OT: Internet Provider

[Mark Haney]

Karl F. Larsen wrote:
> 
>         I am having trouble with my Internet providers. I am now today 
> using the telephone company provided DSL sort of fast service. I pay the 
> the telephone company (Qwest) $15.00 and the local provider SkyWi $20.00 
> each month for my Internet. This has worked fine for around 5 years. But 
> now SkyWi has Qwest in a legal fight that is still in court.
> 
>         Qwest in a effort to hurt SkyWi, disconnected about 10,000 SkyWi 
> users from the Internet without any warning. The State of New Mexico 
> Public Regulation Commission ordered Qwest to restore service asap. So 
> today Jan 7 2009 we have the Internet from SkiWi and life is good. But 
> clouds on the horizon.
> 
>         On Jan 13 Court will decide what to do with the current claims. 
> If SkyWi looses they just agreed with Qwest to give us 10 days before 
> they disconnect us again.
> 
>         So now I am looking at options. I can find my old 56k telephone 
> modem and go back to Juno. I can get Qwest to just send me the Internet 
> without a email server. I can use the web based internet, or the Gmail I 
> am now using to send this message to the list. I can try to find another 
> local Internet provider for email service.
> 
>         I am thinking I prefer Gmail to solve the email problem. Today I 
> use Gmail to IMAP email to both my main computer and my laptop. A 
> problem is that my wife uses WindowsXP and I am not sure Windows likes 
> IMAP. For sure she will hate a new email address :-)
> 
>         The other approach will be to hire another local Internet 
> provider that Qwest likes. One does exist and it can be done. I will 
> explore this tomorrow.
> 
>         Does anyone on the list have other ideas? I was quite mad when 
> the Internet died on the Tuesday before New Years and Qwest said they 
> cant do a thing until Monday after New Years. In fact they were back up 
> New Years eve at my home :-)
> 
> 
> Karl
> 
> 
>         
> 

Well, since I don't live in NM, it's hard to offer a lot of
alternatives.  But surely there are wireless ISPs in the area.  I mean,
even in the mtns of NC we have 4 that connect to my company alone.  And
this is a very rural area.  There's always satellite, I suppose, or a
broadband card from a cellular provider.

A lot depends on what other options you have local to you.  Based on
what I see in the post, there are no cable companies or telcos close
that offer cable/DSL service?

<sermon>You know, it REALLY sucks how the big telcos have crushed the
smaller ISPs with lobbying to congress for regulation and cutting the
backbones out of small companies but over pricing access to their fiber
and copper.  This is part of the reason I work for the company that I
do.  We were started as a non-profit that offers lower cost (originally
federally funded, but now self sufficient) bandwidth in WNC to Education
and Research institutions and to get broadband internet into the really
rural areas of NC.  As such, our presence in WNC has caused broadband
internet access prices to drop by 75% in the last 5 years.  Not all of
that drop is due to us, but a significant portion is.  </sermon>

Other than the above I don't know what other options there are for you.



-- 
Frustra laborant quotquot se calculationibus fatigant pro inventione
quadraturae circuli

Mark Haney
Sr. Systems Administrator
ERC Broadband
(828) 350-2415

Call (866) ERC-7110 for after hours support