DISTRIBUTEL Unlimited High-Speed Internet, Finally a SHAW/TELUS Alternative?

[Mista_Incognito]

So I found an interesting advertisement in my mail today. Apparently there is a new ISP that provides unlimited internet among other things (Phone, Long Distance)

When compared with SHAW the prices are of course cheaper without any caps on data usage, but I am not sure about the service and coverage.

Here are the prices:
Cable Internet 1: 36.95$ a Month1mbs speeds, modem included, unlimited data
Cable Internet 7.5: 43.95$ a Month 7.5mbs speeds, modem included, unlimited data
Cable Internet 25: 49.95$ a Month 25mbs speeds... same as above

Install is free and 10$ account set up fee is in place for new customers.

I am sick of SHAW and the internet and cable monopoly they have in place... these prices are cheaper... the customer service might not be as good but based on my past experiences with SHAW I am willing to take a risk.

Good too see that there is finally some selection out there and I am going to give my support to the small fish. Has anyone had a chance to try this service?

[keratosis]

Do they have service to vans down by the river?

[OldDutch]

Right now Shaw is a 2/10 in Customer Service. I would say the risk is minimal, given you are not breaking a contract to go over, and can switch back if it is worse.

[Mista_Incognito]

Originally Posted by keratosis

Do they have service to vans down by the river?

When I said I got an advertisement in my mail... I really meant to say I found an interesting piece of litter in along the river bank near my van.

It will be deal breaker if they can not provide services to people like myself who are LIVING IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!

[Rathji]

Unlimited is never really unlimited in my experience, especially for those prices. They must throttle at some point, which is fine, but would need to know what that point is before you could accurately compare them to existing providers (Shaw or Telus)

What are the upload speeds? What about higher download speeds? Many of us are on 50Mb/s download (or higher) plans.

Terms seem a little restrictive to me. Of probable interest to people here:

from http://www.distributel.ca/residential/policy.aspx

DATA STORAGE AND OTHER LIMITATIONS

You must ensure that your activity while using the Services does not improperly restrict, inhibit or degrade any other customer’s use of the Services, nor represent (in the sole judgment of Distributel) an unusually large burden on the network itself...

Distributel reserves the right to set specific limits for Bandwidth Usage and charge for excessive Bandwidth Usage for residential Services at any time. In addition, you must ensure that your activities do not improperly restrict, disrupt, inhibit, degrade or impede Distributel’s ability to deliver the Services and monitor the Services, backbone, network nodes, and/or other network services.

...


The number of users who access the network will be limited to the number of connections allowed to them, on their service description order. Generally one connection per service is allowed. Distributel will deny any additional connection attempts exceeding the allowed number.

So seems nice on the surface, but for anyone who truly needs unlimited service, is probably lacking. You really do get what you pay for.

[Mista_Incognito]

I use about 10-20 GB a month on SHAW so the unlimited aspect is not really the major selling point for me. Personally the crappy experiences I have had with SHAW over the past few years is what makes me interested in this service and I am sure there are many others out there who can relate.

I am not a fan of all the increases in rates and restrictions without seeing a better product.... But hey, that's what a monopoly will do

10 bucks a month is not that much to save for me... but I have been stuck with SHAW/Telus because they are pretty much the only game in town.

I know this doesn't relate to cable but at least there is hope that things are starting to change... the more competition between companies... the better it is for the consumer.

[ken0042]

Are those prices really lower than Shaw? I'm with Telus and have a 6 mbps connection and I'm sure I pay something like $25 per month. I know I overpay for my home phone at around $35- but I think that includes a certain amout of LD.

I could be wrong- but those numbers don't seem all that cheap.

[TurnedTheCorner]

It's a 5-10 dollar savings/month on the Shaw plans for 7.5 and 25 mbps - but you can save that with Shaw if you bundle another service as well. I think this is less about savings and more about choice.

http://www.shaw.ca/Internet/Compare-Plans/

[Mista_Incognito]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Are those prices really lower than Shaw? I'm with Telus and have a 6 mbps connection and I'm sure I pay something like $25 per month. I know I overpay for my home phone at around $35- but I think that includes a certain amout of LD.

I could be wrong- but those numbers don't seem all that cheap.

Cant speak for Telus and the phone/cable bundles, introduction rates etc... I don't have cable or a home phone and I have never been a Telus client so cant speak for the service they provide. Shaw on the other hand...

If I could get stand alone 6mbps internet for 25$ I would gladly fork over the money to Telus with a smile but that is not an option. Based on the current plan I have with Shaw here are the comparisons:

Shaw Extreme $59.00/mo Limit 250 GB 25 Mbps 2.5 Mbps UL
Distributel 25 $49.95/mo No Limit 25 Mbps 2 Mbps UL
Telus 25 $54.00/mo Limit 500 GB 21-25 Mbps 2 Mbps UL

Not huge saving by any means, under 120 bucks a year. But based on some bad experiences with Shaw CSR's and no show service calls it's a little bit more personal for me. I also don't like the idea of download limits but at the same time I dont see myself ever going close to 250GB a month limit. Cable is really where Shaw customers balls in a vice grip.

I just want the internet but based on the ad I got in the mail you can add a local phone for under 16$ with Distributel, combined that is pretty much the same price you are paying now so I understand you not being so keen on this deal.

[WilsonFourTwo]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

It's a 5-10 dollar savings/month on the Shaw plans for 7.5 and 25 mbps - but you can save that with Shaw if you bundle another service as well. I think this is less about savings and more about choice.

http://www.shaw.ca/Internet/Compare-Plans/

I think its friggin' lame that you have to overpay for another service in order to "Save" on another. I have a cell phone and don't watch cable......why can't I just have your best price for Internet? BLERG!

