People using LTE that have other options?

[gscheb]

Hello all,
Seen on another post people are using this stuff when they have other options. Personally myself if I could get "real" internet service don't see me messing with this stuff. Don't get me wrong happy I have something but it is a constant maintenance. Not a set it and forget it option.

So are people using this stuff in lieu of getting xfinity and etc?

Not mad about it just wondering if these people exist and why they do it?

One thing I always say is in the area where they have ISP options also have the best cell towers. Where I live no ISP options and our cell phone towers not as good as city.

[MattB29]

I have never been lucky enough in my remote rural location to have good internet service up till the advent of LTE. Even than it has been severely data (and speed) limited til my recent Cricket plan. I have always striven to stick to the terms of service.

I would guess that many people found out about the old AT&T ipad plan and that it could be made to work in routers. They made heavy use of data at low costs for years. You used to see all the adds on Ebay hawking "Unlimited wireless internet" for low cost. Also during the last few years more and more cheap plans for unlimited data was added to phone service and people also figured out ways around the hotspot/tethering limits placed on them.

So, many have come to expect being able to use massive data amounts for cheap over wireless versus a higher cost cable home connection. In many ways it has help those of us that have no other or severely limited options because the demand has pushed innovation and products. However the phone companies are striking back and curtailing options because of all the misuse. Back and forth it goes.

[Dr-BroadBand]

But not everyone in the U.S. has access to these online services. There are more than 14 million people without any internet access and 25 million without the faster and more reliable broadband access, according to a 2018 Federal Communications Commission study.


https://themarkup.org/ask-the-markup/20 ... d-internet

[R1250GSA]

I would say most people are doing a home LTE router out of necessity, but there are hobby and business aspects too.

In my world, ISP / Internet access has always been extremely critical, seeking redundancy and high capacity whenever possible.
And now, it has become very important for everyone working and schooling from home.

I enjoy wired high speed internet, but I live in an area with many trees that like to take down power and communications due to the many storms that march up the coast.
Wireless, as long as there is some reliable backup power behind the towers, is an important backup ISP.

There are other uses/reasons for wireless, such as RV, Cabin in the woods, remote/temporary office, etc...

The cost of physical infrastructure is crazy expensive. Most physical cables are above ground and very vulnerable. Many dense cities around the world embraced wireless phones because their physical wiring could not keep up.
A lot of people are "cord cutting" traditional cable TV, which has been a very common ISP provider. The younger generations don't have wired home phones.
Verizon Fios, which is great, $80/mos for 1Gbps, I believe has stopped expanding its footprint.
The pilots for 5G home internet are urban.
So wireless is on the rise even where you have physical cables.

[triangles]

My options are DSL from Frontier or the local cable company that I refuse to do business with as they have data caps and will rape you with overage fees if you go over the data cap. So this is my best option for internet.

[Ozarks]

First post on this forum. It is a wealth of information!

I'm in a rural area in NW Ark. and have wireline internet (ADSL2+) from AT&T. All cables are buried, from the C.O. to my house, so no worry about lines down from trees, etc. Speed is a very consistent 16mbps Dn. with unlimited data use.

I am fortunate in that I could also get wireless 4G/LTE home internet from AT&T, T-mo or VZW. Speeds would be faster w/ AT&T Fixed Wireless than the wireline option, but there's that pesky data cap. Service from the other 2 wireless providers would be iffy at best, at my location.

So, I'm staying with AT&T wireline internet service for now, unless something better comes along in the future.

[Dr-BroadBand]

Good News for Arkansas

I saw they were trying internet over power lines

According to the agency, the loan will be used to upgrade parts of the Arkansas company's network, offering users in Fouke and Garland improved voice and video services and internet speeds up to 1 gigabit per second, the same as downloading a 500 megabyte video in 4 seconds.

https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/202 ... s-in-brief

https://www.highspeedinternet.com/ar?kb ... TNEALw_wcB

[Ozarks]

Thanks for the info. The two counties mentioned are getting fiber to the premise, installed by the local independent telco in that area.

The power company project mentioned is not internet over power lines. They are stringing fiber alongside their power grid lines, for power grid telemetry purposes only. The area of the state where I live already has this telemetry fiber. It only serves the electric co-ops, not their members' home internet needs.

That being said, a few co-ops in Ark., MO & elsewhere have taken it upon themselves to run fiber to the premise of every co-op member in their service areas who want it. Sadly, the co-op that serves my area has no intention of providing this much needed utility to their members.

[Dr-BroadBand]

Thanks for the clarification. I was wondering how they were getting Gig speed over AC power lines.
So it's above ground Fiber, via the power lines.

[Ozarks]

Yep. And for the power companies' benefit only. No internet for their members.

[Dr-BroadBand]

Arkansas internet power co-Ops

North Arkansas Electric Cooperative to offer internet access in rural areas

See
https://youtu.be/2NXs0p9jtaY

[Ozarks]

Petit Jean Electric co-op also plans to offer fiber to the premise to their members. Ozarks Electric (not my electric co-op) already does. Barry Electric, not far away in MO, also does. Pricing is something like $79 or so for 1gb/sec. service, with no data caps.

My co-op, Carroll Electric, remains firmly stuck in the past.

[BillA]

Those who need internet for business can tell you that cable companies charge an arm and leg for it (actually both arms and legs). Intro offer starts at around $80/month and after a year it's well above $100/month. Plus they nickel and dime you for their modem/router (aka piece of crap), so you get the picture. Wireless it the way to go!