DSL and Cable Pricing Caveats (Jan 2006)
Before marveling in the seemingly low cost of the plans offered by providers please consider the following points:
- Most of the specials listed on this website are for an introductory period only and WILL go up in price after the introductory period is over (3-6 months)
- DSL and Cable Internet Providers also tack on other fees such as Taxes, FCC fees with possible early cancellation penalties too
- In order for you to qualify for the "specials", Cable providers normally requires that you are a new cable TV customer. If you already have cable TV service with the provider you probably won't qualify for the low priced offer
- DSL providers normally require that you have local phone service with them to qualify for the "specials". (A new so called "Naked DSL" service is now offered in some States. Naked DSL does not require you to have any phone service but most specials require that you have local phone service with the provider)
Tell me, Tell me how much!
Don't you hate it when you ask someone how much something is going to cost and they appear to sidestep the answer with a reply that starts out with "Well it all depends" So let's look at the raw costs first. The cheapest long term DSL deal we have is around $30 (SBCYahoo!) and Cable is around $45. DSL is always going to be somewhat cheaper than High Speed Cable but the download speeds will be slower. DSL will also normally require you have local phone service too so there's another $25-$35/month.
But the final cost, will really does depend upon a number of factors such as:
- If your a thoroughly modern member of the 21st century and have ditched your land line in lieu of a cellphone then High Speed Cable is a no-brainer (who wants the expense of an additional $35/month for the phone line lease just to get DSL)
- If you've just gotta have a phone line with local phone service then you're already paying for the line so in reality you're only paying $30 per month for the High Speed DSL connection. But there is another option to consider here too. You could ditching the phone line altogether, getting High Speed Cable then getting a VOIP service. VOIP is a new technology that uses part of you internet connection as a phone line. You'll get all the features of a regular phone (phone that rings, voice mail etc) and pay a lot less for long distance calls too, all for around $25 per month.
- If you get a bundled package you may get discounts on other services from the same provider. e.g. With cable, if you get a cable TV/High Speed Internet package you will get a discount on your cable TV service. The same applies for a DSL with a Phone/High Speed Internet package.
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