BREAKING NEWS: Congrats Alaska, gas bill passed (Anchorage, Barrow: live, prices)

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by travelmate38

MTA utlized a now debunk company called Paradyne Networks for their DSL equipment. This compnay was based out of Florida and went under about 7 years ago. I was actually a major shareholder in PDYN and warned MTA not go with them. They did anyhow. Why? Because it saved them a few bucks.

Paradnye makes a lot of very good equipment. It is being used by every major telecom company in the country. (AT&T, for example.) On July 2005 it was announced that they had been bought up by another company. I see no reason to be concerned about the use of their equipment by all of the major telecommuncations providers. (For example... most of the Long Range Radar sites in Alaska that provide radar data to the FAA... use Paradyne modems to do that.)

The entire world is being fed more and more options from the web each and every day. From streaming movies, to inter connective gaming, to shopping and so on. The sky is the limit. Yet with MTA, the usuage and restrictions grow tighter each and every day.

MTA of course has nothing to do with any of those particular "options".

they charge some of the highest rates in the entire USA and offer some of the lowest bandwidth and reliability in the entire industry.

That might be true, but it has nothing to do with whether MTA is or is not a reasonable company in the instance cited.

No other company will even make an attempt to provide service in the area. That suggests that low bandwidth and high costs are a very reasonable expectation.

Do you expect any ISP to provide service at a loss? How much do you think it would cost if one of those great competitors (that currently will not even offer service there) came in and offered the same bandwidth that is typically available in Silicon Valley?

They are an old school porrly run outfit about to go out like the old dinasor they are. They had their chances to adapt and chose not to. Now they will pay.

That may in fact be true, but the reasons you've cited do not support that as a conclusion!

Just my opinion

Let me provide some background. First, I am retired from the telecommunications industry, and when you say "old dinasour" you can trust that I have a very clear concept of what that is! (I started rating in the middle 1980's about using computers and networks within the industry... and got absolutely nowhere. Today 99% of what I was advocating is in place because every company that did not do it either went bankrupt or was sold just before they would have.)

I highly suspect that MTA is one of the few remaining examples of a true telecom dinasour. (They certainly fit that description 20 years ago, and were a real pain to work with.) They are now caught in a bind where a small company their size is simply not economical today, except in very rural areas. ASTAC, here on the North Slope, has exactly the same problem. They are not big enough to compete (with GCI, for example). It makes no difference how innovative they might be (and they probably are not nearly as innovative as they could be).

Hence, I'm not denying that your description might be correct... but your reasons cited do not support that conclusion.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by Classic Satch

However, this is one subject that I"m intimately familiar with having worked in the sales/marketing department at Comcast in San Jose.

In other words, you have no qualifications at all. You might know all of the rates and various packages, but clearly have no idea what any of the costs or technical issues are.

I worked in the telecommunication industry (Operations, not Sales) for 3 decades.

DSL technology is old news. As long as the phone lines are of decent quality and there is a switching station within 16-18000 feet or so, DSL is easy to provide.

And if there isn't? Opps. Regardless, high bandwidth is not one of the attributes available on 18k loops.

Apparently you aren't very familiar with broadband pricing. GCI in Anchorage, Borealis Broadband, and ACS all offer far higher speeds for less cost with realistic or no download limitations.

Apparently you are not familiar with the cost overhead, or how pricing of services is determined?

Of course the cost in a high density urban area is lower and allows higher bandwidth. What else is new? If that is what you want, move to Silicon Valley and you can have lower cost and higher bandwidth than Anchorage residents have. Or you can move to Point Hope, and I assure you that everyone there thinks MTA provides you with high speeds at a low cost!

For MTA to charge $65 for lousy 768k service with a 10GB bandwidth cap is completely and totally ludicrous.

If that is true, why aren't all those other wonderful companies just crawling all over themselves to get in there an give you the great service that you deserve at the low prices you want? Hmmmmm...

In the vast majority of other areas in the nation(yes, I know we're in Alaska but Wasilla is highly developed and growing even more), 768k is the BASE level of service with no download limits and usually goes for $19.99/month.

You do realize that Alaska has the highest connectivity rate of all states? Think about that for a little bit... The reason that is true is because you do actually have Internet service. In other states people who are as uneconomically situated as yourself simply do NOT HAVE any service at all!

MTA sucks....badly. 10GB completely and totally limits a person's usage of the Internet. It is so laughable that I still have trouble believing that they're actually imposing it. The problem is the lack of competition here. I am not the only person around here who is disgusted with MTA. As soon as a competitor comes in that actually offers decent service, folks will be leaving MTA in droves, with myself leading the way.

Please do hold your breath...

I forgot to add that MTA was providing me with 8Mb/s service for $45/month when I was bundling their TV service with it. However, because I decided to go with DirecTV instead, they forced me to pay $25 more for service that is 10x slower. Maybe that will shed more light on why I'm so angry.

Yes it does turn on a light. You want something for free, and have the typical tizzy fit we've come to expect when you don't understand how it works and can't get what you want.

