Speakeasy - First Impressions

[bill at horne.net (Bill Horne)]

David Kramer wrote:

>Bill Horne wrote:
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>[snip]
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>>* Long wait for install - it took Covad/Verizon two tries to get the
>>  line working, so I had to wait over a month for service after I
>>  placed the order.
>>    
>>
>
>That's Covad/Verizon, not Speakeasy.  Remember, in this three/four-way
>relationship, Speakeasy is depending on their competitors to complete the
>process for them.
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>
True, but I mentioned it in the interest of balance: the fact is that 
Speakeasy IS dependent on Covad, and Covad on Verizon, and the user has 
to wait for all the ducks to get into a row.

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>>Neutral:
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>>* Price comparable with Comcast, assuming you don't already have cable
>>  TV and will pay for the minimum "antenna" service that Comcast requires
>>  for data users. If you're paying for Cable TV already, you may or may
>>  not choose to include your cable TV fee as part of the cost of data
>>  service: I had to pay ~12/month for the bottom tier of TV service in
>>  order to get a cable modem.
>>    
>>
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>Can Comcast deliver a static IP?  Not comparable services.
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I was paying ~59/month for cable data, which included a ~12/month charge 
for the lowest-tier "TV" service. Speakeasy charges ~56/month for 
1.5/384 ADSL with a dynamic IP, and offers a static IP (and dialup 
access) at the ~65/month level. So, the prices are comparable for users 
who use dynamic IP addresses, assuming the inclusion of the "TV" part of 
Comcast's price.

As Ed Frankenberry pointed out, it's a better idea to go with Earthlink 
if you choose cable data but don't want to pay for any "tv" service: 
something I wish I'd known about.

Long story short: unless you're more than 15Kf from the central office, 
I'd recommend Speakeasy ADSL over Comcast cable.

YMMV.

Bill

-- 
E. William Horne
William Warren Consulting
Computer and Network Installation and Service
http://billhorne.com/
Voice 781 784-7287
Fax   781 784-0951