Best Satellite / Internet provider in Philadelphia region (Norristown: rentals, to buy)

[FKD19124]

I'm looking to make a break from Comcast next year because they are outrageous in what they charge and their customer service as everyone knows sucks! I think they take pride in that. With that said, can anyone recommend a good satellite company that has good service along with good internet?



Thanks in advance.

[briantroutman]

Satellite TV providers generally don’t offer Internet service. (More on that in a moment.) Yes, there is such a thing as satellite Internet service, and the major provider is HughesNet. If you think Comcast charges outrageous rates and has appalling customer service, just do a Google search for “HughesNet complaints”, and you’ll get an eyeopener. Generally, satellite Internet is the expensive last resort for people living in very remote rural areas with absolutely no other options.

The bottom line is that your Internet service options are largely dictated by the physical wires running to your home. In most of the Philadelphia area, those wires are coaxial cable owned by Comcast or fiber optic (Fios) and copper phone lines (DSL) owned by Verizon.

Some satellite companies do offer bundles of TV service and Internet access, but the Internet part of the package is just DSL or fiber optic service provided by a local phone company. Dish Network offers such packages in cooperation with Verizon; you’d have to do price/feature comparisons to see whether that’s a better option than Verizon’s own Fios TV service.

[FKD19124]

thanks for the feedback. I'm out near Norristown. Interesting enough I see alot of Dish users in this area.

Originally Posted by briantroutman

Satellite TV providers generally don’t offer Internet service. (More on that in a moment.) Yes, there is such a thing as satellite Internet service, and the major provider is HughesNet. If you think Comcast charges outrageous rates and has appalling customer service, just do a Google search for “HughesNet complaints”, and you’ll get an eyeopener. Generally, satellite Internet is the expensive last resort for people living in very remote rural areas with absolutely no other options.

The bottom line is that your Internet service options are largely dictated by the physical wires running to your home. In most of the Philadelphia area, those wires are coaxial cable owned by Comcast or fiber optic (Fios) and copper phone lines (DSL) owned by Verizon.

Some satellite companies do offer bundles of TV service and Internet access, but the Internet part of the package is just DSL or fiber optic service provided by a local phone company. Dish Network offers such packages in cooperation with Verizon; you’d have to do price/feature comparisons to see whether that’s a better option than Verizon’s own Fios TV service.

[jazzy jeff]

I do not know anything about the dish services, but what i found is Comcast will work with you if you get the right person. After my last rate increase, I called them and saying that was un-acceptable. I was told the promo that I had was no longer available. At that point to keep my rate the same I had to downgrade my package a bit, losing some channels. The customer service rep however did tell me to go into one of their service centers. Was told they can sometime offer deals that the phone reps could not. Low and behold I took that advice, and was given a better package at the same rate I had previously. No contract with price locked in for a year.

I also know of several people that went from Comcast to Verizon and ended back with Comcast. So it seems Verizon is not any better.

Now if you really want cheap alternatives, my son has the steaming service "You Tube TV". Of course he still has Comcast for internet at about 60 bucks a month. You Tube TV is another 40, but he gets just about every channel as I, except he has to use his cell phone with their app to change channels.

[TownDweller]

I am moving into the area and had a few options including the big two, Comcast and Verizon FiOS. Being a cord cutter, I couldn't find anything from Comcast that worked for me. So I went with Verizon and got 100MB service for $40/month. Unless I find the service unreliable I would consider that a very fair deal. They also have faster service but for what I do that is plenty fast. Gamers and power users would want to upgrade to 300MB service.

[Wisertime]

Originally Posted by TownDweller

I am moving into the area and had a few options including the big two, Comcast and Verizon FiOS. Being a cord cutter, I couldn't find anything from Comcast that worked for me. So I went with Verizon and got 100MB service for $40/month. Unless I find the service unreliable I would consider that a very fair deal. They also have faster service but for what I do that is plenty fast. Gamers and power users would want to upgrade to 300MB service.

Same here. Comcast also ads fees/taxes/surcharges to their plans. Ripoff.
If you need some cable and don't mind measly 720p, there are streaming sites like ustv247.com that get about 30 free cable channels. That + Chromecast is good enough for me. My TV is still 720p anyway.

[Pilot1]

Both Comcast and Verizon are expensive, and have poor customer service. However, they are the best internet providers. I cut the cable a while ago because I wasn't using it, and the cost with all the fees, box and modem rentals was over $200/month. Now, I just have the internet through Comcast, and stream whatever I want and it is much less expensive and I can just pay for what I watch more or less.

[timeEd32]

Nothing tops Comcast's X1 for cable, but if you can get a good price on just internet then I'd probably opt for that + YouTube TV and whatever streaming services you want.

[TownDweller]

Well, the Verizon setup was painless. I plugged my router into the modem that was in the building and done. Didn't need to buy anything. Happy so far.