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Phone landlines and internet provision

Phone landlines and internet provision

Old Jun 29th 2017, 12:04 am
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

Originally Posted by Aviator
I would do a trial before committing. We ditched TV years ago and just stream from CBC and Netflix. So little on cable, folks are ditching it in droves.
I agree, don't commit, depending on what you watch you may not need cable necessarily.

We have cable still as there are some network shows I like to watch, and don't want to wait eons for them to appear on Netflix or another streaming service.
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 1:18 am
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

Originally Posted by Jsmth321
...there are some network shows I like to watch, and don't want to wait eons for them to appear on Netflix or another streaming service.
It may be some time before things find their way onto Netflix but other streaming sources? Literally minutes within the end of an episode being broadcast.
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 6:55 am
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

Originally Posted by BristolUK
It may be some time before things find their way onto Netflix but other streaming sources? Literally minutes within the end of an episode being broadcast.
Yes i think my Canadian buddy has one like that. Not intuitive to navigate but he could stream anything. Will be looking in to that! Will hold off on TV for a while then.
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 12:09 pm
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

what I'd call normal internet, over a phone line, would be DSL (ADSL / VDSL). It is possible to have it without having phone service, typically called a "dry loop" (wet loop being that you have phone service as well). It's how I've had it for a couple of years now, works perfectly.

It is also possible to get internet via cable too, and I think the concept of "dry-loop" applies there too; ie; no need for cable tv service to have cable internet.

Who to use? If you can, try TekSavvy, they're rather good.

One other big thing is what type of infrastructure there is to your home. I think usually the phone / DSL side of thing is Bell's infrastructure. Third party ISP's can run on it too (It's like BT in the UK having to allow people like PlusNet access to their network)
Fibre is the new(ish) thing here. FTTN (Fibre To The Neighbourhood) is something you may see mentioned. Fairly sure it means that to the boxes on the street there is a fibre optical connection, but it's "copper" (normal phone lines) from there to your house.

This typically means you can use someone like TekSavvy for internet (their online postcode checker is pretty good, and you can ask them to double-check things).

The next thing is FTTH / FTTP (Fibre To The Home / Fibre To The Premises), which means you get a fibre connection right to you door.

At the moment, the big con here is that third party ISP's, for example TekSavvy, CANNOT offer you service if it's FTTH/P, as Bell hasn't opened up things to them yet. Apparently there was a CRTC thing passed that said they DO have to open it up, and it was waiting for ratification of wholesale pricing, which has, or will soon happen? Obviously Bell is dragging their feet over this whole thing, as they don't want to lose money, as they know people will jump to a good third party for FTTH/P, as they would typically have far better pricing.

I'm in the situation above at present. I'm with TekSavvy at my current location, but I'm moving soon and the new place is FTTH/P, which means, that at the moment Bell seems to be the only option. Not overly happy about this, as I'd prefer to stay with TS, as their price and service is very good, but I don't actually have any choice! When it's possible to have FTTH/P from third parties I will switch back to TekSavvy, as I fully suspect their prices will be far better than Bell's offering.
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Old Jun 29th 2017, 10:34 pm
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

Originally Posted by Hurlabrick
Yes i think my Canadian buddy has one like that. Not intuitive to navigate but he could stream anything. Will be looking in to that! Will hold off on TV for a while then.
That's an excellent description.
It's just a case of getting used to the 'behaviours' of the sites and the different links and which ones are reliable. Click here and then there for this one and click there and then here for a different one. But in no time at all you get used to them...and a good download manager helps a lot.

I've been using them for years (no registrations, no premium fees) from when there was very little alternative available and I find it all very easy.