[DannyL]

Satch, this is a perfect example of something the rest of us have been talking about for months.
Get a newbie up here, and pretty quickly, after the "golly gee I live in Alaska" wears off, they start raising hell because some things here are not like where they left.
This is Alaska, deal with it.
Things are getting better every month here technology wise. The powers that be know the Internet is playing a VERY BIG role in Alaska's growth.

I can't wait to see how you handle your first winter......

[Barkingowl]

Originally Posted by DannyL

I can't wait to see how you handle your first winter......

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by Classic Satch

GCI does supply a good bit of Wasilla but not where I live, probably because of the large property tracts.

However, this is one subject that I"m intimately familiar with having worked in the sales/marketing department at Comcast in San Jose.

DSL technology is old news. As long as the phone lines are of decent quality and there is a switching station within 16-18000 feet or so, DSL is easy to provide.

Apparently you aren't very familiar with broadband pricing. GCI in Anchorage, Borealis Broadband, and ACS all offer far higher speeds for less cost with realistic or no download limitations.

For MTA to charge $65 for lousy 768k service with a 10GB bandwidth cap is completely and totally ludicrous. In the vast majority of other areas in the nation(yes, I know we're in Alaska but Wasilla is highly developed and growing even more), 768k is the BASE level of service with no download limits and usually goes for $19.99/month.

MTA sucks....badly. 10GB completely and totally limits a person's usage of the Internet. It is so laughable that I still have trouble believing that they're actually imposing it. The problem is the lack of competition here. I am not the only person around here who is disgusted with MTA. As soon as a competitor comes in that actually offers decent service, folks will be leaving MTA in droves, with myself leading the way.

I forgot to add that MTA was providing me with 8Mb/s service for $45/month when I was bundling their TV service with it. However, because I decided to go with DirecTV instead, they forced me to pay $25 more for service that is 10x slower. Maybe that will shed more light on why I'm so angry.

You will find that GCI is no better. GCI jacks up their prices significantly for anyone not living in Anchorage, and their service is just as bad or worse. I've been paying $49.99/month for the last 5 years for MTA's 768Kbaud DSL, with nothing else bundled, and no download caps, and very few problems.

The $19.99/month for DSL only happens in the lower-48. It has never been that cheap in Alaska. Not from GCI, PTI, AT&T, ACS, or MTA.

[Classic Satch]

Originally Posted by DannyL

Satch, this is a perfect example of something the rest of us have been talking about for months.
Get a newbie up here, and pretty quickly, after the "golly gee I live in Alaska" wears off, they start raising hell because some things here are not like where they left.
This is Alaska, deal with it.
Things are getting better every month here technology wise. The powers that be know the Internet is playing a VERY BIG role in Alaska's growth.

I can't wait to see how you handle your first winter......

Don't get me wrong, I still love this state. However, $65/month for 768k with a 10GB bandwidth limit is garbage. Also, I spent most of my life in PA where it's either 95 and humid or cold as hell. Winter won't bother me in the slightest bit.

And Floyd, it seems like you have made it a point to argue with me at every opportunity. Oh well, that's your right. MTA still sucks though and no amount of pontificating on your part will change that fact.

[DannyL]

Originally Posted by Classic Satch

Don't get me wrong, I still love this state. However, $65/month for 768k with a 10GB bandwidth limit is garbage.

And so is $5.05 gas, and $5.50 heating oil, but I'm not screaming about it.
And in all honesty, if internet bandwith is your biggest problem right now, I envy you.
I can definitly tell you're from Calif.

[DannyL]

Originally Posted by Classic Satch

Also, I spent most of my life in PA where it's either 95 and humid or cold as hell. Winter won't bother me in the slightest bit.

Well, I can tell the relief from summer heat, etc agrees with you, as it did with me. I know you're gonna enjoy it and I'm happy for you. It's a nice change.
As far as winter, "cold as hell" doesn't say much.
I guess in PA. you have 4-6 hrs of daylight from Dec-Feb, and 20 above to 10 below, with average 25 mph gusts of wind, occasionaly (admitted rarely) gusts hitting 80 mph, lowering the chill factor to 27 or more below. And snow that you just can't get rid of, it never melts till April.
And I'm talking about Juneau, you're in for an even bigger surprise.
You're still a commuter at heart. Your first winter is gonna suck.
But you will learn, everyone does. And come out better for it.

I'll be the first to help a little....
1. Make sure you're pantry is overflowing by Oct.

[Classic Satch]

Originally Posted by DannyL

And so is $5.05 gas, and $5.50 heating oil, but I'm not screaming about it.
And in all honesty, if internet bandwith is your biggest problem right now, I envy you.
I can definitly tell you're from Calif.

Blasphemer!

I spent 10 horrible months in the People's Republik, that's it. I'm born and raised in western PA and spent over half my life living in the heart of Pittsburgh. Thinking of my time in that socialist sewage pit still gives me the willies.

[warptman]

Hmmm, puts money down on Satcher in the ditch on the first snow.