Cogeco Cable is mailing flyers to residents in eastern Canada promoting the company’s ‘value’ option:

• 4Mbps download speed
• 12 Month Contract with $75 early termination fee
• Increases to $32.95/mo off contract
• “Generous” 15GB usage cap with $1.50/GB overlimit fee (maximum penalty: $50)

Cogeco calls this plan ideal “for anyone who uses the Internet to exchange emails with friends, search sites and download pictures.”

In other words, it’s barely broadband for those who barely use the Internet.

Many Ontario and Quebec phone companies can offer even faster speeds through traditional DSL service. In Bell Fibe areas, for $6 more a month, customers can get a 15/10Mbps package for $26.97/mo for six months, which includes a safer 75GB allowance. At the end of six months, threaten to walk and Bell will extend the offer an extra six months.

Customers bundling services with either Bell or Cogeco may be able to negotiate for a package with better speeds and a more generous allowance. While Cogeco has cracked down on promotions, Bell has not, so customers served by Cogeco are advised to ask about all available deals before committing to either provider.

Other stories of interest:

1. Cogeco Unveils DOCSIS 3 Upgrades in Niagara Falls, St. Catherines, Ont.
2. Cogeco Follows Rogers: Introduces New “Ultimate HSI” Package for $149 a Month… With 150GB Cap
3. Cogeco Cable Cracks Down on “Promotion-Hopping, Undesirable Customers”
4. Cogeco: Prove Our Usage Meter is Wrong When It Says You Used 36GB Yesterday
5. Usage-Based Billing Nightmare: $689 In Overlimit Fees Shocks Ontario Cogeco Customer