Yesterday, I had internet connection installed in my house. It was a choice between 2 providers in our area- Optimum Online or Verizon DSL. A decision made after months of deliberation.
So I called the customer service centers of these 2 providers. First I called Verizon using the number I saw on a tv commercial, and discovered that the DSL service itself is cheaper than cable internet. Just under $30 if I sign up for 1 year. But they say I needed to have a land line telephone, which I don't have. (I'm not even sure if that's really needed because I remember a friend telling me that back in the Philippines, DSL service can be installed independent of the telephone line) So that's around another $15 to $20 that I will be spending on top of the DSL fee for the basic phone line. See, here's the thing. We don't want a land line in our house because everyone's usually out, and we all have cellphones. A land line telephone is redundant.
It was tougher to get through to Cablevision (since they have a whole range of products they want to sell, including Triple Play (bundled package that includes cable tv, internet access and land line telephone) for around $100. (Though I think recently, Verizon came out with its own version (with DirecTV).)) I had to go to their website. And they called me. Here's their deal. The service (for Optimum online only) will cost $30 for 6 months, and it will be $44.95 thereafter.
So I asked around, and found many of my friends who believed Optimum is actually faster than DSL. I factored that into my decision.
In the long run, DSL might be cheaper IF I had a land line phone. But I'm philosophically opposed to paying for something that I don't really need nor use.
So here I am, writing my first blog from home with my really fast Internet connection from Optimum Online. :)
