drop home phone

[Jeffrey Schronce]

I think this depends on your cell phone coverage, some people I work with (in KC metro) do this and say "it's faster than dial up but not as fast as DSL".

If I remember correctly, a cell phone call is only wireless from the handset to the tower after that the call runs on the same wires used for cell calls, local calls, long distance calls, etc (depending on cell phone company) so as long as you have good coverage to a cell tower then it's BASCIALLY all the same after that.

I have used a couple different carriers and wireless internet access or what Verizon calls broadband wireless is much slower than 56k dial up.

[onedash]

I have cable and doubt I will ever get rid of it. I shitcanned the cable phone due to high price. I have vonage. We have 4 cell phones in our house too but Id rather talk on a real phone and its only $15 a month. You can get it cheaper if you actually talk over your computer I think. Its all on a thumb drive.
I think most wireless is kinda expensive...You could always split a bill with a neighbor and start up a wireless network....

[vaking]

1). Anybody heard/tried FIOS? It's that new fiber service from Verizon that made a lot of splash but so far seems to remain a vaporware.
2). I also have cable and Internet from Comcast that I doubt I will get rid off any time soon. I hate the comcast service but where else can you get a TV feed with probably 40 channels for $15 a month? Internet adds $40 a month to it. I tried vonage and did not like it - vonage over comcast is not that great. I keep my regular phone for another $40 from IDT.

[JR]

1). Anybody heard/tried FIOS? It's that new fiber service from Verizon that made a lot of splash but so far seems to remain a vaporware.

The Verizon fiber build out is a matter of some controversy. The service that's expected to pay for the $15B capital improvement is IPTV. Unfortunately, the state PUCs have stalled the deployment of IPTV while they ponder the impending loss of mostly-local revenue for cable franchises.

Until they can get rolling on IPTV they're stuck with trying to justify the $35/mo fees for the lowest data rate on FIOS. By comparison, my 300/700Kbps DSL line from Verizon is $14.95/mo. I do business accross that line and haven't felt the need to upgrade (except for my companies desire to put a VoIP phone on my home desk, for which I would want a higher-speed service).

In the meantime AT&T, also trying to roll out IPTV, says their plan can be done for more like $4B in capital improvements. Verizon's plan delivers a lot more bandwidth which theoretically makes them more competitive after the dust settles. Until then, AT&Ts strategy gives them faster time to market while suffering less cash flow problem.

JR

[Wood_workur]

I have dsl- pretty cheap, and the speeds are amazing- 150 kB/s on a line rated at only 95 kB/s

[mkel2000]

1). Anybody heard/tried FIOS? It's that new fiber service from Verizon that made a lot of splash but so far seems to remain a vaporware.

My daughter and son-in-law have Verizon FIOS and Verizon Cable TV in Murrieta, CA. Their development is a little over a year old and the service became active to them at the beginning of this year. They love both the FIOS and cable service, much better that their previous providers. Can't wait until it makes it to the San Diego area.

Mark