Anyone Switch From Cox to ATT Internet?

[HeyEng]

Hopefully it won't be too much longer before the small/cheap satellites start launching and providing internet EVERYWHERE. SpaceX just got FCC approval for the launch of over 4,000 low orbit satellites for this purpose. Google and Amazon are also in this race, so it could ultimately be the solution we are all waiting for...

https://www.pcmag.com/news/368067/spacex-gains-fcc-approval-for-lower-orbit-internet-satellite

SpaceX's plan is to develop a satellite constellation that offers a low-cost, high performance solution to providing fast internet access. It's called Starlink and will consist of close to 12,000 satellites eventually, spread across multiple orbits. Until now, the FCC had approved 4,425 Starlink satellites for deployment in orbits ranging from 1,110 to 1,325 kilometers...With the revised approval granted, SpaceX now has until March 29, 2024 to deploy half of the proposed 4,425 satellites. As with most ventures Elon Musk undertakes, he plans to easily beat the deadline and SpaceX apparently already has satellites ready at the launch site.

 

[Tanis143]

Hopefully it won't be too much longer before the small/cheap satellites start launching and providing internet EVERYWHERE. SpaceX just got FCC approval for the launch of over 4,000 low orbit satellites for this purpose. Google and Amazon are also in this race, so it could ultimately be the solution we are all waiting for...

https://www.pcmag.com/news/368067/spacex-gains-fcc-approval-for-lower-orbit-internet-satellite

SpaceX's plan is to develop a satellite constellation that offers a low-cost, high performance solution to providing fast internet access. It's called Starlink and will consist of close to 12,000 satellites eventually, spread across multiple orbits. Until now, the FCC had approved 4,425 Starlink satellites for deployment in orbits ranging from 1,110 to 1,325 kilometers...With the revised approval granted, SpaceX now has until March 29, 2024 to deploy half of the proposed 4,425 satellites. As with most ventures Elon Musk undertakes, he plans to easily beat the deadline and SpaceX apparently already has satellites ready at the launch site.

Sat internet will never be able to compete with DSL/Cable/FTTH. First it has a huge latency (600-1200 ms) which basically makes gaming near impossible. Second, most have very low data caps. Third, you get any bit of cloud coverage and your connection goes down or drops out completely. Every person I've ever talked to has hated it and only used it if there is no other alternative. One person I know went back to dialup as it was more reliable and at times faster.

 

[dennishoddy]

Sat internet will never be able to compete with DSL/Cable/FTTH. First it has a huge latency (600-1200 ms) which basically makes gaming near impossible. Second, most have very low data caps. Third, you get any bit of cloud coverage and your connection goes down or drops out completely. Every person I've ever talked to has hated it and only used it if there is no other alternative. One person I know went back to dialup as it was more reliable and at times faster.

We had satelite for awhile. Couldn't run home security cams, couldn't watch videos and so on because of the latency and the slow speeds.

 

[Snattlerake]

I had Cox for years. I hated them. I switched to ATT Uverse which sucked royal. Due to my job, I have to have internet. I kept ATT internet which is great. ALL of the Dish and Direct TV systems go away when there is a cloud in between you and the satellite. Which is especially helpful during storms.

 

[NightShade]

Sat internet will never be able to compete with DSL/Cable/FTTH. First it has a huge latency (600-1200 ms) which basically makes gaming near impossible. Second, most have very low data caps. Third, you get any bit of cloud coverage and your connection goes down or drops out completely. Every person I've ever talked to has hated it and only used it if there is no other alternative. One person I know went back to dialup as it was more reliable and at times faster.

The sat internet being referred to is much lower orbit so the latency will not be that high. It would actually be closer to around 150ms depending on the downlink locations of which they more than likely will be quite a few with a constellation of over 4000 satellites. The main issue with current satellite setups is they have one uplink point for everything and they are much higher up that equates into much higher ping times. Don't know about the data caps that will be in place for the new proposed system but the more downlinks the easier it is to handle larger amounts of data as well. The reason for more downlinks is because satellites in lower orbit can not be placed in geosynchronous orbit and still have a LOS for most area's. That means the satellites will be more akin to the ones for GPS which are constantly moving.




But for the ISP's they all suck for one reason or another. Where I am currently at there is a monopoly phone lines were never installed into the community so the only option is cox. With that said all connections have issues as well. The nice thing about cable is that you can go in and look at the levels and make some adjustments on your own at times that will help keep things stable. For DSL it's a lot harder to do anything and even calling in won't get you much most of the time. Cox can go out and make adjustments to the amps if there is an issue. I would love a FTTH type of deal but now that the big G has decided to halt expansions there is a lot less of that happening and pretty much no price competition. Even with expansions and upgrades I don't see a reason for continued price increases except for trying to recoup money due to losses in other area's. It seems like the cost goes up every 6 months. Now that my wife is gone I will eventually have to drop down to slower plans just to be able to cover it.



