“Customers could save money…” – Alex Dudley, Time Warner

Road Runner High Speed Internet Cost Review
Tier $/Included Traffic Allowance = Your Cost vs. Theirs

Your Monthly Price      Per GB     Time Warner Pays Per GB¹
$29.99 (5 GB Tier)      $ 6.00            less than 10¢
$39.99 (10GB Tier)      $ 4.00            less than 10¢
$49.99 (20GB Tier)      $ 2.50            less than 10¢
$54.90 (40GB Tier)      $ 1.37            less than 10¢
IYHTAYCAI² (100GB Tier)   N/A             less than 10¢
each additional GB      $ 1.00            less than 10¢

¹New York Times, January 17, 2008 – ²IYHTAYCAI = “If You Have to Ask, You Can’t Afford It”/Time Warner has not released pricing details.

Your Money = Their Money - Turbocharged Right Out of Your Wallet At Blazing Fast Speeds!

The current price for Road Runner service is $39.99 per month for unlimited access (slightly higher if you do not have a cable package) in most areas.  The equivalent service level under the new plan tiers would be 10GB per month, based on the chart in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.  The “standard service” plan (20GB), which is expected to be marketed to most existing customers, represents a $10.00 per month rate increase.  Are you soaking in the savings yet?

Now a breakdown of what it will cost you to use the Internet for several popular applications (low amount represents $1/GB overage charge, high amount represents cost on economy/lite plan):

• Typical High Quality DVD quality movie streamed online (4GB) – $4-24 each
• High Definition quality movie download (Blu-ray)  (13GB) – $13-78 each¹
• High Definition quality movie download (Blu-ray) (25GB) – $25-150 each²
• High Definition quality movie (Akamai Platform) (9GB) – $9-54 each³
• Netflix TV Show/Movie streaming (1-4GB) – $1-24 each
• Hulu/Joost/Amazon/Megavideo TV Show stream (<1GB) – $0.30-2.00 each
• …to be continued with your input!  Help us inform subscribers of the true costs of Time Warner’s Internet Rationing Plan!

¹Constantine, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Ultraviolet (+/- 1GB) ²The Fifth Element, Transformers, Casino (+/- 1GB) ³Akamai-distributed on demand movie streaming/“Akamai White Paper – Highly Distributed Computing is Key to Quality on The HD Web”

From Our Readers:

“A RoadRunner Turbo customer downloading at the advertised 15Mbps speed can download 40GB of data in 6 hours. 6 HOURS! That leaves a user paying overage fees for nearly an entire month.” – Nathan

” To take the further, in one month (at full capacity) one could theoretically download 4.8TB of data. Assuming TW’s highest unannounced tier (100GB/mo) is priced at $75 with $1/GB over, 4.8TB would cost approximately $4,835 for that month. Let’s take a much more realistic scenario for a “heavy” Internet user (i.e. lots of Hulu, Netflix streaming, online gaming, working from home, Facebook, uploading and downloading pictures and music, etc.) — we’ll assume 250GB of usage in a single month.

Again with TW’s highest unannounced tier priced at $75/mo, this person would pay $225 per month for usage at that rate [$75 + ((250-100)*$1 = $225].” – Brion

“To update World of Warcraft on a fresh install is almost 3GB.” – Shawn808

“You can kiss off online backup services with Road Runner.  You’ll blow through your cap if you use these.” – BillInSanAntonio

“So what third party IS keeping a watch on the “gas meters” that TWC will place for us to watch our usage? How do we really know that this is correct?” – jsmith

“I not only pay for standard RR, but also Turbo as I want the download speed. Again, sold on this plan by RR and already pay more for it. Our video security is done via the Internet, our phone, our research, our entertainment. We already pay over $100 a month for TW services. Hey TW, is that a banner ad I just had seen on another site trying to sell me cable service? Hummm…Hello…It would have just cost me to download YOUR AD. (Thanks for that.)” – David

