Comments on: Reader Question – What Cell Phone and Internet Provider? http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/02/02/reader-question-what-cell-phone-and-internet-provider/ A community blog for Crozet, Virginia Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Jim http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/02/02/reader-question-what-cell-phone-and-internet-provider/comment-page-1/#comment-31529 Jim Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:59:00 +0000 http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/02/02/reader-question-what-cell-phone-and-internet-provider/#comment-31529 From an offline commenter: Please take my advice and avoid DirectTV like the plague. I dealt with them for a brief period and it was nothing but trouble. They promised the world and delivered very little. Then when I had to get rid of them basically for breach of contract they stuck me with steep termination fees. The minimum contract period is 2 YEARS. There shouldn't be a contract and with cable there is none. Comcast is a pretty decent deal and after the introductory offers expire, new offers are made every month to keep your costs down. You have to call and ask about them though. In my area they don't offer phone service so I went with Vonage for that, but you may want to investigate MagicJack.com. It plugs into your computer and your regular phone plugs into it. Your calls go through the internet. You may find Comcast offers phone service there. Going back to DirectTV, I've heard that all the satellite type TV service providers are the same sort of thing so there's no advantage going with Dish Network or whatever. In addition, you get FAR more channels with cable than any satellite service. From an offline commenter:

Please take my advice and avoid DirectTV like the plague. I dealt with them for a brief period and it was nothing but trouble. They promised the world and delivered very little. Then when I had to get rid of them basically for breach of contract they stuck me with steep termination fees. The minimum contract period is 2 YEARS. There shouldn’t be a contract and with cable there is none. Comcast is a pretty decent deal and after the introductory offers expire, new offers are made every month to keep your costs down. You have to call and ask about them though. In my area they don’t offer phone service so I went with Vonage for that, but you may want to investigate MagicJack.com. It plugs into your computer and your regular phone plugs into it. Your calls go through the internet. You may find Comcast offers phone service there. Going back to DirectTV, I’ve heard that all the satellite type TV service providers are the same sort of thing so there’s no advantage going with Dish Network or whatever. In addition, you get FAR more channels with cable than any satellite service.

]]> By: GdCole http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/02/02/reader-question-what-cell-phone-and-internet-provider/comment-page-1/#comment-31525 GdCole Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:39:08 +0000 http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/02/02/reader-question-what-cell-phone-and-internet-provider/#comment-31525 I have had Verizon and US Cellular. If you want just W Albemarle coverage, US Cellular is the best from my experience. But if you travel, especially in cities, you will get much better performance from Verizon. US Cellular national plans roam on virtually all other networks, but messages sometimes come a few hours later if you miss the call. If you are looking to have an IPhone, wait till fall I have had similar experiences with Dish and DirecTV (no option for Comcast in Midway or White Hall). I chose Dish for the local channels. I have had Verizon and US Cellular. If you want just W Albemarle coverage, US Cellular is the best from my experience. But if you travel, especially in cities, you will get much better performance from Verizon. US Cellular national plans roam on virtually all other networks, but messages sometimes come a few hours later if you miss the call. If you are looking to have an IPhone, wait till fall

I have had similar experiences with Dish and DirecTV (no option for Comcast in Midway or White Hall). I chose Dish for the local channels.

]]> By: Ron_Crozet http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/02/02/reader-question-what-cell-phone-and-internet-provider/comment-page-1/#comment-31524 Ron_Crozet Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:03:31 +0000 http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/02/02/reader-question-what-cell-phone-and-internet-provider/#comment-31524 We have experience with nTelos and ATT. NTelos coverage was better, ATT coverage has holes, one hole is -surprisingly- right in the Brownsville-Henley school area, where we cannot get a signal, and it is very weak around the Harris Teeter place. This could be our phones (no smart ones). I remember that route 810 towards Whitehall is very bad too (especially the lower areas, reception improves uphill -facing the distant cell towers). No cable available unless you move into a "denser" neighborhood. We have experience with nTelos and ATT. NTelos coverage was better, ATT coverage has holes, one hole is -surprisingly- right in the Brownsville-Henley school area, where we cannot get a signal, and it is very weak around the Harris Teeter place. This could be our phones (no smart ones). I remember that route 810 towards Whitehall is very bad too (especially the lower areas, reception improves uphill -facing the distant cell towers). No cable available unless you move into a “denser” neighborhood.

]]> By: Crozet Mom http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/02/02/reader-question-what-cell-phone-and-internet-provider/comment-page-1/#comment-31523 Crozet Mom Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:35:26 +0000 http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/02/02/reader-question-what-cell-phone-and-internet-provider/#comment-31523 We have Verizon for our cells and have been very pleased with the coverage. We use CenturyLink (formally Embarq) for our home phone and internet. I feel we pay too much, so I am exploring options. We have Dish Network and are also very pleased with that! We wanted to be able to get local channels and Direct TV does not offer the locals. Even in insanely heavy snow, we still get a signal with little/no problem. We did have to clean the dish off after the December snowstorm,but it worked great after that! We have Verizon for our cells and have been very pleased with the coverage.

We use CenturyLink (formally Embarq) for our home phone and internet. I feel we pay too much, so I am exploring options.

We have Dish Network and are also very pleased with that! We wanted to be able to get local channels and Direct TV does not offer the locals. Even in insanely heavy snow, we still get a signal with little/no problem. We did have to clean the dish off after the December snowstorm,but it worked great after that!

]]> By: Edward Strauss http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/02/02/reader-question-what-cell-phone-and-internet-provider/comment-page-1/#comment-31517 Edward Strauss Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:04:14 +0000 http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/02/02/reader-question-what-cell-phone-and-internet-provider/#comment-31517 Verizon, which used to be Alltel has some serious holes in coverage in Crozet. Comcast is not available everywhere either. If your coming from a developed area you might be sadly disappointed on the level of service that is available here. I suggest that you do not commit to any plan before you get a chance to try it out... Verizon, which used to be Alltel has some serious holes in coverage in Crozet. Comcast is not available everywhere either. If your coming from
a developed area you might be sadly disappointed on the level of service
that is available here. I suggest that you do not commit to any plan before you get a chance to try it out…

]]> By: SBE http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/02/02/reader-question-what-cell-phone-and-internet-provider/comment-page-1/#comment-31515 SBE Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:31:19 +0000 http://www.realcrozetva.com/2010/02/02/reader-question-what-cell-phone-and-internet-provider/#comment-31515 We are in Laurel Hills across from Crozet Elementary: We use Sprint and Comcast. I don't love either, but they work great. You must stay on top of Comcast to keep your prices down. If you call and ask, you can always get on a promotional rate, and never should need to pay full price. Also watch their "trip charges". We are in Laurel Hills across from Crozet Elementary:
We use Sprint and Comcast. I don’t love either, but they work great. You must stay on top of Comcast to keep your prices down. If you call and ask, you can always get on a promotional rate, and never should need to pay full price. Also watch their “trip charges”.

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