AT&T Quietly Offers $10 DSL

[CatWoman]

CBS 5 / AP) AT&T Inc. has started offering a broadband Internet service for $10 a month, cheaper than any of its advertised plans.

The DSL, or digital subscriber line, plan is part of the concessions made by AT&T to the Federal Communications Commission to get its $86 billion acquisition of BellSouth Corp. approved last December.

The $10 offer is available to customers in the 22-state AT&T service region, which includes former BellSouth areas, who have never had AT&T or BellSouth broadband, spokesman Michael Coe said. Local-phone service and a one-year contract are required; the modem is free of charge.

The plan wasn't mentioned in a news release about AT&T's DSL plans and is slightly hidden on the AT&T Web site. A page describing DSL options doesn't mention it, but clicking a link for "Term contract plans" reveals it. It is also presented to customers who go into the application process, Mr. Coe said.

The service provides download speeds of up to 768 kilobits per second and upload speeds of up to 128 kbps, matching the speeds of the cheapest advertised AT&T plan, which costs $19.95 per month in the nine-state former BellSouth area and $14.99 in the 13 states covered by AT&T before the acquisition.

http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_172182435.html

[wildbilln864]

1. This needs ....

a KICK! :hi:
Thanks for posting it!

[CatWoman]

3. I heard about it on the local radio station

this electronics geek has a weekly talk show, and he is also featured on another station.

I hope some DUer's can benefit from this!!

:hi:

[wildbilln864]

8. CatWoman......

:yourock: :hi:

[aquart]

2. Which 13 AT&T states would that be?

[CatWoman]

6. damn you, Aquart

:grr:

I gave you the info, can't you search for the region?

on edit, just found it: http://www.att.com/Common/attrev1/key_att_us_service_regions_map_final.pdf

[tinrobot]

4. The same AT&T that's spying on us?

I wouldn't accept their service for free.

[City Lights]

7. Nor would I.

:mad:

[wildbilln864]

10. Is there really....

a communications company which we know isn't spying on us all? :shrug:
I suspect not but then I don't know. :hi:

edited to add: communications company.

[EFerrari]

23. I tried to go to Working Assets but ATT kept messing up

switching me over. I finally gave up. They beat me. And, I tend to think you are right.

Also, if Yahoo! and Google will accommodate the Chinese gov, no one can possible imagine they won't do the same for BushCo. :shrug:

[CrispyQ]

24. Didn't Qwest say no to turning over their records? --nt

[Stephanie]

28. exactly

Unfortunately I can't take advantage of this bargain since I am boycotting them.

[xchrom]

5. kicking with glee!

[BlooInBloo]

9. It's slow tho. Still, it's a lot better than nothing.

[CatWoman]

11. Is there a parade you WON'T piss on?

:)

[BlooInBloo]

13. Sorry (blush).

[Coventina]

12. Damn! Not in their service area.

For one, brief, shining moment I thought maybe my dial-up days were over.

:-(

[RufusTFirefly]

14. Sure this isn't viral marketing?

Just askin'

[CatWoman]

16. I don't know what "viral marketing" is

:shrug:

[ananda]

15. I wouldn't take anything from ATT free..

.. and I'm getting rid of my landline as soon as I move.

Fuck ATT.

[Maddy McCall]

17. I called about their naked DSL day before yesterday. I got fed bullshit.q

According to the federal merger requirements, ATT is supposed to offer stand-alone DSL for $19.99/mo. They have to do this by June. They can't require any other packages attached to the DSL.

Well, the rep I talked to said that, indeed, ATT has the $19.99 DSL, BUT you have to subscribe to Cingular, because "you need to have some kind of a phone."

I told her about the federal merger mandates, and she was clueless. She said that if anything like that was going to be offered any time soon, she had not been informed about it.

I want the naked DSL. I want it for the price required by the feds. I don't want cingular service. I've been a forced ATT customer now for, what?, five months? and I'm already disgusted with ATT.

:grr:

If anyone knows anything about ATT offering stand-alone DSL to existing ATT (former BellSouth) customers, please PM me, because I am sick of paying for a phone line I don't need.

[CatWoman]

18. Maddy, I know this is off topic

but I really, really hate that butt-ugly frog :)

[tblue37]

25. I hate AT&T.

When they ripped me off big time, I switched to Southwestern Bell for my long distance service. After a while, SW Bell began to use At&T as it subcontractor for long distance service, so I left SW Bell, too, and hooked up with our local broadband service for my telephone--and while I was at it, I also added broadband servie for my internet and basic cable for my TV. All together, I get all those services for less than I was paying for just phone and dial-up internet before.

[CatWoman]

26. I have that same bundle/ package with Comcast

[zabet]

19. Thanks!

I am in one of the states it is offered in (NC). I will be making inquiries Monday. I actually still have a rotary phone, talk about stone age technology!! Anything would be better than the snail connection I have out here on the farm.
:smoke:

[blogslut]

20. Those bastards

I just re-negotiated my DSL contract and there was not one word mentioned about this $10.00 option. Grrr.

[madokie]

21. all I can say is try to see if you can order it

talk about run around, I've been through it and still no order for the service. I don't think they want us to take them up on it

[GeorgeGist]

22. Of course ...

here I am stuck with my now overpriced Bellsouth DSL. Guess it's time to switch.

[FloridaJudy]

27. It doesn't sound as if we can switch

to the lower-priced plan, since we're already Bellsouth/ATT customers. This sounds as if it's only available to new customers. Creeps.

[ThomCat]

29. They are forced to offer this, but

they're going to do everything they can to make sure you don't get this deal. They're going to hard-sell the more expensive services, bury any information about this offer, and make the installations and service calls for this service a lower priority.

They don't want to offer this service, and they'll make people regret asking for it.

[Elwood P Dowd]

30. It's tempting since I pay Earthlink $39.00 a month.

However, 768K and 128K are slow as hell compared to what I have. One of my neighbors has the $19.95 BellSouth, and his pages load much slower than mine on many sites. I've been using Earthlink since 1999, and have been extremely happy with their service (except for them moving tech support to India).

[mikelgb]

31. i see a statement on the site that it can be ordered...

but I still have not been able to add it to my cart

[CatWoman]

32. kick

:kick:

[KG]

33. DSL sucks. didn't realize it till it got so bad i switched to cable over 6 mos ago.

rock solid connection ever since. and all i gotta buy is the internet service.

[entanglement]

34. That's quite odd - who was your DSL provider?

n/t