“Of course, this pricing plan change only affects residential users, while business accounts will not be bothered by it at all. Which is another sting in the matter, where businesses are probably using it more from all the internet cafes, and wi-fi access points that use TWC. So why are they exempt from being included, and only home users in this time of economic crisis?” – L Smith (Greensboro)

Road Runner customers in Texas who feel for whatever reason compelled to remain with Time Warner after the company implements their Internet rationing plan need to immediately take steps to secure a price protection agreement or term contract with Time Warner for as long of a period as possible.  The reason:  Time Warner has announced their contract customers will be exempt from all usage caps for the length of their contract signed prior to the implementation of the usage capped tiers.  That window may be as short as a matter of days or weeks, so it is critical to be on a term contract or price protection agreement before the existing unlimited service plan is deleted.

A special alert to all Texans impacted by the Time Warner Internet Rationing Plan

Time Warner has also told several reporters that those on promotional new customer or customer retention discount offers will not be exemp from the usage caps, so you should contact Time Warner about whether you need to convert your promotional or retention offer into a term contract.  Contact your local Time Warner customer service center for additional information on how to do this.  You may or may not lose your discounted price.  Please note this will apply to customers in San Antonio and Austin only.

Beaumont customers who signed up as new customers after the company began its usage cap experiment are already bound to those usage caps.  However, pre-existing customers in Beaumont are not, and should inquire about price protection plans or term contracts to preserve their non-capped status.

I am compiling a list of alternative providers for both Austin and San Antonio first, and will then work on Greensboro and Beaumont.  If you live in any of these cities, and would like to assist me in compiling this information, either drop me a note in the comment section or use the Contact button to send me a private message with your contact information.

The traditional media’s coverage of Time Warner’s announcement it would impose caps on their broadband customers has been headline news in some cities, barely mentioned in passing in others.

By far the most intense coverage was found in Rochester, New York where it has led newscasts for several days and garnered “above the fold” coverage in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle Friday.  Rochester’s daily newspaper also planned special weekend coverage to survey customer feelings about the end of unlimited Internet for the Flower City.

WROC-TV made Time Warner’s plan their lead story earlier this week, talking with a typical younger user of the web who now devotes at least an hour or two daily on the Internet, and how the rationing plan will impact her use of Road Runner.

WHAM-TV was back late in the week to gauge how much customer outrage local residents were feeling towards Time Warner.  It was quite a lot.  The number one rated newscast in Rochester led with the story on their 5:00pm newscast:

And WROC-TV was back on the story as well later in the week, this time pondering exactly how customers will be able to gauge how much they are already using the Internet:

But in other areas, the story has generated considerably less media scrutiny.

In Austin, Texas, only Time-Warner-owned cable channel News 8 Austin devoted significant television coverage to the story, weighted heavily to the company’s position on bandwidth usage and a single customer protesting the event in an unflattering soundbite.

The Austin American-Statesman covered the story in greater depth, also from a political angle because of a written protest from a mayoral candidate released on his website.

In San Antonio, KSAT-TV provided a written account of the metered bandwidth plan, but no video to share.  The station also provided a poll to ask if residents are planning to switch providers over the change.  As of this writing, the poll attracted about 1,000 respondants with 50% planning to cancel service.  WOAI-TV delivered a straightforward report on the plan in their April 2nd newscast, along with their own poll, asking customers if they favored the plan.  A whopping 92.8% said they didn’t.  The comments attached to the report from viewers were overwhelmingly hostile.

KABB-TV, the local Fox affiliate, mentioned the cap briefly on its April 1st newscast with few details.  The San Antonio Express-News gave the story detailed coverage, and reader comments numbered over 130, virtually all extremely upset with the cable company.  With a story headlined Big Internet Usage Could Cost You Big Bucks, it was a story noticed by local readers.

