[Electronics-Talk] internet service providers and data caps

[Sherry Gomes]

Hello all,

Take two. I wrote up a nice detailed message, and while I was spell checking it, outlook crashed and the message was gone. So, here I go again.

I am moving from Colorado to California, where I grew up. In Colorado, my town had its own ISP and it was super-fast, reliable and had no data caps. The town where I am moving has only two options for an ISP, comcast/Xfinity or frontier. I had a terrible experience with comcast when I transferred to that local Colorado ISP. They continued to bill me for months, even though the service was disconnected and equipment was returned.  I vowed never to use them for anything again. On the other hand, my best friend who lives in Washington had bad experiences with Frontier, with it losing connection all the time when he was trying to work from home. Frontier did not offer FIO in his area.

So, in my new town, Comcast says they have speeds up to 2000 MPS with a 1.2 TB data cap. I hope I'm using the correct term there when I say MPS. And I believe comcast is still cable.

Frontier says it is fiber-hoping that means                FIO-with speeds up to 3000 MPS and no data caps.

But I have questions about exactly what uses up the data and how easily one can reach a data cap. Here are things I regularly do online.

1. run my computer 24/7, not shutting down except every couple weeks or so. Internet is always connected during that time.

2. Stream, buy, and download music from amazon.

3. Download audio books from BARD and audible, as well as kindle and bookshare books.

4. Shop online, including groceries, meal delivery services and just general shopping say on amazon.

5. Read stories online.

6. I have about six to eight amazon echoes, as well as an amazon smart oven, a thermostat controlled by Alexa, and I've bought the LG washer/dryer which I can also use with Alexa.

7. With those echoes, scattered around my house, I sometimes will ask to stream certain music channels from something like Sirius XM on the everywhere group, which means the music is playing all over the house.

Those are the things I can think of off the top of my head. Maybe all that doesn't use much data, maybe it uses a lot. I am hoping people here might have a better idea or have experiences good or bad with either company. I move into my new home on the 30th of this month, so it's time to make some decisions. Thanks for any thoughts.


Sherry
Author of Haven, book 1 in the Haven Valley Series, available from amazon and audible.
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