As far as making something better it is possible to do but most of the time it involves setting up wireless links and having one person who can have a fiber connection come in. Then you still have issues due to LOS. Otherwise talking a community into running fiber is the other option. Smaller cities may do it if they can get some extra help and don't have a contract for content delivery through a cable company. So if you currently have cable it's not very likely to happen. I thought about going to the city of Guthrie and pitching a fiber build out. If you get enough people willing to donate a little time and the majority of people on the bandwagon to not fight about lines being ran and such the main issue is the cost of the equipment and running the lines. Provo Utah did it and then google bought them out. But you still have to get a backbone provider to drop a line to the network CO. When Google was still building, to start the work in an area and then hand it over to them on a silver platter would be ideal.

 

[OKNewshawk]

I went from Windstream DSL (3 Mbs with no possibility of ever increasing in my location) to Cox (100 Mbs at an outrageous price) to AT&T Very High Bit Rate DSL (because I moved into an apartment complex where that is the only internet available.) The VDSL is offered at two speeds, 50 Mbps and 75 Mbps. I went with the 50 Mbps initially for the low price ($40/mo for the first year) then took advantage of an internet-only offer and upgraded to 75 Mbps for only $50/mo. I don't know what I'll do next year when that offer runs out, but either speed was more than adequate for using the DirecTV NOW streaming service, World of Warships, or Armored Warfare, and frequently streaming tV and gaming at the same time.

I have not had the problems that others have reported with AT&T as of this time. Cox was getting so expensive that I'm glad to be rid of them. Right now, I pay $50 for my DSL and $50 for a grandfathered package at DirecTV NOW and that is cheaper than what I paid for Cox internet (albeit with phone service--but I was told that dropping the phone wouldn't change my Cox bill appreciably.) I wish we could get AT&T fiber in the apartment complex, but I've been happy with AT&T in the more than one year I've lived here.

One last thing--Since AT&T owns DirecTV NOW, they give me the unlimited data plan, normally an extra $30, for free. If I were to drop DirecTV NOW, I'd still qualify for the discount as I also subscribe to AT&T's VRV streaming service.

 

[Snattlerake]

You are supposed to call ATT and renegotiate. That is what they expect and that is what they employ special people to do. If you don't call you will be soaked.

 

[Aries]

You are supposed to call ATT and renegotiate. That is what they expect and that is what they employ special people to do. If you don't call you will be soaked.

The last couple of times I called them, there was no negotiation. They just said that was the rate, no discounts.

Cox (when I first signed up) said when the promo rates expired, call and there are usually some discounts. Not counting on that, but I'll try it. I will save the first two years, but then Cox will be a little more expensive than AT&T was, but will be on 100 mbps bandwidth rather than the max 3 mbps rate AT&T offered.

Everyone complains about whoever they use, and threatens to leave. Unfortunately, all comm companies try desperately to woo new customers, not so much to retain current customers. Probably the most economical thing to do would be switch back and forth every other year for the promo rate, but that's a hassle

 

[Ethan N]

Sat internet will never be able to compete with DSL/Cable/FTTH. First it has a huge latency (600-1200 ms) which basically makes gaming near impossible. Second, most have very low data caps. Third, you get any bit of cloud coverage and your connection goes down or drops out completely. Every person I've ever talked to has hated it and only used it if there is no other alternative. One person I know went back to dialup as it was more reliable and at times faster.

No, it won’t compete with wired broadband options. I don’t think it’s meant to, for the most part, except maybe slower DSL.

We won’t know how good SpaceX’s satellite internet service will be until we try it. But latency should be much better than other satellite internet. Typical internet satellites are at a 22,000 mile orbit. SpaceX will be at about 700 miles.

I can relate to choosing dialup rather than current satellite options. I had the displeasure of troubleshooting a HughesNet connection at a summer camp a friend ran years ago. I was in high school, so this was around 15 years ago. Don’t know if it’s better than it was then, but after that experience I would rather have dialup.

 

[Hangfire]

I've been with Cox for almost 30 years and just wrote a check (yes I still use paper checks for paying bills and yes we still have a landline in conjunction with our cell phones) this morning and it was $236.48 for the 'Bundle' which is internet, telephone and cable tv.

I've called and played the complaining game about the bill increase with them several times through the years and they'll give me some sort of promo thing to reduce the bill and then it'll go back up 'X' period later and then you've got to call and whine again.....the last time I called about three months ago they said, "sorry no promos available".

I've never had any real problems with Cox but I know four people that went to AT&T from Cox and they grudgingly went back to Cox as soon as the AT&T contract would allow them to leave without a penalty.

Till something else comes along that is 'as good' I guess I'll continue to bite the bullet, put up with rate increases and pay the monthly Cox bill.