Inexpensive Home Internet Service?

[sharonmickey]

I currently have home internet through Verizon. They recently raised my rate so I'm now paying about $50 for a land line and internet. I'm looking to get rid of the land line since I seldom use it. I would also need to find a new internet provider. Does anyone have suggestions?

I have basic cable service and may be able to get internet service through them. Also, AT&T suggested a laptop connection card. I know nothing about that. Would that work for home internet access? I appreciate any help you can provide.

 

[buzz2400]

this is about what I am paying for dsl and landline through att. one thing I would recommend is calling verizon and ask for the retention dept. If they think you are going to cancel, this dept will try and give you whatever offer they can give you to make you stay with them.

 

[sharonmickey]

I've called Verizon three times in the past day. The last person I talked with offered me a $14.99 plan then said she was having trouble activating it so would call me back this morning. When she called this morning she changed her tune and said there is no $14.99 plan, the best they can offer is the plan I currently have. I'm so frustrated with Verizon right now. I may try calling a fourth time and ask for the retention department though.

 

[DawnM]

We pay more than $50 for just internet.

 

[MillauFr]

$50 for a landline and high speed internet is not that bad of a deal. I got Ooma and pay about $4.50 per month for a landline which uses voice over internet protocol (VOIP) to route the calls on the internet. Comcast charges $39.95 per month for internet.

Dropping cable TV is where I saved big money.

 

[Nayan]

Sadly internet is expensive no matter who you go with. I pay $70/month but my speed is constant and my provider is reliable.

 

[pampam]

I go with Auracom. If I ever have a problem, I call and am speaking to someone I can understand in Colorado. Their service has always been top notch, and reasonably priced.

 

[rock_doctor]

We have FIOS (DON'T DO IT) fios is nice but they disconnect the copper lines so you are stuck with fios, cable or satellite. You can't do DSL or dial up again... I would stick with what you have, ask for a DSL only line to the house and get a google voice account. Port your current number over to your google voice account. Then if you have an android phone download an app called groovoip from the play store and put your google voice email address into the app. So when you come home sign your phone into your home WiFi and then when somebody calls your home phone number (now ported to GVoice) it will ring your cell phone. This is also a great way to use an old phone that is no longer active. Put it into airplane mode and turn on WiFi and it will work like a home phone. Google voice will take messages plus you can have it transfer the call to any number you want. For example, you do not answer at home though the app so it sends it to your cell number. No reason to have a home number anymore with the different ways to get phone access. The only catch...you now need to know your address, county, parish, township so on...because if by chance you need to call 911 you will need to supply all of the necessary information to the operator... Look into it.

 

[timmac]

A few quick points.

I'd argue that $50/month for decent speed internet service along with the land line (nice to have for emergency backup I suppose) is not a bad price. I wouldn't even say "internet is expensive" in general; in my opinion at least, I get a lot for my money.

A laptop card really won't do what you need... it would allow one device (at a time) to use the card to connect online, but that's about it; as it's over a cell network, and likely only 3G, one can expect the service to be on the slower side, and possibly spotty at times. You will also almost certainly be limited on total data. I wouldn't recommend it.

Also be weary of some of the cheaper "value", "basic", "starter" type plans. They might offer a better price, but the connection speed might leave you disappointed, depending on what you do online and what you're used to.

 

[JB2K]

I currently have home internet through Verizon. They recently raised my rate so I'm now paying about $50 for a land line and internet. I'm looking to get rid of the land line since I seldom use it. I would also need to find a new internet provider. Does anyone have suggestions?

As you live in PA, I take it you are speaking of the legacy phone company (old Bell Atlantic/GTE).

If you have little everyday use for your landline, you could have Verizon strip it down to "basic dialtone service", meaning no long distance, caller ID, etc. -- just a phone to make calls in your immediate area.

Such phones are useful in 911 situations as cell phones/VoIP may not work when you need them most. They also work with home security systems.

Not sure about Verizon, but in the midwest, AT&T (our legacy phone company) sells such phone service for under 20 bucks a month.