KENS-TV also gave the issue short shrift, but it did not escape the attention of viewers who threw their own two cents into the story’s comments section.

Greensboro, part of North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad, had some excellent coverage on the issue with more than a recitation of the Time Warner press machine.  WGHP-TV, the area’s Fox affiliate, raised skeptical questions about just how consumers will be able to easily track their usage by remembering to visit the Road Runner “gas gauge.”  They were also the only station to point out that even if customers may not be the “heavy users” Time Warner labels them today, it’s only a matter of time before even moderate users of the Internet break through the caps.

WXII-TV, the NBC affiliate, had some of the best coverage of all, making it a top story and going into the issue in great detail from all angles.

Here are some headlines on usage cap and Internet rationing issues this Thursday evening:

Seen In San Antonio

Seen In San Antonio - Upset About Metering, Courtesy 'Hixster' on Broadband Reports

Texans On Price Protection Plans Temporarily Exempt from Internet Rationing

The Austin Business Journal reports this evening that Time Warner officials have announced customers in Texas who, as part of their Road Runner service, signed “price protection agreement” or service contracts will be exempted from the Internet rationing plan to be implemented in Austin and San Antonio.  Customers in several Road Runner franchise areas are compelled to agree to a term contract to receive the lowest price for Road Runner broadband service.  Customers in these areas are still permitted to sign these contracts, and we recommend that customers in this region attempt to sign for the longest possible term available.

Greensboro, North Carolina Road Runner Customers Outraged By Internet Ration Plan

Greensboro residents are outraged to discover Time Warner throwing their community into the “test markets” forced to endure heavily rationed Internet access plans from Road Runner.  The Greensboro News-Record reported several negative impressions of Road Runner’s bait-and-switch-like tactics.

“To say other people are subsidizing me is ridiculous,” said Jay Montlo, 23. “They sold me an unlimited plan and I bought it because I watch a lot of online video and I’m an online gamer. Now they’re going back and saying it’s not fair for me to use so much of something that’s unlimited for everyone.”

Company officials continue to defend their cookie cutter Beaumont example as being just fine for Beaumont, and therefore just fine for the rest of the country.  Greensboro is having none of it:

Beaumont, Texas is different from Greensboro. It’s smaller, has an older population, fewer college students and doesn’t have the vibrant online community that once earned this city the nickname “Blogsboro.”

“I don’t have any idea how much bandwidth I use right now,” said Roch Smith, a local web designer and blogger. “I don’t really think of it that way.”

But Smith said making customers more wallet-conscious about the way they use the Internet will stifle creativity and keep them from embracing new video and audio products online.

That could be part of the motivation, several customers suggested, because Time Warner has seen increased online competition for its cable TV and movie-on-demand products.

Smith said whatever the reason, the move will mean less innovation.

“I think it’s just a terrible thing for the city to have our highest speed broadband priced in a way that’s unlike every other city our size,” Smith said. “Making us a ‘test market’ makes people on the cutting edge pay more and discourages people from discovering new things, things that are going to be very important in the future.”

Austin Mayoral Hopeful Blasts Time Warner for Internet Ration Plan

Time Warner’s Internet rationing plan threatens to stifle the economic recovery of Austin.  Those strong words are part of a statement issued Thursday evening by Austin City Council member and mayoral hopeful Lee Leffingwell.

Leffingwell says he's "deeply concerned" about Internet rationing plan from Time Warner

In a strongly worded statement released to the Austin press, Leffingwell blasted the Internet provider for insensitively throwing a usage cap on customers during one of the worst economic crisis in Texas history.

According to news reports today, Time Warner Cable is introducing a new pricing structure for Austin-area Internet users.  Under the new plan, consumers would be placed on a tiered and metered billing system, and charged for the amount of bandwidth they use.

This approach, and Time Warner’s specific plan, should be of grave concern to Austin.  Right now we need to be encouraging, rather than stifling, economic recovery and growth in Austin.  This plan moves us in the wrong direction.  It potentially puts Austin at a disadvantage as we compete against other communities to attract, retain, and grow prosperous businesses.

