this post was submitted on 06 Dec 2023
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I called my ISP after they bumped prices by $5/month (and told me a single time on the fine print at the bottom of the PDF e-bill of their shitty app). I threatened to switch to their competition and they told me flat out "no you won't they're not as fast and you're not going to break even on setup fees for years".
First, look into 5G competitors. They have higher latency but usually decent speeds. Unless you’re playing tournaments in competitive video games, they work just fine.
Then, call your ISP with a complaint, and say you’re considering moving over to that competitor. You have to actually be willing to make the move though, because retention lines are starting to care less and less about actually keeping you. I had one actually just say “okay done the line is cancelled.”
Be sure you actually call them on their bullshit though. “They aren’t as fast” may be true, but “I don’t actually need the speeds you’re offering 99% of the time.” “They have high latency” again may be true, but “I don’t actually use the internet for anything that requires an obscenely low ping.”
It’s annoying to have to do, but you can save money with it. And you may actually find a competitor you’re willing to make the move for, saving yourself some money in the process.
In my town, I used T-Mobile Home Internet for a bit. The speed increase was great for a bit, even tho I liked to game. But after a point, the internet was congested from 3 PM to 10 PM. It was wonderful for the first 3 months, and then I had to constantly call the IT/Networking department. Imaging calling them twice a week, every week, and going through 3 router swaps, and a minimum of 20 minutes of phone tag, from September 2022 to February 2023.
"You said that last week."
"Okay, it's past november. It's still slow. My phone has no issues with data or calling."
"It's now close to Christmas, and it's even worse."
"Yet again, its still slow. Why does my phone still work just fine?"
"It's february and still shit."
"Then why can I use my phone just fine?"
"So I'm paying $50 a month to get the bottom of the last barrel?"
So now I'm back to using copper wires because at least it only gets slower during heavy wind, not people wanting to download songs and spy on their children when I'm trying to just relax after work.