So my AT&T (formerly SBC) DSL costs me $40 a month for DSL service and a landline phone that I never use. My contract is up in early June, so I decided to explore my options for DSL in the area. I don’t want Cable, because I don’t need the TV service, as I don’t have a TV.
What I found out:
– Comcast will sell you just Internet for $60/month. In the words of Om Malik “Not bad for 6 megabits.”
– Speakeasy will sell you naked DSL for $56/month at 1.5 MB down/384k up. This is what Paul Boutin recommends. And their terms of service allow me to share my connection to the outside world.
– Covad will match Speakeasy’s level of service, but will charge $10 more.
– AT&T says that if I renew my contract for another year, they will charge me the current promotional rate of $26/month, plus my $20 phone line. Whether that will go up or down in a month, apparently, is anyone’s guess.
– AT&T also currently has an online offer of $12.99/month with a year contract for 384k down (what I have now), or $17.99/month for what Speakeasy is offering me.
Memo to DSL companies:
What I want is cheap DSL. I don’t need a full 1.5 MB. AT&T currently gives me 384k down, which is plenty for my needs. That said, I also don’t need a phone line that I don’t use. Wasn’t naked DSL supposed to make DSL cheaper?
