Hearing your thoughts on my alternate internet plan

[The Great Kamek]

My discount offer from AT&T has been expired, meaning my billing cost has risen: 80 US dollars for 1 gbps. The downgrade for my plan is $65 for 300 mbps, which is extremely not a good value. I looked into Cox Internet, and it seems like I found a good alternate (screenshot below). The 500 mbps for $60 does not seem too bad, and not a huge downgrade from my current plan. 

[Needfuldoer]

Bear in mind that speeds over cable Internet connections are usually very lopsided toward the downlink speed. You'll get 500-ish megs down, but probably less than 20 up. The cable providers are supposed to disclose the speeds you're going to be provisioned for, but it's usually buried in the fine print. Even then, those are theoretical speeds you'll only get if you're close enough to the local cable distribution box and none of your neighbors are heavily using their cable Internet connections.

 

If you're used to having a symmetrical connection you might notice a downgrade, especially if you share the connection with multiple people or you do game streaming.

 

I'd keep your current plan, if the extra $20 isn't a deal breaker for you. $80 for 1000/1000 sounds like a better deal to me than $60 for 500/? or $65 for 300/300.

[Lurick]

Just now, Needfuldoer said:

Bear in mind that speeds over cable Internet connections are usually very lopsided toward the downlink speed. You'll get 500-ish megs down, but probably less than 20 up. The cable providers are supposed to disclose the speeds you're going to be provisioned for, but it's usually buried in the fine print. Even then, those are theoretical speeds you'll only get if you're close enough to the local cable distribution box and none of your neighbors are heavily using their cable Internet connections.

 

If you're used to having a symmetrical connection you might notice a downgrade, especially if you share the connection with multiple people or you do game streaming.

This, plus it locks you into a contract in this instance for that time (24 months) with Early Termination Fees if you cancel, so just keep that in mind too.

[The Great Kamek]

2 minutes ago, Lurick said:

This, plus it locks you into a contract in this instance for that time (24 months) with Early Termination Fees if you cancel, so just keep that in mind too.

It is not in the Details and Terms? I looked through them

[Needfuldoer]

Sometimes the deals and terms vary by region. What state are you in, if you don't mind me asking?

 

Just to pull a sample, here's what Cox offers for a 500 meg Internet plan in Cranston, Rhode Island:

 

 

That upload speed is atrocious, it's on a one-year term, and there's a data cap. That's (up to) half the download speed and one hundredth of your upload if you're coming from symmetrical gigabit.

 

To me, that's absolutely not worth switching to just to save 20 bucks.

[The Great Kamek]

3 minutes ago, Needfuldoer said:

Sometimes the deals and terms vary by region. What state are you in, if you don't mind me asking?

 

Just to pull a sample, here's what Cox offers for a 500 meg Internet plan in Cranston, Rhode Island:

 

 

That upload speed is atrocious, it's on a one-year term, and there's a data cap. That's half the download speed and one hundredth of your upload if you're coming from symmetrical gigabit, to save 20 bucks.

 

I wouldn't touch this plan with a ten-foot pole, if FTTH is an available option.

State is Arkansas. 

[Needfuldoer]

3 minutes ago, The Great Kamek said:

State is Arkansas. 

Hm, okay. I just checked the promotions by switching "my location" to various cities and towns it gives you as part of the drop-down list. All of them show me a 500/10 Internet-only plan with a 1 year term and a 1.25 TB bandwidth cap for $70/mo (special promotional rate).

 

I'm still on Team "Keep Your Existing Plan". Even without the promotional discount, I don't think you'll find a better value.

[The Great Kamek]

11 minutes ago, Needfuldoer said:

Hm, okay. I just checked the promotions by switching "my location" to various cities and towns it gives you as part of the drop-down list. All of them show me a 500/10 Internet-only plan with a 1 year term and a 1.25 TB bandwidth cap for $70/mo (special promotional rate).

 

I'm still on Team "Keep Your Existing Plan". Even without the promotional discount, I don't think you'll find a better value.

I mean, I often do not download larger files, and uploading too.

[Needfuldoer]

21 minutes ago, The Great Kamek said:

I mean, I often do not download larger files, and uploading too.

You'll still pay 75% of your current price for one year, then 125% of it starting in month 13, to get 50% of the download speed and 1% of the upload speed you get now. By month 25, that cable plan will have cost you more (for dramatically inferior service) than paying retail for your gigabit fiber.

 

Bruh.

 

The deal you're getting on your current gigabit plan is enviable. That's less than the promotional rate for FTTH gigabit in my area.

[badreg]

Call AT&T retention and get your offer renewed. I'm paying $40/month for 1Gbps. YMMV, but $60/month is a very standard deal, and there's no reason they wouldn't offer at least that to you.

[IPD]

300 Mbps for $65/month, and you're complaining?  I'm at 25 Mbps and paying $50.  I don't have time to dick around with juggling intro pricing.

 

Intro pricing should be illegal.

[Donut417]

51 minutes ago, The Great Kamek said:

I mean, I often do not download larger files, and uploading too.

Its more about the data cap in my opinion. We have one with Comcast and 3 adults, we can easily get close every month. We have been over 90% usage several times. The only reason we haven't gone over is because when we get the warning we tend to curb our usage. 

[The Great Kamek]

21 hours ago, badreg said:

Call AT&T retention and get your offer renewed. I'm paying $40/month for 1Gbps. YMMV, but $60/month is a very standard deal, and there's no reason they wouldn't offer at least that to you.

I just contacted them. They said there is no promotion discount available for me except for 25% off my billing when I switch to their cellular service, to which I decline. 

[Donut417]

10 minutes ago, The Great Kamek said:

I just contacted them. They said there is no promotion discount available for me except for 25% off my billing when I switch to their cellular service, to which I decline. 

$80 for Gigabit is not bad consider Comcast charges us $89 for 300/10 with a 1.2 TB Data cap. AT&T is offering Gigabit for less without the data cap in my opinion thats a no brainer. Even though AT&T sucks as a company I would love to have their service, but sadly they dont serve my address and the areas around here they serve have 18 Mbps DSL.