Is there a broadband provider in Atlanta that's NOT trying to rip you off? (Alpharetta: leasing, transfer)

[AlDesign]

I must say, I'm very unhappy with the choices for broadband internet service in the Atlanta metro.

First, there's Comcast, which is constantly the object of criticism from many sites, like The Consumerist for their shady tactics and bandwidth caps.

Next, there's AT&Ts U-Verse, which I see may cap bandwidth soon, even more than Comcast. After 150GB, $1 a GB! There's AT&Ts DSL, which is of course slower.

Verizon doesn't seem to be planning to deliver Fios to Georgia soon. I have Earthlink now, but that's because I haven't moved to Georgia yet, but Earthlink isn't there.

So what's there to do seeing that the major providers of high-speed Internet in Atlanta are not good?

Maybe there will be another soon. Thanks!

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by AlDesign

I must say, I'm very unhappy with the choices for broadband internet service in the Atlanta metro.

First, there's Comcast, which is constantly the object of criticism from many sites, like The Consumerist for their shady tactics and bandwidth caps.

Next, there's AT&Ts U-Verse, which I see may cap bandwidth soon, even more than Comcast. After 150GB, $1 a GB! There's AT&Ts DSL, which is of course slower.

Verizon doesn't seem to be planning to deliver Fios to Georgia soon. I have Earthlink now, but that's because I haven't moved to Georgia yet, but Earthlink isn't there.

So what's there to do seeing that the major providers of high-speed Internet in Atlanta are not good?

Maybe there will be another soon. Thanks!

Verizon will never have FIOS in Georgia, since ATT is the local exchange carrier. At least I'd be shocked and amazed if they do any time until they finish building out in the states where they are the ILEC. They haven't even scratched the surface in many parts of those states.

As much maligned as Comcast may be, and much of it is self inflicted on their part, they are still leaders in the technology. DOCSIS 3.0 with 50Mbps is the best you'll find today. Yes, they have a bandwidth cap of 250GB/month, but that's a HUGE amount of data. Only people who are streaming HD video constantly or transferring P2P on a 24/7 basis could ever hope to use that much in a single month.

As you mentioned, most DSL providers like AT&T still allow for unlimited data up and downstream, but your throughput is limited. 512kbps or 768kbps isn't much for upstream bandwidth. U-Verse has a lower monthly bandwidth cap than Comcast and slower transfer speeds to boot.

You can't have everything, so if you really need to transfer an unlimited amount of data, you will sacrifice throughput. If you can live with a reasonable cap but want the fastest speeds, then Comcast and other cable companies are the way to go.

If you want a faster connection based on DSL with a tighter bandwidth cap and slower speeds that Comcast, but you can proclaim it's not Comcast, then U-Verse might be what you want.

You also have a new choice in WiMax with Clear. They just started up recently in Atlanta. It's much more limited in terms of cap and the price is expensive, but it's wireless.

Clear.com High Speed Mobile / Wireless Internet Service Provider

BTW...rip off implies that someone tries to pull one over on you. All of these providers tell you what they will sell you and what the prices and terms are for those services. No one is being ripped off. Vote with your wallet and feet.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by AlDesign

First, there's Comcast, which is constantly the object of criticism from many sites, like The Consumerist for their shady tactics and bandwidth caps.

Two things I will say about Comcast:

(1) Their cable-based internet service is FAST.

(2) It's also generally reliable.

Yeah, it has a cap of 250GB a month or whatever, but I figure we don't even come close to using a tenth of that, even with my occasional downloading of Linux distro .iso images and my wife watching the occasional TV show.

[Go Blue 99]

Another reason Fios will not come to Atlanta is the amount of sprawl in the area.

[Shagbark Hickory]

I agree with rcsteiner.

I know comcast used to be terrible and very deserving of their customer reviews but I have had them since they took over adelphia and there have been very few outages, no funny business with the billing and it is very fast. The only complaint I have is the price. Naked residential broadband is $62/mo and creeping higher.
I do quite a bit of streaming and downloading and they haven't cut me off yet.

