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GVTC Offers 1 Gbps to 40,000 San Antonio Homes
On the heels of tweaking plans earlier this year, GVTC, Texas' largest telephone cooperative and a cable and FTTH overbuilder, has jumped into the 1 Gbps game. According to a company announcement, GVTC says they've already brought 1 Gbps speeds to the 40,000 homes in the San Antonio area already connected to their 2,200 mile fiber network. According to the company's website, pricing across the company's tiers is a bit higher than what we've seen elsewhere, with their 1 Gbps down, 100 Mbps up tier running $295 a month. The company also offers 20/3 Mbps ($80), 40/10 Mbps ($100), 80/20 Mbps ($130), and 200/50 Mbps ($200) options.
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Cjaiceman
MVM
join:2004-10-12
Castle Rock, WA

Cjaiceman

MVM

Typo?

quote:
with their 1 Gbps down, 100 Gbps up tier running $295 a month.
Isn't that supposed to be 100Mbps up, not 100Gbps? If it is 100Gbps up, where do I go to get these speeds? lol

fg8578
join:2009-04-26
San Antonio, TX

fg8578

Member

Re: Typo?

No, the real typo is claiming $295 is a "bit higher" than we've seen elsewhere. That's justa "bit higher" than the $70 per month google is charging in KC for broadband only ($120 month for Internet plus cable).
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx to Cjaiceman

Member

to Cjaiceman
It's 100M

»gvtc.com/residential/int ··· er-areas

Seems like GVTC is pricing their fiber tiers as a bit of a luxury item at the moment, because TWC hasn't yet upgraded San Antonio with their Maxx service (at which point all areas around SA will get the upgrades within a few months).

My guess is that when Maxx shows up these prices will drop to compete. Not sure by how much though. Or maybe they won't, if TWC hasn't built out in GVTC FTTH areas...not sure what percentage of GVTC's (more rural) base has another option for access.
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory

Member

Too expensive

Wow!

That's all really just too expensive.
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

silbaco

Premium Member

Re: Too expensive

Their prices are high compared to some of the highly publicized fiber providers, but still cheaper than many independent and cooperative telephone companies who have run fiber.

Prices can always change.
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx to jjeffeory

Member

to jjeffeory
GVTC doesn't have any competition above 50/5 at the moment (TWC is providing the 50/5). And in some areas their biggest competition is either Verizon DSL or some wireless ISP. So, while their tiers are expensive, comparing them to GFiber is apples-to-oranges, since they probably already have more fiber miles strung than Google does.

MDA
Auto Negotiating
Premium Member
join:2013-09-10
Minneapolis, MN
Netgear CM600
Asus RT-AC66U B1

MDA

Premium Member

Prices worse than cable?

20/3 at 80$ ?

100$ for 40/10?

Comcast charges 80$ here for 50/10 internet-only and similar priced from then on up.

Only thing that is "cheaper" (but still not cheap) than cable internet is the 295$ gig option which only a resident there with deep pockets, would consider.

EDIT: Seems everyone above agrees too.
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx

Member

Re: Prices worse than cable?

In the area that GVTC covers, TWC is still on non-Maxx, though north and east are now on Maxx (higher speeds for the same price). Which means that, with minor promos, 50/5 including modem rental is $100/mo, in line with what GVTC charges for 40/10.

On the lower end, TWC's 15/1 is about $65 with modem rental, and I think 20/2 is either $10 or $20 more. Again, in line with what GVTC is charging. Assuming you can get TWC in the areas where GVTC has fiber.

Are the prices good for the speeds you're getting? Not really. But they'll improve once TWC rolls out Maxx in areas that overlap GVTC's, I'm sure.

karlmarx
join:2006-09-18
Moscow, ID

karlmarx

Member

Speed doesn't matter, it's the cap.

250 GB, doesn't matter WHAT speed you get. 250GB is FAR FAR too low. Given that fact, no matter WHAT tier you chose, you are not getting a good value. What the frack use is 1GB/sec if you could USE the entire allotment in 35 minutes. Stay away, stay far away.
Price/Speed ALWAYS needs to be calculated with caps. There's no point in any speed FASTER than 1mb/sec if you always got to worry about a 250GB cap.

GVTC_Com
@216.177.185.x

GVTC_Com

Anon

Re: Speed doesn't matter, it's the cap.

GVTC does not cap customer Internet usage on any tier. Go fast, my friends, go fast.

NOYB
St. John 3.16
Premium Member
join:2005-12-15
Forest Grove, OR

NOYB

Premium Member

Way Over Priced


Even their low end 20/3 Mbps ($80) tier is way over priced. More than double many other fiber providers such as Verizon/Frontier FiOS. Even Frontier has a 20/5 offering for $29.95 with no contract.

