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AT&T Keeps Up DSL Promo Deal Price War

Overhype

from the read-the-fine-print dept

Thu, Feb 2nd 2006 3:47pm — Carlo Longino
AT&T is making some headlines for offering ultra-cheap DSL, undercutting Verizon by selling up to 1.5 Mbps service for $13 per month. But, like all the moves in this "price war", it's a promotional price that more than doubles after 12 months. These cheap promo deals, in addition to giving the telcos plenty of free publicity, mask the lack of meaningful competition for broadband services, a lack of competition that imperils network neutrality. What's sort of funny here is that the article notes DSL isn't a cash cow for the telcos, and that Verizon's only started turning a profit on its, but notes that AT&T "said customers are more likely to stay with the company if they buy DSL" -- answering any lingering questions you may have had about why they make you buy a phone line to get DSL. It's typical of the telcos' cluelessness that they use broadband access as little more than a stick with which to prop up their dying landline businesses.
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13 Comments

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  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 2 Feb 2006 @ 4:06pm

    That's why I Love my telco

    For the past four years I have had DSL From Coastal Communications. Although $40 a month is not the best rate out there, the price didn't change when I decided to drop my phone line 3 years ago, and go with vonage instead (Saving me $20 a month). Never a complaint when I gained a roommate that wanted DSL without a phone line as well. So we had two lines in the house, with no actual phone. Why can't AT&T do that?

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    alternatives, 2 Feb 2006 @ 4:54pm

    Call 866-274-4357

    Go ahead. Ya know ya want to.
    That is the death stars 'AT&T powered by SBC DSL' support line.
    That is the number you get when you have a trouble ticket.
    That is the number that only is staffed 7-9. (and I'd swear when you call at 11:15 when you are down they tell you it is only staffed from 7 to 5.)
    That is right. Their DSL trouble group is not 24X7.
    So, think about that when you are going to rely on their DSL.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      tech support, 2 Feb 2006 @ 5:42pm

      Re: Call 866-274-4357

      And with that, I used to work for Core Comm (www.core.com) an internet service provider and telephone service provider from the east coast (ATX Communications) and our service department is manned 24/7. Only we only provide Dial Up service. We're also only slighty cheeper than AOL. So does that mean that when you want faster service you get it at the cost of quality of service?

      And 90% of the time the technician at SBC's DSL service will tell you on the tech support line to power cycle your modem and call back if the problem percists .. .

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anton Swartz, 3 Feb 2006 @ 2:48am

      Re: Call 866-274-4357

      I have SBC Static DSL .. i google'd SBC DSL Support Line Called got ahold of someone in no time .... then i got ahold of tier 2 (thats the real people who know what there doing) .... it turned out who really needed to walk me through my problem was the Maker of my modem (Cayman) AKA Netopia .. so they were closed for the evening .. so the lady told me she would call me once they opened (note this is like 4am) so @ 9am(6am PST) she called me and then called Cayman ... who answered and we reconfigured my modem for how i wanted it i mean i work for
      VERIZON DSL! .. lol
      i know what im doing with tech support ... but this modem i've never used before know nothing about
      Verizon DSL and Tech Support
      Staff'd 24x7x365 (YES we were open on Christmas) 24x7
      I know what im doing .... we know generally what were doing .. usually tho i do admit there are some pretty dumb techs i work with i cant have Verizon DSL because 1 i dont live in the area and 2 i have a static line and they dont offer that

      but thats my 2 cents

      Also on the http://www.solanoultraband.com/index.htm website they use motorola canopy technology great stuff (Chicago Land Residents know this as DB3 or the Late IMAXX internet services) i've been around it before i know how it is its Great ONLY when you have line of sight to the tower .. tree's house's all wont work.. so its good if you are in tower range of it ...

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        alternatives, 3 Feb 2006 @ 5:46am

        Re: Call 866-274-4357

        it turned out who really needed to walk me through my problem was the Maker of my modem (Cayman) AKA Netopia

        In my case, the issue was AT&T - seems the SBC power behind them had the whole area wiped out.

        So the problem was their line. And they knew this durning 'normal business hours'.