[ken0042]

Wilson, please tell me you aren't serious. I'm the last one to enjoy paying a telecommunications bill, but like any other business they give a discount to people who buy in volume. Add to that the fact that it costs less per service if you have multiple; as they already have the cable line running to your house.

And to my previous post; just to correct my numbers:
- $24/ month for 6 mbps internet
- $35/ month for phone with all the features; but does not include long distance. It does get me a discounted rate for my overseas long distance; which probably saves us $10-20 per month.

So I guess this one is in the ballpark. My only concern is if they are re-selling somebody else's service. A friend had DSL that was Telus being re-sold, and if he had an issue it took longer to get resolved because the company he was paying also had to get Telus involved.

[Mista_Incognito]

15% savings on what I am currently paying for with SHAW... No complaints here. Definitely nice to have a choice. In a competitive market, businesses will try to make their products different from the rest. This results in greater choice so that consumers can select the product that offers the right balance between price and quality for them.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by WilsonFourTwo

I think its friggin' lame that you have to overpay for another service in order to "Save" on another. I have a cell phone and don't watch cable......why can't I just have your best price for Internet? BLERG!

This x1000.

I only want high speed internet, and I'm willing to pay for it. But I don't see why the stand alone price for broadband 50 is 25% more on it's own than if I get cable TV as well. I don't want cable tv, so I should have to pay more on my internet service for the privilege of not having cable?

Yes I get how bundle pricing works, but it's really a freaking racket the way they price it down to the individual services. Instead of just saying "Bundle these 2-3 services and we'll discount the package by 25%" it's "Bundle these services or we're marking each one up 25%"

/rant

[Cheese]

Not sure if ACN is in Alberta or not...have heard good things about them from friends.
http://essentialservice.shopacnrep.ca/index.aspx

[Rathji]

Do you really think the cost to Shaw/Telus is the same per service, regardless of how many you have running into your house?

3 services to one house is one install appointment, one cable running from house to pedestal (and taking up a spot in sometimes limited hardware), one bill sent out each month.

1 service to 3 houses is 3 install appointments, 3 cables run to the pedestal - taking up space where houses with 3 services each could be running, 3 bills sent out each month.

Logical thinking would dictate that one of those situations would clearly cost more. I will leave it to you to guess which one that might be.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Do you really think the cost to Shaw/Telus is the same per service, regardless of how many you have running into your house?

3 services to one house is one install appointment, one cable running from house to pedestal (and taking up a spot in sometimes limited hardware), one bill sent out each month.

1 service to 3 houses is 3 install appointments, 3 cables run to the pedestal - taking up space where houses with 3 services each could be running, 3 bills sent out each month.

Logical thinking would dictate that one of those situations would clearly cost more. I will leave it to you to guess which one that might be.

Well considering the $30 connection fee I pay to have Shaw come out to my single house it shouldn't matter if their connecting 3 services or 1. Yes your analogy of 1 house VS 3 is a fair point, but their billing me to come out anyways and all the billing is online.

As I said I get the bundle pricing, I just wish they'd discount the package as a whole instead of jacking up the price on the individual services.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by jaydorn

Well considering the $30 connection fee I pay to have Shaw come out to my single house it shouldn't matter if their connecting 3 services or 1. Yes your analogy of 1 house VS 3 is a fair point, but their billing me to come out anyways and all the billing is online.

But it uses the same infrastructure if it is one service or 3. Same number of plugs on the pedestal (green box in alley) - which as some people on this board have complained about, having it full has stopped them from getting Telus services. Less customers = less profit. More cost to put in more ports = more cost. how is that not a difference?

As I said I get the bundle pricing, I just wish they'd discount the package as a whole instead of jacking up the price on the individual services.

I am confused. You think that the bundled price is the normal price and that they raise the price if you don't get it bundled? Why not think about it like this: The non-bundled price is the normal price and you get a discount for bundling. It is the same thing (and is actually what is happening).

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by Rathji

But it uses the same infrastructure if it is one service or 3. Same number of plugs on the pedestal (green box in alley) - which as some people on this board have complained about, having it full has stopped them from getting Telus services.



I am confused. You think that the bundled price is the normal price and that they raise the price if you don't get it bundled? Why not think about it like this: The non-bundled price is the normal price and you get a discount for bundling. It is the same thing (and is actually what is happening).

Here's the issue:
Broadband 50 stand alone = $75
Broadband 50 bundled = $59

Basic Cable stand alone = $39
Basic Cable bundled = $29

Broadband 50 ($59) + Basic Cable($29) = $88 (although using the Shaw personalizer it comes out to $84 for some reason)

So it's a $9 difference between having cable & not having cable if you want broadband 50 internet. So is the cable TV really $29 or is it $9 a month?

[Rathji]

Why can't the internet be $59 AND the cable be $29 at the same time, giving you the combined discount for bundling?

I am ignoring the personalizer thing, which I am guessing isn't your real issue here, but if it is I would assume that it is some sort of error on Shaw's part to establish uniform pricing when they introduce the personalizer, or perhaps that they give an additional discount for using the personalizer (for some reason).

[ken0042]

Or how about it costs them $20 per month to keep an active line going to your house. So when you bundle, it allows them to pass along some of the savings.

I have friends who try to rationalize like you jaydorn; and really it comes down to being cheap. Don't get me wrong; I'm cheap as well. It isn't always a bad thing. However you can't look at the lowest line item and ask why you don't get that price. It's like looking at the McDonalds menu and seeing that a Big Mac combo is only 20¢ more than just the burger and fries; and then asking to just buy a drink for 20¢ without buying anything else.