Quote:
Originally Posted by TorontoMom
Hi Everyone,
I am enjoying all the info on this forum, especially the photos - thanks so much! We are moving to the burbs within the next couple of months, though we haven't chosen which one yet...
In the meantime, I am trying to gather some information in preparation for the move. If you can, please answers any/all of the following questions:
1. I will be looking for a cell phone once I'm down there. What cell providers should I be looking at? My needs are VERY simple - just a phone to make and receive calls, mostly local (including downtown Chicago), mostly during the day. I am looking for reliability first, affordability second.
2. For home phone / cable / internet - is it more economical to "bundle" services with one company, or can I find more savings by shopping around? I have read the "satellite vs. cable" thread, and I am leaning more towards cable (we have satellite here in T.O. and I don't care for it much...). Are there differences in phone and cable companies between the Western burbs and the North Shore burbs?
3. What are the more reliable ISP's in the area? Are there differences in ISP's between the Western burbs and the North Shore burbs?
4. Final question - is it long distance to call downtown Chicago from some of the burbs? We are looking at Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Elhurst, Winnetka, Wilmette and Evanston.
Thanks everyone!
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1. Every cell phone company has a slightly different package for around the same price, and the best value depends on your calling habits. Some companies (like US Cellular) roll over your unused minutes from one month to the next, so that as long as your package has a comfortable amount of minutes for your "usual" usage you'll not have to worry about nasty overage charges when you have an unusual month of calling activity. Others (like Verizon Wireless) offer a family share package, where you can give a phone to each person in the family down to your 4-year-old for only $10 each on top of the regular service plan and you can all share the same pot of minutes. I'd start with the two companies above, and add Cingular/AT&T in for comparison to your specific needs.
2. The most economical TV/phone/Internet bundle likely involves AT&T and can be extended to wireless as well. Depending on where you are located, the TV portion will be satellite, or in some suburbs, IP TV over your phone lines (similar to digital cable). The Internet service is DSL. The main competitor is Comcast, the cable company that has a monopoly in virtually all of the Chicago area except a few suburbs and the lakefront area of the city. You can get a good introductory deal, but the monthly charges go up after six months -- particularly on the TV and Internet components. The plus is that the Internet service is the fastest, provided you are not in a neighborhood where everyone else has Comcast (you are sharing the speed on that connection with your neighbors).
3. If you are getting their other services, you'll want to stick with Comcast or AT&T.
4. AT&T land line toll charges (per minute -- less than long distance, but can still add up depending on the call length and time of day) apply to all calls in which the caller's central phone switching office is more than 15 miles away from the recipient's central phone switching office. So roughly, Evanston and maybe Winnetka/Wilmette, would not be toll calls to downtown Chicago, but the others would.
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06-18-2008, 08:41 PM
Phone / Internet / Cell Phones
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