Consumers Like Bundled Packages From Internet Service Providers
According to a survey conducted by Consumer Reports on internet service providers published in February 2009, consumers looking to save money without sacrificing quality should consider bundling internet, television, and telephone services with high speed internet providers. Whether their service was cable, DSL, satellite, or fiber-optic based, ratings were impacted favorably when bundling was available with options such as phone and TV services.
Depending on your priorities, you may wish to consider satellite as an option. For example, if television service is important to you and fiber-optic technology isn’t available in your area, satellite television is a very good option because of it’s high ranking in picture quality and sound. You can also opt for hybrid bundling of DSL internet, landline phone service, and satellite TV service.
As can be anticipated when the free market is working optimally, competition between cable, DSL and satellite providers, along with “fiber-optic-to-the-home” internet providers has driven down rates for these services. The competition also encourages companies to extend these savings past the promotional period. Because of these issues, bundling makes sense. Overall, cable companies that bundle services also seemed to have fewer customer service problems.
So how do you go about choosing a bundled service? Fiber-optic service is spreading fast, which will most likely allow for services such as Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-Verse to become available at some time in the future. In the meantime, it make sense to compare internet service providers in your area in order to determine your options. Satellite tends to be more widely available, while DSL is prevalent in suburban and urban areas. Also, some companies provide some extra integrated services like caller ID displayed on your television screen; other extras include free installation and extended guarantee of lower prices.
The downside of bundling includes includes potential problems with billing and service issues, as well as the possibility that a network or equipment failure will compromise all of your services. As the technology matures, this fear becomes less of an issue. But the upside is that tremendous savings are passed on.