Re: CenturyLink/DirectTV

<forwarding to list>


What's the scoop on satellite interwebz these days? Still pricey & high latency?




________________________________
From: ChasM Marshall <chasm750@hotmail.com>
To: parabellum7@yahoo.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 7:30 PM
Subject: RE: CenturyLink/DirectTV



Hiya,
  Here's my rural viewpoint:

DirecTV:
We use DirecTV on two Satellite recievers, one dish. 
Our premium bundle includes HBO.
Last week there was a Viacom blackout (which included Comedy Channel.)
I do not expect to be reimbursed at all. 
The Texas-based 800 Phone service has outright lied to us regarding charges
we incurred to re-adjust dish pointing.  Prior to service I was told that the
standard $50.00 visit would be waived, but it wasn't.  Naturally,
they called back to invite us to do a survey.  (I almost cussed at em.)
Our DirecTV does not include Internet-anything (THAT would DOUBLE our costs).
Being that Tonopah has NO cable, and NO Fiber for residents, it's a monopoly.

CenturyLink/QWest:
We have a CAT3 land line with QWest/CenturyLink and are lucky to get a dial tone.
For fifteen years phone service, the fail rate is about four days every two years.
Years ago, lightening killed my DirecTV receiver through the phone line.
Seems that windy wet weather can kill equipment at my local substation too.
The station is less than a mile away, but they cannot offer us DSL service.  huh? 
It has multiple fiber T-1 links from local schools ten miles away.
A new housing sub-division, 15 miles distant, recently began offering DSL service.
Nearby folks have dumped ALL telco services for one DSL connection.
Our Unified School District is five hundred square miles.
Being that Tonopah has only 7 thousand residents, it's a monopoly too.
Side notes: 
There is a QWest CFO in Federal jail today for pension embezzelment.
There WAS a national Uniform Service Fund that telcos should be using, but
the FCC is now TWO YEARS behind in accounting for state expenditures.
Arizona is only one state that FCC regulation ignores.
Should I mention that the FCC operates like a monopoly?
I wouldn't know who to complain to, and have to chalk it up to rural life.

If you think a new name or new management would change my opinion ...

  (-:  Chas.M.  :-)



________________________________
Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:08:39 -0700
From: parabellum7@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: CenturyLink/DirectTV
To: plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us


Nice thing about DSL is you can pick your ISP. We used FastQ when we lived in Mesa, it was good. Didn't have the peak speeds Cox did but it was much more consistent and reliable. And, we had static IP's and could run home servers, unlike cocks. Your results may vary, but should be good performance if fiber is in your hood. Century Link Customer Service is a sea of menus and sri lanka help-desk people.


The DirecTV installers butchered the dish install, put lag bolts right through the roof, big nasty leaking holes and splinters of wood and it still wobbled in the wind. I would have been pissed had we not been doing a roof job a few months later anyway. I re-installed it proper-like, it's easy enough to do it yourself. More & better music channels, roomie liked the sports line-up better.


-Ken




________________________________
From: Mark Astrauskas <apetc@cox.net>
To: Main PLUG discussion list <plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us>
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2012 6:19 PM
Subject: CenturyLink/DirectTV

CenturyLink recently laid fiber in my area and is pitching their new Internet/DirectTV service. Does anyone have recent experience with CenturyLink's fiber offering or with DirectTV as well? It looks like I could save a good amount every month and could even get a faster speed, so I'm strongly considering it.

Yelp reviews are awful, but so are the Cox Cable ones (my current provider), so I'm seeking any firsthand comments or experiences.

Thanks,
Mark
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