OT: Internet Provider

Karl F. Larsen klarsen1 at gmail.com
Wed Jan 7 21:28:02 UTC 2009


Mark Haney wrote:
> 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.
>
>
>
>   
    Thank you for the new ideas. There is a wireless company here and I 
understand the cost is not bad anymore. We do have cable but they have 
been quite expensive like $70/mo for Internet. Today I see a ad in the 
paper saying $10/mo for a year and then no info on the next year. Just 
like our cable company!

Karl


-- 

	Karl F. Larsen, AKA K5DI
	Linux User
	#450462   http://counter.li.org.
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