Telephone

[R. Richard]

OK, I was living in an area served by AT&T. So, I signed up and got their telephone service. It worked great! Somebody would call me and the phone would ring so I would know (very handy!). I could talk to people and even call them. It was OK and the price was only mildy outrageous.

Then, I moved to another area. I signed up with SBC. Hey, it was pretty much the same as AT&T and I got my very own unique (!) 10 digit telephone number. Mind you, I was not disappointed with AT&T, it was just that SBC was the local service provider and it was handy.

Now AT&T has come back to get me! I get these calls, "Prepare to be assimilated. Resistance is futile."

Take it from me, if you are with AT&T, stay with them. If not, they will come and get you! [Which is alright with me. I may even get an AT&T tee shirt.]

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Details, please. What are AT&T saying to you?

 

[imalickin]

come back, come back, we love you, we want your money, we want your soul, we want to be your only talking thingy.

 

[logophile]

So, I grew up with AT&T, used them faithfully till I moved to an area that wasn't served by them. It was an SBC area, like yours. So I signed up with SBC, switched to MCI for a while, and then back to SBC.

Now I find out that AT&T merged with SBC. And MCI is in hot pursuit of me. They want me back. Want my business. BUT... They don't yet offer DSL. So, too bad for them.

 

[R. Richard]

So, I grew up with AT&T, used them faithfully till I moved to an area that wasn't served by them. It was an SBC area, like yours. So I signed up with SBC, switched to MCI for a while, and then back to SBC.

Now I find out that AT&T merged with SBC. And MCI is in hot pursuit of me. They want me back. Want my business. BUT... They don't yet offer DSL. So, too bad for them.

I was with MSN for my ISP. However, in my area, MSN only offered dial-up. So I went with SBC, who offered DSL. The other nice thing is that I now get just one bill per month for telephone and ISP.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

SBC is the bees knees.

 

[R. Richard]

SBC is the bees knees.

Yes, but you are likely to find AT&T a bit more on the waspish side.

 

[JRaven]

Actually, it's more like SBC aquired AT&T. They're just using the AT&T name. SBC has been aquiring just about everybody. I think it's up to three of the "Baby Bells" now.

Before SBC worked a deal with Yahell, you could get SBC DSL and use anybody you wanted for an ISP. Now, you're stuck with SBC/Yahell. At least in my area, which used to be SoworstestBellCompany's headquarters.

R.R., I wasn't real sure about what you posted. But, I'm thinking you're refering to your long distance provider. That's seperate and different from your local service provider.

Otherwise, I'm thinking of getting a cable modem and using my cable company for internet access. Then I can go with Vonage and use them for my telephone service. No more Baby Bell, no more Ma Bell.

Jenny

 

[R. Richard]

R.R., I wasn't real sure about what you posted. But, I'm thinking you're refering to your long distance provider. That's seperate and different from your local service provider.

Otherwise, I'm thinking of getting a cable modem and using my cable company for internet access. Then I can go with Vonage and use them for my telephone service. No more Baby Bell, no more Ma Bell.

Jenny

Actually, SBC/AT&T is both my local and long distance provider. I used "El Cheapo Long Distance" for a while. However, someone started making long distance calls and somehow billing them to my number. I pointed out the problem to El Cheapo and they said, "Tough!" I then switched to SBC and, when someone tried the same game, I managed to find our from SBC who the culprit was [VERY unofficially]. I managed to talk the miscreant into never again using my number for his money saving scheme. His friends were so impressed with my lecture that they made a point of telling me, individually, that they will never charge their long distance calls to my number.

I had considered using a cable company. However, I watch almost zero TV and I do not have cable. I did not want to get cable just to have 'Net access. However, the advent of VOIP might make a real diiference.

 

[zeb1094]

Actually, it's more like SBC aquired AT&T. They're just using the AT&T name. SBC has been aquiring just about everybody. I think it's up to three of the "Baby Bells" now.

Before SBC worked a deal with Yahell, you could get SBC DSL and use anybody you wanted for an ISP. Now, you're stuck with SBC/Yahell. At least in my area, which used to be SoworstestBellCompany's headquarters.

R.R., I wasn't real sure about what you posted. But, I'm thinking you're refering to your long distance provider. That's seperate and different from your local service provider.

Otherwise, I'm thinking of getting a cable modem and using my cable company for internet access. Then I can go with Vonage and use them for my telephone service. No more Baby Bell, no more Ma Bell.

Jenny

If you are a Comcast cable customer and I use the 'customer' losely, you can get their VoIP. They will come out and hook it right into you house phone circuit so you won't have to have rewire your house. They are also better able to provide you with 911 service then Vonage.