I’m obviously concerned about the impact this plan would have on individuals and families, who would have to begin to monitor their Internet use. The new pricing system would have a significant impact on anybody who uses the Internet to watch videos, download music, movies, or television shows.

But I’m deeply concerned about the impact of the plan on business owners, especially those working in high-tech and creative industries that require regular access to broadband Internet service.  Introducing an economic disincentive for Austin businesses to use the Internet to communicate, collaborate, innovate, and deliver services is very worrisome at best, and catastrophic at worst.

If Time Warner believes that is has no choice but to introduce usage caps, I would call on them to propose caps that are realistic and reasonable.  The usage caps proposed in their new plan are neither realistic nor reasonable.

For example, if a consumer downloads Season 1 of Friday Night Lights in high definition from iTunes, they will have used 30.86 gigabytes of transfer.  This one purchase would put that consumer over the limit of all but the most expensive tier that Time Warner is proposing under the new plan.  It’s easy to see how the costs associated with the ongoing, high volumes of Internet use that many Austin businesses require be could be astronomical.

Internet access should be expanded, not constrained.  Innovation and creativity should be unleashed by the Internet, not shackled by draconian usage caps.  This is vital to Austin’s economic recovery.  I hope that Time Warner will work with City officials and the community at large to reconsider this bad plan.

Rochester Residents May Not Know Their Alternatives, But Anything is Better Than Time Warner’s Internet Rationing

WHAM-TV Rochester, N.Y.

WHAM-TV logged more than 250 comments in a matter of hours from outraged residents of the Flower City furious about Time Warner’s Internet rationing plan.  Some confused Vonage with Verizon, but it made no difference.  All they wanted were directions to the exit.  Rochester, almost night and day different demographically from Beaumont, Texas where Time Warner conducted their first Internet rationing experiment, is up in arms about what most perceive as a ludicrous rate increase.  One of the most technologically advanced cities in New York, Rochester has been the test bed for advanced technology trials for years, but always with introducing more innovation and better service in mind, not pulling the rug out from area residents suffering from one of the worst economic downturns since the Depression.

Cristie from Hilton says, “In light of this, I will be making the switch to Frontier or Vonage.”

Laurie from Rochester wrote: “Time Warner has made a decision to put further burden on customers.”

Matt Slocum wants to know why this is happening? “My first question is–why? What’s the reason to instigate this policy?”

Matt uses the internet at home to watch TV shows or play movies. He also does some of his work at home, and says usage fees would kill him. “I have a family and have to pinch pennies any way I can,” he said.

Time Warner Internet Rationing Board

[Update 4/7 – Time Warner spokesman claims Earthlink will also be capped.]

I am pleased to provide customers affected by the unwarranted Internet ration plan being introduced by Time Warner alternatives to consider if they wish to take their business elsewhere.  This list will be updated periodically to contain new information as other options become available.  Some have plusses and minuses to consider, so plan carefully.

You can pose questions and propose updates by selecting the Comments link just beneath the headline of any of our articles and add your two cents.  Two gigabytes might be better; I had to ask.

It is very important that before you make any change to your Internet service, you prepare in advance. Your e-mail address, which may be associated with your current Road Runner account, will be lost when you leave.  Consider obtaining your own domain name which you can use for e-mail accounts no matter where you go, or one of the free online e-mail providers.  I favor Gmail from Google personally.  You will need to inform your regular contacts of your address change and where they can reach you before you cancel service.  Remember to update any mailing lists, automatic contacts (such as those used for acknowledging bill payments or to warn you about the status of your accounts), and any friends, family, or business contacts you might have.

Some ancillary services will also be lost, such as those provided by Time Warner’s portal, AOL, and if you rely on it, their CA antivirus software (when that software does eventually expire months later).  There are plenty of alternatives for these out there, some free.