[Jerefizzle]

Well i have comcast and it works for me, but if you insist you can use charter which is kinda like comcast but i don't know there rates

[Mattie]

My neighbor has Comcast, and has a terrible problem getting online between noon and 5:00 pm. I'm not sure if it's just the area we are in (No. Fulton). She has come over to use our internet in frustration during the afternoon. We use AT &T DSL, and can't complain.

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by Go Blue 99

Another reason Fios will not come to Atlanta is the amount of sprawl in the area.

Incorrect.

In fact Atlanta has one of the most extensive fiber optic networks on Earth. The problem is when it comes to FiOS is that AT&T (formerly Bellsouth) installed and owns all of that fiber. I once heard that 90% of the population of Atlanta lives within a mile of a fiber trunk.

Unfortunately while Bellsouth was very forward thinking in installing those lines (incidentally making Atlanta one the major data hubs of North America) the weren't forward thinking enough to install fiber to the door in most places. They instead connected to devices called Remote Terminals which in turn hold the DSL equipment. It was easier for them to deliver broadband to more customers this way since everyone has a land line to the door.

HOWEVER, Bellsouth does provide fiber optic internet connections in SOME neighborhoods. I had a friend in Lilburn and one in Alpharetta that had that service and they loved it.

For most Atlanta's however it's a choice between DSL or Cable.

Currently I have Comcast Cable. The big advantage with getting it in Atlanta is that the city is one of the first to be upgraded to DOCSIS 3.0 which I believe will reach 50mbps once they are done.

As far as DSL goes, expect to get 3.0 in most areas. Not to speedy but when I lived in my old neighborhood it was quiet stable.

Oh, and for the OP, Earthlink does provide internet service in Atlanta. In fact, Earthlink is headquartered here :P Unfortunately, due to a deal they made with Bellsouth to get a cheap rate on leasing DSL lines from them, Earthlink does not provide cable Internet here. But if you want the least amount of stress, I suggest calling ELNK and doing a move order.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by waronxmas

In fact Atlanta has one of the most extensive fiber optic networks on Earth. The problem is when it comes to FiOS is that AT&T (formerly Bellsouth) installed and owns all of that fiber. I once heard that 90% of the population of Atlanta lives within a mile of a fiber trunk.

Unfortunately while Bellsouth was very forward thinking in installing those lines (incidentally making Atlanta one the major data hubs of North America) the weren't forward thinking enough to install fiber to the door in most places. They instead connected to devices called Remote Terminals which in turn hold the DSL equipment. It was easier for them to deliver broadband to more customers this way since everyone has a land line to the door.

HOWEVER, Bellsouth does provide fiber optic internet connections in SOME neighborhoods. I had a friend in Lilburn and one in Alpharetta that had that service and they loved it.

Bellsouth decided early on to employ a strategy of FTTC (Fiber To The Curb) and IFTL (Integrated Fiber in the Loop). The last 1000' or so is twisted pair copper. Verizon and others employed FTTH (Fiber To The Home) and are not constrained by the same bandwidth issues since no copper is used until the demarc at the home. FTTC cost less in the short run and is what U-Verse is based on, but FTTH is a better architecture and is what FIOS is based on.

Comcast uses FTTN (Fiber To The Node) which essentially runs fiber to a neighborhood and then 75 ohm coax the remainer of the way to each house. 1GHz broadband can accomodate hundreds of digital and HD TV channels, high speed Internet, and telephone.

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Bellsouth decided early on to employ a strategy of FTTC (Fiber To The Curb) and IFTL (Integrated Fiber in the Loop). The last 1000' or so is twisted pair copper. Verizon and others employed FTTH (Fiber To The Home) and are not constrained by the same bandwidth issues since no copper is used until the demarc at the home. FTTC cost less in the short run and is what U-Verse is based on, but FTTH is a better architecture and is what FIOS is based on.

Comcast uses FTTN (Fiber To The Node) which essentially runs fiber to a neighborhood and then 75 ohm coax the remainer of the way to each house. 1GHz broadband can accomodate hundreds of digital and HD TV channels, high speed Internet, and telephone.

Thanks, you explained it much better than I did.