Verizon Offers Some New DSL Deals
Not everyone has the option to choose from a bevy of broadband Internet service providers, nor can everyone afford the high price of Verizon's FIOS service or even some cable broadband options. For some users, DSL is still the most viable option for getting online via a broadband connection. You may not see the same 50Mbps speeds as you'd get with Verizon's much faster FIOS service ($139.95 per month) or Comcast's Extreme Fifty service (also $139.95 per month); but you will also pay a lot less--Verizon's DSL service can be as inexpensive as $17.99 per month for the 1Mbps service.
Today, Verizon is announcing that it's "up-to-7.1" Mbps service
is now available to over 9 million households and costs $37.99 per
month. When Verizon first rolled out its 7.1Mbps service it was
initially only available to about 400,000 households. Those users who
sign up now for at least a two-year contract will never see that price
go up--it will stay locked in at $37.99 for as long as they keep the
service. While this sounds potentially enticing, it is a lot like cell
phone contracts: By the time your contract expires, there will probably
be better deals and better prices, which will likely see you starting a
new contract anyway. So while this will lock in your price for the next
two years, there is a good chance that in two year's time Verizon will
offer faster DSL speeds at a similar price. Verizon also offers a 3Mbps
service that costs $27.99 per month.
Verizon also announced a number of "double-play" and "triple-play" promotions that bundle together a combination of home phone, Internet, and DirectTV services. For instance, the double-play bundles start at $49.99 per month and include home phone service and 1Mbps Internet service; the triple-play bundles add TV and they start at $79.99 per month and include 1Mbps Internet service. Existing customers who upgrade their service to one of the new bundles at the 3Mbps or 7.1Mbps Internet service through February 21 will "receive a special discount of up to $30 a month for the first three months."
Obviously, DSL is not the best option for everyone--especially those who need fast connection speeds. Also, with more folks uploading photos and videos these days, it is important to note that the fastest upstream speed you will see with Verizon DSL is 768Kbps (with both the 3Mbps and 7.1Mbps plans). There is one advantage, however, that Verizon DSL users have over most cable broadband subscribers: Verizon DSL does not cap the usage of its customers. So while Verizon DSL users might be uploading and downloading at slower speeds than their broadband cable neighbors, Verizon DSL users can use up as much bandwidth as they want. Residential Comcast customers, on the other hand, are limited to an aggregate 250GB of downstream and upstream data per month.
Today, Verizon is announcing that it's "up-to-7.1" Mbps service
is now available to over 9 million households and costs $37.99 per
month. When Verizon first rolled out its 7.1Mbps service it was
initially only available to about 400,000 households. Those users who
sign up now for at least a two-year contract will never see that price
go up--it will stay locked in at $37.99 for as long as they keep the
service. While this sounds potentially enticing, it is a lot like cell
phone contracts: By the time your contract expires, there will probably
be better deals and better prices, which will likely see you starting a
new contract anyway. So while this will lock in your price for the next
two years, there is a good chance that in two year's time Verizon will
offer faster DSL speeds at a similar price. Verizon also offers a 3Mbps
service that costs $27.99 per month.Verizon also announced a number of "double-play" and "triple-play" promotions that bundle together a combination of home phone, Internet, and DirectTV services. For instance, the double-play bundles start at $49.99 per month and include home phone service and 1Mbps Internet service; the triple-play bundles add TV and they start at $79.99 per month and include 1Mbps Internet service. Existing customers who upgrade their service to one of the new bundles at the 3Mbps or 7.1Mbps Internet service through February 21 will "receive a special discount of up to $30 a month for the first three months."
Obviously, DSL is not the best option for everyone--especially those who need fast connection speeds. Also, with more folks uploading photos and videos these days, it is important to note that the fastest upstream speed you will see with Verizon DSL is 768Kbps (with both the 3Mbps and 7.1Mbps plans). There is one advantage, however, that Verizon DSL users have over most cable broadband subscribers: Verizon DSL does not cap the usage of its customers. So while Verizon DSL users might be uploading and downloading at slower speeds than their broadband cable neighbors, Verizon DSL users can use up as much bandwidth as they want. Residential Comcast customers, on the other hand, are limited to an aggregate 250GB of downstream and upstream data per month.
