Internet service in the Heights - HELP (Houston, Earth: HOA, how much)

[Draculazio]

I need a new internet provider in the Heights. I hate ATT and Comcast is cable. Not my thing. Are there any good alternatives? I already looked but I don't think there's anything else CLEAR is too expensive and I heard it's crap.

[heightsian]

I think Earthlink might offer service, but yeah, the pickings are kind of slim. We really, really dislike AT&T, but after investigating pricing and plans and coverage, we ended up having to keep them -- annoying though as we moved less than a mile mile from one place in the Heights to another and had to switch from DSL to UVerse and pay through the nose for the "privilege" as they don't offer DSL at our new address. Earthlink, iirc, was more expensive too, compared to AT&T.

[juilletdix]

Hi Heightsian,
Seeing as how I'm considering the Heights, too, this is worrisome. My BF works from home, so a robust internet connection is critical. I had ATT here in Chicago until RCN came in (which was great - good service at a fair price!).
Does Comcast offer internet in the Heights? If you don't mind me asking, how much does the UVerse service cost?

[mike171562]

Plenty of Local Houston Internet providers

Houston DSL - Provider of DSL Broadband Internet to the Houston market.
Houston DSL - DSL Internet Provider in Houston
Quality High Speed Internet Services for the Greater Houston Houston Area
IP Global - Leading Internet Service Provider for T3, T1, DSL, and Hosting

[heightsian]

Originally Posted by juilletdix

Hi Heightsian,
Seeing as how I'm considering the Heights, too, this is worrisome. My BF works from home, so a robust internet connection is critical. I had ATT here in Chicago until RCN came in (which was great - good service at a fair price!).
Does Comcast offer internet in the Heights? If you don't mind me asking, how much does the UVerse service cost?

Not at all! We actually signed up for the promo UVerse right because we were new subscribers, despite having AT&T DSL prior to that. So we got it for $24.99/month for the first 12 months. We also had to buy new equiment since our DSL equipment wouldn't work (allegedly) with UVerse. The new equipment was around $100 to $120 (can't remember the exact figure now). Then there was a $29.99 "start up" fee. They billed us for two months at once at the regular rate, instead of the promo rate we were signed up at, and then said we'd see a refund in this upcoming month's bill. Needless to say, when we got the bill, it was a shock!

If you have a landline like we do, the UVerse bill is separate from your phone bill. Before that, our DSL and phone bill were on the same bill. Also, the phone people and the UVerse people don't talk to each other (unlike the DSL and phone people), so you're stuck in this weird phone maze just trying to get someone to talk to you about what all these additional charges are. Buyer beware, I guess...

We haven't had a major problem with UVerse service, to be honest. we had more drops with our DSL than we do with UVerse. My husband works from home in the mornings -- 6 am to 8:30 am -- before going into the office, so having that service is really critical. So far, he hasn't had to go into the office early except for the first day we were supposed to have UVerse service connected (it wasn't despite the fact AT&T said it was connected).

So long-winded answer on our experience with UVerse. They do offer Comcast in the Heights. We just thought it was too expensive and since we don't have cable television or DirectTV etc, we just went with the cheapest internet option for the area, which unfortunately, is AT&T.

[tstone]

Same with us-- Uverse was a nightmare trying to set it up without TV, then when the bill came it had all these charges and the rates weren't correct. I called billing support and told them I'm cancelling if they don't give the advertised rate. They put in a ''ticket,'' I paid the overage, and they fixed the problem. The next bill was zero and the next one was adjusted. No problems since. You have to stay on top of AT&T and document everything, but that's no different than any other opportunistic service company. If you're not getting it in writing, they will walk all over you until you fight back.

[heightsian]

Originally Posted by tstone

Same with us-- Uverse was a nightmare trying to set it up without TV, then when the bill came it had all these charges and the rates weren't correct. I called billing support and told them I'm cancelling if they don't give the advertised rate. They put in a ''ticket,'' I paid the overage, and they fixed the problem. The next bill was zero and the next one was adjusted. No problems since. You have to stay on top of AT&T and document everything, but that's no different than any other opportunistic service company. If you're not getting it in writing, they will walk all over you until you fight back.

I actually think this is their plan -- say you're at the promotional rate, but then bill you at the regular, and then you get lost in the phone maze trying to sort things out. We actually "joke" every month about needing to call AT&T; just because you got it sorted last month doesn't mean it's going to stick around for this month. I haven't gotten my new UVerse bill yet, so I don't know if I'm going to get the promised zero balance, but I'm already bracing myself to call them again to get it sorted.

[sheikh.yerbouti]

It may be worth your while to check with your neighbors and landlord or HOA to see if anyone other than the local incumbent dominant cable TV or telco companies provides service to your neighborhood and residence.

There are pockets of independence in Houston, but whomever provides telco and cable TV services to your residence will largely dictate your options.

Sometimes 3rd party providers will offer service over the same wires as the local dominant incumbent providers through partnership agreements with those companies. They may offer promotions or prices that are better than what the incumbents will provide. Oplink and Earthlink offer DSL service over ATT lines. Earthlink offers cable internet over Comcast's cable lines in the Houston area.

[juilletdix]

Originally Posted by sheikh.yerbouti

Sometimes 3rd party providers will offer service over the same wires as the local dominant incumbent providers through partnership agreements with those companies. They may offer promotions or prices that are better than what the incumbents will provide. Oplink and Earthlink offer DSL service over ATT lines. Earthlink offers cable internet over Comcast's cable lines in the Houston area.

That's helpful info, thank you!!