        Why? DSL customers are a 'low priority'.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Lala, 2 Jan 2009 @ 2:25pm

      Re: Call 866-274-4357

      I know this is a very old thread, but I had to add. My at&t dsl has been down for a month since I "moved" my service with them. I have literally spent at least a 40 hour work week on the phone with these people at approximately 2 hours per call this month.

      If you EVER have the choice, do not go with AT&T. This has pissed us off so bad, we've decided not to get the iPhones we'd planned on because the idea of working MORE with them makes us physically ill.

      I'd drop them for dsl, but what do you know.. they have a monopoly on my apartment complex and I CAN'T go with another carrier if I wanted to.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    SD, 2 Feb 2006 @ 5:16pm

    Wireless

    As soon as wireless DSL takes off, you wont have to worry about promotional rates and being stuck with one provider. These guys will be falling over each other trying to sell this service, but it might be sometime before it happens.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    tinman, 2 Feb 2006 @ 7:04pm

    I find it rediculous...

    Cable companies seem so desperate to sell cable to people nowadays, but they won't even give me it after repeated calls and emails. My ISP is Core Comm, and sadly I can only get 26.4 kbps in my area. I find it completely rediculous that TimeWarner Cable and SBC REFUSE to provide me (and the rest of the subdivision I live in) with their service, yet they are constantly bombarding my TV screen with ads promoting their business. It makes me laugh when I see some great deal come up trying to convince me to switch to their service, yet they simply disregard my repeated requests for cable.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Roamen Cota, 2 Feb 2006 @ 9:55pm

    Monopolies

    Often times in bigger cities there are usually two to three internet competitors. In my are (Lex, Ky) We can get DSL ($30-80), Cable Broadband ($45-80), or Satellite ($70-100)(other options are available such as business T1 and T3, but im speaking for the average consumer). Anyway, there IS competition between the three categories; however, there is no competition within each category. I understand that this kind of "categorical-monopoly" allows telecommunications companies to keep prices at "intercategorical" competitive rates but, there is no "intracategorical" competitive pricing. This is how companies are able to make money. Unfortunately, I find that this is the way companies like at&t work. They get people to purchase broadband at lower prices, almost competitive with dial-up itself. The consumer signs a contract which forces them to stay with the company for at least a new year, and then when they are addicted with broadband, they do not feel the need to leave, even after the price per month rises to a non-competitive rate.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Andrew Cook, 2 Feb 2006 @ 10:06pm

    AT&T DSL Price

    The rate can be renewed after the first year and if a better rate comes along you can jump on that at anytime. So lets say I singed up in November of 2005 at $29.99 per month. Well, I can not change that plan to the new lower rate now and just reset my one year agreement starting today. In February 2007 when my year is up I can renew it again for another year.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    patty, 7 Mar 2008 @ 9:21am

    increase after trail period

    AT&T is as crooked as a dog's hind leg. Not only did my trial period expired... it tripled. From 15.99 to 29.99 after 6 months of supposedly high speed internet. I am looking for something else as my husband is headed overseas again. Plus out of the USA for customer service. People that follow a script and do NOT understand problems outside of the routine stuff.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Lala, 2 Jan 2009 @ 2:36pm

      Re: increase after trail period

      That's happened to me too. They charged me the higher rate for several months before I noticed. When I called they refunded part of the last month but not the others and renewed the lower rate for my future bills. They could have done it any time but said they needed my permission. I asked why they didn't give me any notification the first cheaper period was over and they said something like, "we usually send out an email." hah. Its a joke. They are criminals and should be in jail. Period.

      My dsl hasn't worked a whole month. They can't pull their heads out long enough to solve what is probably a simple issue on their end. And their scripted solution has brought my phone down too 3 times during this month. It appears no matter how many people I talk to, I'm "lost in the system." No amount of my diligence seems to be helping. Rage is useless. And they have a monopoly on my apartment complex, so there is no other game in town as long as I live here.

      AND they had the audacity to bill me this month. That's hilarious. Its a good thing I'm a pacifist because I am beginning to understand why people come into a building and open fire on a work place. I'd never do it, but I swear this experience might be making me into a sympathizer.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]


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