by We finally have a new provider after a grueling week without internet! Yes, we survived a week without home internet, but it was difficult to get things done. Our router started to fail a few weeks ago. It kept getting disconnected until it finally gave up.
Clear has provided us with wireless 4G internet service for the past four years. Unfortunately, Clear was purchased by Sprint two years ago, and our monthly bill increased by $5 to $39.99. We weren’t thrilled with the small price increase, but we didn’t see any better alternatives worth the hassle of switching providers.
Then, a few months ago, Clear (under Sprint) informed us that we needed to find an alternative service plan by November 2015, as the Clear 4G network would no longer be served. That felt like they bought the company to eliminate the competition and shut it down. As a result, rather than replacing our broken Clear router, we decided to start looking for a new provider right away. After researching alternatives, we realized we had little choice but to contact the major providers in our area.
Our needs and wants
Our TV viewing habits include streaming Netflix and DramaFever, so we were looking for high-speed internet that could handle streaming well.
We also required unlimited data because streaming consumes a significant amount of it. Given that Netflix consumes the most data, we went to their website to see what their recommended speed was.
We’d be happy with five megabits per second (Mbps) for high definition viewing, according to Netflix. Although 25 Mbps is recommended for ultra high definition, we were willing to forego it if it meant additional savings.
We went shopping for a new provider with this information in hand!
Our alternatives
We usually try to see what the small guys have to offer before going with the big boys, but due to a lack of options in our area, we were forced to knock on their “big” doors.
To make a long story short, we were left with the following options:
- Freedom Pop – For $23.99 plus $.007 per additional megabite, this wireless 4G internet service provider provides 10 gigabytes of data. We use 60 GB of data per month on average, so that would cost us more than $350 per month! No, please…
- Xfinity (Comcast) – This “tiny” competitor is notorious for poor customer service, so we cringed even before looking at their offers. For $44.99 per month, Xfinity provides unlimited internet with download speeds of up to 25 Mbps, as well as local channels and HBO, which we don’t really need, for the first 12 months. After a year, it would rise to around $69.95 – $74.95 per month. For at least a year, this was a contender for us, but let’s see what another communication behemoth had to offer.
- Verizon FiOS – I was surprised to see that we could find an unbundled offer at such a low price. They also offered unlimited internet with download speeds of up to 25 Mbps for $29 per month with a two-year contract. The plan normally costs $74 per month! I had a few questions after browsing online and decided to speak with a chat service representative. He was surprisingly helpful, indicating that such offers usually expire after a few days and increase until they reach the regular rate. This was the best offer so far, and a better overall deal (faster speed for less money) than what we had with Clear!
Our new provider…
We are now officially Verizon customers, paying $29 per month for the next two years, and have saved $11 per month. Cha-ching! Cha-ching! More money in our pockets means more opportunities to invest, which brings us one step closer to financial independence.
And it gets better: with 25 Mbps, Netflix looks better than ever, owing to our much faster connection. So far, their customer service has been excellent, and the chat service representative was not kidding about the rate increasing soon.
When I returned to the site later that week to recommend the offer to a family member, it had already risen to $44 for a one-year contract. We must have struck gold with this deal.
We’ll keep you updated on our experience with the service and hope for two years of trouble-free high-speed internet and happy blogging. 🙂
Ha! Your router picked the right time to cut out! Great deal!
Yes, Froogal Stoodent! It worked out great in the end. Thanks for dropping in.
Xfinity is a winner for because of how reliable they are. Have not found any other good alternatives.
It’s been 4 months since we switched to Verizon FiOS. So far so good so we hope that continues.
what was your download speed with that mango hardware XD
Unfortunately, I couldn’t even get a signal in its natural state but after I added strawberries, bananas, ice and turned it into a smoothie, it downloaded to the stomach at a pretty fast speed.