Even if you’re not ready to leave, why not take up the time of Time Warner with your thoughts and views on their usage cap rationing plan and that you are presently preparing to cancel service because of it?  Tell them several times, by phone, e-mail, letter, and even Twitter!  These have all been collected from across the web and were publicly available.

Incomplete Contact List (Will be updated periodically)

Twitter: JeffTWC (director of digital communications), AlexTWC (VP of Public Relations)

Telephone: TW Rochester Customer Service (585) 756-5000

E-Mail: [email protected] (to protest the cap, supposedly this is the primary collection point they have established)

Mail: (Rochester) President, Time-Warner Cable, 71 Mt. Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620

Alternative Internet Service Providers (Rochester, NY)

Earthlink – Earthlink is the current Achilles Heel of Time Warner’s usage cap plan.  Earthlink, using the exact same cable modem network used by Road Runner, is available as an alternative provider.  It works precisely like Road Runner, except speeds are suggested to be slightly lower and at a slightly higher price.  Unofficially, and I am awaiting confirmation from their Corporate Communications department, Earthlink is not affected by the Road Runner usage cap. Their current promotion offers six months of broadband access at 7mbps down/384kbps up for $29.95, $41.95 each month thereafter.  I have heard reports the actual speed is higher than 7Mbps, but have no direct experience with this.  There are no contract commitments and no cancellation penalty.  You are billed on your Time Warner bill.

Pros: You’d probably never realize your broadband connection had changed.  Same cable modem and billing arrangement, just a different provider.  No caps. Proven provider.

Cons: Slightly higher price for slower speed, their extra high speed tier (supposedly 10mbps but might be higher) is costly at around $73 a month, unsure about upload speeds, no official guarantee yet a cap won’t be implemented down the road.  You cannot “hedge your bet” with Earthlink should they impose their own cap.

[Update 4/7: Although Earthlink corporate officials have been silent on the question, Alex Dudley (Time Warner) claims that Earthlink will also be capped give us pause, and pending direct confirmation from Earthlink, I have struck the line about no caps from the article.  Earthlink customer service representatives are still claiming no usage caps will be imposed as of this morning, but they are only reading from a script they were previously trained with.  Earthlink’s corporate communications office, if they ever return our calls, will be a more definitive source on this question.]

Frontier 1-800-921-8101 (7AM-7PM Monday-Friday EDT) – Shocking, isn’t it?  Longtime StoptheCap! readers will find it ironic that Frontier DSL might actually be the best way to “hedge your bet” against usage caps in Rochester!  As part of our battle with them last summer, we kept discovering various inconsistencies and questions about the ill-thought-out 5GB per month usage cap. They postponed implementation of it indefinitely after we helped raise a stink and customers began fleeing for other providers, especially when we educated people on how to cancel their contract without an early termination fee.  Frontier later guaranteed that those with Price Protection Agreements would be exempt from any price changes or usage caps for the duration of their contracts!  Therefore, since we are guessing Frontier will probably make the wrong choice and not exploit this golden marketing opportunity to finally begin poaching customers from Road Runner upset with the idea of a usage cap, they’ll probably implement some cap of their own sooner or later.  Why break a record of always making the wrong choice?  But before they do, you have an open window to sign-up cap-free.

Because I am a generous person and I’m still hoping against hope Frontier will blizzard Rochester with mailers offering customers an alternative of being pecked in the head by Road Runner, I am going to recommend Frontier DSL as the best choice currently available for customers who are likely to come close to 20GB or more usage per month who are terrified about caps.  There are several reasons for this:

1) As of 3:00pm this afternoon, I have re-verified with Frontier Customer Service that customers under Price Protection Plans do -not- face the prospect of any change to their pricing or usage.  No caps.