Duramax08
To The Moon
Premium Member
join:2008-08-03
San Antonio, TX

Duramax08

Premium Member

well, its really not San Antonio

GVTC does not serve San Antonio. They only serve small cities OUTSIDE San Antonio such as Bulverde, Boerne and Gonzales. Think of it this way, they serve people out in the sticks. Seriously. I know a few people who live in those area and live in the sticks. They all get FTTH. My cousin was going crazy when he saw them putting up the fiber lines awhile back.
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx

Member

Re: well, its really not San Antonio

Any idea of whether they enforce their 250GB cap? Seems like their upstream bandwidth is cheap enough that they shouldn't have to.

Duramax08
To The Moon
Premium Member
join:2008-08-03
San Antonio, TX

Duramax08

Premium Member

Re: well, its really not San Antonio

Not sure, my cousin didnt use much internet and moved down south.
abadaba
join:2005-09-25
Mason City, IA

1 edit

abadaba to Duramax08

Member

to Duramax08
said by Duramax08:

GVTC does not serve San Antonio. They only serve small cities OUTSIDE San Antonio such as Bulverde, Boerne and Gonzales. Think of it this way, they serve people out in the sticks. Seriously. I know a few people who live in those area and live in the sticks. They all get FTTH. My cousin was going crazy when he saw them putting up the fiber lines awhile back.

Not true...I live in San Antonio and have their 80/20. Most all new developments within access to their loop in SA can get FTTH. Luckily the company I work for pays for my net, otherwise their prices for FTTH are outrageous. Soon as TWC offers the 300Mbps I'm sure I will jump ship.

ZIP = 78261

Duramax08
To The Moon
Premium Member
join:2008-08-03
San Antonio, TX

Duramax08

Premium Member

Re: well, its really not San Antonio

Idk man, thats the fancy side of town, outside 1604. I personally wouldnt call that SA, though it probably is. I think of that more like smithson valley. I now see why they came down a bit south with their services, but I dont see them doing any more expansion down south.

»www.google.com/maps/plac ··· ccbd8a62

Also, how do you live with that traffic?!?
abadaba
join:2005-09-25
Mason City, IA

abadaba

Member

Re: well, its really not San Antonio

said by Duramax08:

Idk man, thats the fancy side of town, outside 1604. I personally wouldnt call that SA, though it probably is. I think of that more like smithson valley. I now see why they came down a bit south with their services, but I dont see them doing any more expansion down south.

Also, how do you live with that traffic?!?

I live in the Indian Springs area...All Bexar county here...The traffic is a nightmare with the "super streets". Not to mention everyone wants to do 35 in a 60 which just makes it worse! There are about 1k homes in my sub, so I wouldn't necessarily call it rural. We have an Alamo drafthouse and world of beers is 5 mins away WOOT. = }
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Cooperative Pricing

To those of you whining about the pricing for FTTH, realize that GVTC is (ahem) non-profit, and must refund operating overages to its members. While there is still room for inefficient operation and corruption, they are ultimately answerable to their members.

The higher rates likely reflect a number of factors: the lower rural take rate, the higher cost for lower density deployment, the higher cost of capital, and a shorter amortization period and/or pay-as-you-go philosophy.

The coop can't risk shareholder money to sell below cost like some for-profits might.

Zenit_IIfx
The system is the solution
Premium Member
join:2012-05-07
Purcellville, VA

Zenit_IIfx

Premium Member

Re: Cooperative Pricing

At least this co-op is overbuilding the nearby ILEC's and Cable MSO's - its understandable that the service will be expensive at first until the cost of construction is sunk.
iowaboy
Premium Member
join:2004-02-28
Fairfield, IA

iowaboy

Premium Member

Re: Cooperative Pricing

I'll give them credit for over building and providing the speeds but the prices are way out of line. Shoot, my mother has FTTH with TV, Phone and unlimited long distance and 80 Mbps down and 45 Mbps up internet for $122.00 a month.
BlakePaulson
join:2008-08-06
Alexandria, MN

BlakePaulson

Member

Expensive but at least it's being offered!

It might be overpriced but they're offering it... I mean after all the only thing you hear about google fiber is how everyone thinks they aren't making any money offering it at what they offer it at.

Sounds to me like at those prices they are helping to subsidize further buildout and futureproofing... I doubt at this point in the game they are getting subsidies and all the advantages that all these other big providers once got to lay all their infrastructure out that they are milking dry!