates of 34 or 29. Today the rate is around 29 with intro rates lower than that... Even if the price remain the same the speeds will likely increase. These is a win-lose plan..

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast

Re: Wrong Idea

said by chemaupr See Profile :

Even if the price remain the same the speeds will likely increase. This a win-lose plan..
My initial post was a joke But I totally agree with you. These sorts of contracts are a bad idea for consumers.
--
Only SHATNER is Kirk.
chemaupr

join:2005-06-06
Alexandria, VA

Re: Wrong Idea

I'm quite sure is was a joke... long term contracts are only good for things that are likley to increase...

LinuxJunkie

join:2005-01-19
Cyberspace

Re: Wrong Idea

Like locking in your home heating oil rate a year early? Always a good idea. Price of oil never goes down.
Turbocpe
Premium
join:2001-12-22
IA

An important factor is that due to DSL technology, some people can only get 1.5 at the most due to DSL line limits. That is something that isn't likely to change anytime soon until Qwest deploys newer DSL technology.

Also, there are quite a bit of people that are happy just to get something better than dial-up speeds.

Rob A
Same Old Jets
Premium
join:2005-01-17
Pompton Plains, NJ

2 year contracts

Good idea, contracts are great ways to save money, I'd sign a 2 year contract with verizon to save even more than I am now. Hell I'd even sign a 20 year contract.

The Beer
I Love It When A Plan Comes Together
Premium
join:2001-07-24
Omaha, NE
clubs:
·ViaTalk

Happy where I am...

My discounts now are $15/mo for the 6.0 plan on a "Naked" DSL line.

I would do a 2 year deal to keep the price.

Right now I am at $46/mo (With all taxes) with 1 static IP address.

Basically the same price as cox however I get all my ports open and the static IP.
Lincoln99
Premium
join:2005-03-24
Pleasant Grove, UT

$27/month in Washington, but only $22/month in Arizona

Qwest is offering this DSL for life package at $27/month in Washington, where it competes against Comcast, according to this article:

»seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/b···d21.html

In sharp contrast, Qwest is apparently offering the SAME DSL for life package at $22/month in Arizona, where it competes against Cox, according to this article:

»www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.···ty=72050

Am I missing something?

Maybe Qwest has to have a lower price in Arizona because Cox has been offering the triple play so much longer than Comcast has. I hear in Arizona that Qwest could even lose its incumbent phone status because Cox has been so successful with their phone product down there.

The Beer
I Love It When A Plan Comes Together
Premium
join:2001-07-24
Omaha, NE
clubs:
·ViaTalk

Re: $27/month in Washington, but only $22/month in Arizona

Losing the status I would think could be a good thing for Qwest, more regulation for Cox and less for them.

I think they still have it in Omaha only because Cox, Alltel and McCloud have each taken a slice of the pie however none hold as much as Qwest alone.

IIRC it's something like
Qwest 40%
Cox 35%
Alltel 15%
Mccloud 10%

Those are guesses based on a old article.

danny9894
Student

join:2004-03-05
Minneapolis, MN

Re: $27/month in Washington, but only $22/month in Arizona

Without interleave I would consider Qwest but until then me and Comcast got a date with BF:2

The Beer
I Love It When A Plan Comes Together
Premium
join:2001-07-24
Omaha, NE
clubs:

Re: $27/month in Washington, but only $22/month in Arizona

The interleave issue has been resolved with some phone calls.

See
»Qwest Does Listen, Qwest Does Care, There is a god.

AnonProxy
Proxy of Anon
Premium
join:2001-05-12
ß

For Life = You are screwed

It's always stacked against the buyer...not the seller.

Anonymous
Premium
join:2004-06-01
IA
·Mediacom


1 edit

Not a good deal

So in five years from now you will be paying $25 or so for 1.5 Mbit? And everyone else will be getting 10 Mbit+ for $30-$45...

This would only make sense for light users (email, news etc) but I'm sure there will be other options like retention plans from cable companies or maybe even advertised low priced cable plans.

BTW Qwest will not be around in 10 years probably

Dezbend
Premium,MVM
join:2001-04-20

Embarq has similar deal

Embarq (formally Sprint local) has a similar deal. If you do a 1 year commitment you get the price for life... however, they stopped calling it for life because like Qwest the deal does not necessarily go with you if you move, and you are allowed to change speeds (either up or down) or promotions without penalty. I like the concept better than other marketing gimicks I have seen. I recently moved and looked at Time Warner who advertised 29.95 for 5.0; it took reading the fine print to see that was only the price for the first three months and even so I couldn't find the price after that. I like knowing what I am getting into.
--
If it is not recorded, it simply does not exist.
Dolgan
Premium
join:2005-10-01
Sun Prairie, WI
·Verizon Online DSL

The reason behind this move

People are failing to see why Qwest and other Telcos are doing this. It is a part of a strategy to stop the bleeding of landlines. SBC/ATT started this strategy a few years ago with their "Total Connections". They were the first to realize that if you bundle a landline with Contractual Services{DSL and Cingular Wireless} and give discounts for each service you bundle, the better chance you have to retain the line.

It is not about a benefit to the customer at all--it is for the benefit to the Telcos bottom line and maintainence of stock price.

insomniac84

join:2002-01-03
Schererville, IN

Qworst deal ever?

$26.99? SBC dsl is 15 bucks a month.

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium,VIP
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30
clubs:

Re: Qworst deal ever?

said by insomniac84 See Profile :

$26.99? SBC dsl is 15 bucks a month.
Not after the first year contract expires....

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

Qworst deal ever?

Remember at any price, the service is STILL qwest. 'nuff said.

insomniac84

join:2002-01-03
Schererville, IN


1 edit

Re: Qworst deal ever?

said by Doctor Olds See Profile :

said by insomniac84 See Profile :

$26.99? SBC dsl is 15 bucks a month.
Not after the first year contract expires....
Yea, then you just renew it.
It also is 3mbit.

Doctor Olds
I Need A Remedy For What's Ailing Me.
Premium,VIP
join:2001-04-19
1970 442 W30
clubs:

Re: Qworst deal ever?

said by insomniac84 See Profile :

said by Doctor Olds See Profile :

said by insomniac84 See Profile :

$26.99? SBC dsl is 15 bucks a month.
Not after the first year contract expires....
Yea, then you just renew it.
It also is 3mbit.
Good luck with that. I've seem all the "AT&T won't give me a renewal at the new customer only price" threads...

Not to mention that AT&T wants you and the sites you visit to both pay just to reach each other if they get their way.... Can't reach Google. Hmm, Google didn't pay AT&T this month to go over their allotted traffic so you can't reach them until their bandwidth allotment renews next month.
--
What’s the point of owning a supercar if you can’t scare yourself stupid from time to time?
fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
That's nice, but QWEST users don't have access to AT&T's DSL.. or did you not know that?

qwestsux

@cox.net

qwest should dissapear

nobody would give a shit if qwest dissapeared. i bet none of the execs who stole millions of dollars wont go to jail. joe naccio stole some $300 million dollars and aint been to trial yet. if u or me stole $300 million we would be in federal prison for life sentence

brooklynman4

join:2004-09-07
Brooklyn, NY

Re: qwest should dissapear

How about if you move what happens next ??

bobbbbbbby

@verizon.net

dumb idea

this makes no sense...remember 5 years ago when dialup was still $30, lol...its free now in some areas. not even $9.99 from netzero.

5-10 yrs from now, cable/dsl will be free and t1 will be $30 a month
Forums » Qwest 1.5Mbps 'For Life' Plan


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