2) It may encourage them to realize the marketing potential of being a serious contender in the local market if they see a sudden spike in customer defections to them.  Time Warner obviously bet against this prospect when they chose Rochester as a “test city” for capping, convinced Frontier was itching to bring back their own proposed 5GB cap from last summer.  It would be delicious to prove Time Warner wrong, and if it’s the last thing I do, I am going to help this company be a more serious and valuable contender in this market.

3) Their service is slower for most folks than the competition, depending on where you are located, but with the proper bundle, it’s also cheaper than cable modem service.

But there are some risks and rewards to consider.  First, to enjoy protection from capping, you will need to agree to a contract term with a steep early termination fee comparable to exiting a cell phone contract.  That contract is what protects you from Frontier implementing any cap, assuming you sign up before they announce anything.  Second, this option is by far the best for those fearing that Earthlink, and any other competitors I might find, will also have caps and you simply cannot think of having Internet service in Rochester with a cap for at least the next 2-3 years.  If Road Runner abandons their plan, modifies it to something akin to Comcast, or if another competitor shows up, you are on the hook with Frontier unless you pay to cancel your contract.  Finally, there is always the risk that Frontier will try a flip-flop and attempt to impose a usage cap on their Price Protection Agreement contract holders anyway, which will lead us into another battle which would likely result in the cancellation of your contract with no early termination fee, but also no other options for uncapped service.

Your time to decide may be limited should Frontier decide to jump on the cap bandwagon before you sign up.  I have no information about this either way.  It’s simply a risk you need to consider.  Earthlink may be the best option for anyone worried about a contract, but could live with the possibility they might cap as well.

It’s a hard choice to make either way, I realize, and it’s a shame we’re in this position.

If you want to go with Frontier and want to help kick back a contribution to StoptheCap!, drop me a note using our Contact form (link at the top of the page) and I’ll email back referral information.  Apparently if you earn a whopping five referrals, they’ll credit our bill $25-50 (the rep wasn’t sure).  It’s not required, but it’s there if you feel like returning a favor.

Here are the plans I am recommending:

Frontier Digital Phone w/High Speed  $69.99 a month before the usual outrageous taxes and fees (this is one I signed up for today)

Provides unlimited long distance calling, a huge calling feature package, their highest speed tier of DSL, and now free wi-fi access to Frontier Citywide hotspots.  Start with the two year Price Protection Agreement.  You can call and ask them to up it to three years anytime should the situation on the ground locally deteriorate with abusive caps as far as the eye can see.  This includes a traditional wired phone line (not VOIP) and they mail you the modem and self-install kit.  It’s $35 to have them install it.  [Update 4/5: A friend from another forum reminded me about the potential ‘modem rental fee’ which may or may not be bundled with this price.  I need to recheck this on Monday.]

Frontier High Speed alone  $44.99 a month without Price Protection, should be $34.99 a month with two-year agreement before outrageous taxes and fees

This is the option for a person who doesn’t want the phone line from Frontier.  I didn’t inquire as to whether this included the free wi-fi access. The Price Protection Agreement protects you from caps.

Now they are claiming both of these options are for up to 10Mbps down/1Mbps up, but the key words are “up to.”  DSL is variable in performance depending on how far away you live from your local telephone company “central office switch.”  The further away, and the lower the quality of the wiring on the pole, the lower your maximum speeds will be.  In metro Rochester, most people report an average of around 7Mbps down/512-640Kbps up.  (“Down” refers to download speed, “up” refers to upload speed) Perhaps Frontier customers can enlighten us.  The rep will also pitch Frontier Peace of Mind, which I call Frontier Piece of Your Wallet.  For $12.99 a month, they include online backup, tech support, the indoor phone wiring “maintenance plan” and something about doing your taxes, but I honestly stopped listening to the pitch after I heard the price.  If you choose this option, you get a “free” Dell netbook computer (after $45 shipping and taxes).  Not worth it if you ask me.  Buy your own netbook.  You can also expect them to pitch DISH Network which you may or may not be interested in.  I wasn’t so I didn’t ask.

