Sticker shock: high speed internet in Montgomery County MD

[chilliepepper]

So I've been on the phone with Comcast and it seems they are determined to make me pay close to $60 per month for just cable internet (no we don't want cable TV or a LAN line phone---so hard for them to understand).

I'm just wondering if anyone has found any better deals out there. We're moving into a house in Derwood, close to Rockville.

[wombat]

Verizon "High Speed Internet" is about $20 a month. You maybe need their phone service as well, I can't remember. This is Verizon's 'slowest' internet but works just fine for me.

I hate comcast. I cut my cable off completely. Rabbit ear antennas allow you to pick up at least 4 stations around here.

[chilliepepper]

Oh, I forgot: Verizon doesn't provide any Internet in the neighborhood we'll be in.

[MsElle07]

Unfortunately, there's no other option I know of. Really, the only way to make it worth it is to do the phone/cable/internet package.

[russsk]

I knnow you said you don't want cable, but we actually found it much cheaper to ask for the cheapest cable plan available (about $10/month) plus Internet. I don't understand the details, but to hook up the cable they have to turn on Basic cable (about $40/month). We don't want all those channels, so we pay the $10 or so for super-basic cable plus about $30 for internet (which is discounted because of the cable). Still expensive, but better than $60.

[mary3mama]

RCN offers several different speeds for their internet connection.

If you choose the middle speed (the top speed is best for serious gamers, IIRC) and have a wireless router, you'd pay $50/month after taxes and fees.

If you don't want the wireless router, then I think you can take $5/month off of that.

BTW, that is completely in line with what I spent in Indiana for high-speed internet.

Oh, and we only have internet connection, no tv cable...and we can get 6 or 7 channels via antennae (2 of them PBS!)

HTH,

[chilliepepper]

Well, I wound up signing up for a promotion where it's $33 plus tax, plus modem rental $3 per month for 12 months (it would be $5 but we have our own wireless router so that makes it $3), then it goes back to the regular price. So I guess that's not too bad. We'll likely move after 12 months anyway.

Funny thing is, I think I've talked to about 10 different Comcast reps this week and got a different story from each one. When I posted before, none of them were mentioning the $33 promotion...but I saw it on a movers guide coupon (actually the coupon was for TV but I guess it works for internet too) and once I mentioned it, they were like "oh yeah, THAT one!"

If we do stay longer than 12 months, maybe we'll try something like Russsk said and have them turn on basic basic cable TV and see if they'll give us an Internet discount that way.

Now, let's see if the tech shows up for the installation on Tuesday! I think it will be a miracle.

Thanks all!

[mariacm]

Cavalier Phone/DSL

We have Cavalier phone and DSL, called the C2 package, totals $50 a month, free long distance included. Verizon (home) phone was over $39 a month, so Cavalier is a much better deal. Go to www.cavtel.com for details. Also, Cavalier is MUCH faster than Verizon DSL - verizon is 3mbps I think and Cavalier I believe is 8mbps.