It takes 5-7 days to mail your self install kit, or about 10 days to arrange for installation by a technician.  You can honestly do it yourself.  You’ll get a modem and several filters you’ll plug into your telephone jacks around the house wherever a wired phone line is attached.

LocalNet (1-888-488-7265 Mon – Fri: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm EDT) – LocalNet is a real mystery to me.  I learned about the service, ironically, from Time Warner’s own website.  It is similar to Earthlink, hopping on Time Warner’s cable modem technology to deliver service to customers.  Billing is also likely done through your Time Warner bill.  The one service they seem to promote that most others have dispensed with is newsgroup access.  LocalNet’s site claims to offer 5Mbps down, 384Kbps up.  It reminds me Road Runner a few years ago speed-wise.  The monthly fee is $43.95, which makes them more expensive than Earthlink.  There are no usage caps at this time.  They appear to be headquartered here in western New York, but there is no mailing address on the website.

Clearwire – Clearwire is a relatively recent entry into the Rochester broadband marketplace.  It’s a wireless internet service provider that uses higher powered antennas much like cell phone tower sites to deliver wireless Internet connectivity to its customers.  The company is currently hampered by much slower speeds than the wired competitors can offer, a two year service commitment for the lowest price, and variable coverage due to terrain and distance to the nearest Clearwire antenna site.  But, the company has no usage caps whatsoever and has no plans to introduce them.  Clearwire is also embarking on a technology upgrade, starting with tests in Portland, Oregon which should dramatically increase the speed of their service, typically to the 6Mbps range, but sometimes up to 15Mbps if one is very close to a tower site.  There is no word on when this enhanced service might be available in this area.

Clearwire has several plans, some designed for laptops and portable access, others intended more for residential use at home.  Here is a general breakdown of their most popular plans for Rochester, all with two year minimum contract commitments and equipment provided free of charge:

PC Card Premium – Up to 1.5Mbps download – $49.99/month (laptop use)

Clear Premium – Up to 1.5Mbps download – $19.99/month first three months, $36.99/month thereafter (residential use)

Clear Premium Plus – Up to 2Mbps download – $24.99/month first three months, $44.99/month thereafter (residential use)

Clear Premium Plus + PC Card – Includes one PC Card Premium plan for portable use, one Clear Premium plan for residential use – $69.99/month first 24 months

Make sure you review their coverage maps before considering Clearwire.  The service is generally available in the city of Rochester, and the communities of Hilton, Webster, Greece, Brighton, Irondequoit, Brockport, parts of Pittsford, Fairport, and Perinton, and in Ontario county, Canandaigua and Geneva.  There are service gaps in the suburbs, however.

Others: At this time, AOL has discontinued its broadband offering so that is off the table.  They only sell dial-up now.  Some have explored third party DSL services, but have not found any serving Rochester yet. However, there are some serving Ontario county residents and I will explore that and update this article with my findings.  I admittedly do not understand much about “naked DSL” type service so please feel free to share your insights, if any.  Verizon FIOS is not, and likely never will be an option in the Rochester metro area because they do not serve as our telephone company across most of the 585 area code. Frontier Communications is an independent telephone company serving our area.  Unless Frontier signed a contractual agreement with Verizon to co-market the service, it’s extremely unlikely Verizon would overbuild telephone service into this market because of the expense.  Verizon could always make an offer to buyout Frontier locally, however.

Cellular data plans almost always impose a soft or hard usage cap, usually 5GB per month.  I will get into further detail about these providers later.  I will also explore Business Account options for very heavy data users.  Historically, you don’t even want to know what Time Warner is asking because you can’t afford it.  But a Frontier Business DSL account in a capped residential marketplace may be the last shot at relief.

Update History

Sunday, April 5 – Added LocalNet to list of providers, made minor corrections to Frontier’s service plan description.