And now we have a TV that takes an HDMI input it's even better
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Old Jul 1st 2017, 7:48 pm
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

I have cable internet from Rogers and use Ooma (VOIP) for my landline - it's about $6 a month + about $120 to buy the box if you go for the basic package. The only reason for having it is the 911 service, otherwise I use my mobile or Skype for everything.
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Old Jul 2nd 2017, 12:49 am
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

Originally Posted by dgagitw
I have cable internet from Rogers and use Ooma (VOIP) for my landline - it's about $6 a month + about $120 to buy the box if you go for the basic package. The only reason for having it is the 911 service, otherwise I use my mobile or Skype for everything.
I'm afraid I don't follow (admittedly, alcohol my be a factor). 911 is the emergency number, I think, like 999, and it's available from any phone. Why then do you need a house phone; if it's an emergency why wouldn't someone in the room call 911 from an ordinary mobile phone?
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Old Jul 2nd 2017, 3:04 am
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

Originally Posted by dbd33
I'm afraid I don't follow (admittedly, alcohol my be a factor). 911 is the emergency number, I think, like 999, and it's available from any phone. Why then do you need a house phone; if it's an emergency why wouldn't someone in the room call 911 from an ordinary mobile phone?
Maybe because like when we were in NS we didn't have cell coverage at home?
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Old Jul 2nd 2017, 3:44 am
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

Originally Posted by dbd33
I'm afraid I don't follow (admittedly, alcohol my be a factor). 911 is the emergency number, I think, like 999, and it's available from any phone. Why then do you need a house phone; if it's an emergency why wouldn't someone in the room call 911 from an ordinary mobile phone?
Oh people worry that if there's no charge on their cellphone they can't call 911 so the land line is a back up. But several of those need charging too so it's an odd reason.

I'd worry more about not knowing where any of the handsets were but then I have neighbours so I could just run outside and scream.
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Old Jul 2nd 2017, 3:54 am
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

Originally Posted by BristolUK
It may be some time before things find their way onto Netflix but other streaming sources? Literally minutes within the end of an episode being broadcast.
I don't really know how to stream shows and internet is too spotty, even netflix is difficult to use because of the poor internet connection/speed.

They keep making the internet worse on the lower price point, I assume so people pay for the higher end price point.
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Old Jul 2nd 2017, 12:42 pm
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

Originally Posted by dbd33
I'm afraid I don't follow (admittedly, alcohol my be a factor). 911 is the emergency number, I think, like 999, and it's available from any phone. Why then do you need a house phone; if it's an emergency why wouldn't someone in the room call 911 from an ordinary mobile phone?
The 911 service has the exact home address for landlines, with cellphones they only have an approximation based on triangulation (and I'm not sure they have that in real time either). So, if you're in the middle of having a heart attack or whatever and only get as far as dialling 911, they can still send someone to take a look. And cellphone coverage is a bit patchy inside my house too.
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Old Jul 2nd 2017, 1:06 pm
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

Originally Posted by Jsmth321
They keep making the internet worse on the lower price point, I assume so people pay for the higher end price point.
I've certainly had my suspicions about that when our internet service was wired. Then BellAliant offered an upgrade to fibreop at no additional charge.

Since then, they introduced three service levels, good, better and best.

Ours is 'good' which is obviously the lowest but it's actually faster (more gooder ) than when we upgraded and, again, no extra charge.
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Old Jul 4th 2017, 4:40 pm
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

As someone that relies on a mobile only & pays $120 for internet a month & $100 for a phone contract, I'm probably not a great person to give an opinion.

However, I didn't think every internet package in the UK required a landline? I thought that was only for if you got cable internet instead of fibreoptic?
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Old Jul 4th 2017, 5:31 pm
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

Originally Posted by WildfireV2
As someone that relies on a mobile only & pays $120 for internet a month & $100 for a phone contract, I'm probably not a great person to give an opinion.

However, I didn't think every internet package in the UK required a landline? I thought that was only for if you got cable internet instead of fibreoptic?
Some properties have Cable, mine doesn't. Fibre optic?? In the UK?? Well yes, but very few have it all the way to the property, most have it to a hub then POTS (Plain Old Telephone System - aka copper wire) to the actual property - so you MUST pay for phone line rental even if you don't have a phone - currently around £GBP16 a month.
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Old Jul 5th 2017, 6:03 pm
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Default Re: Phone landlines and internet provision

I have never had a landline during my 11 years in Canada, always had a cell phone provided through work and the family have cell phones which I pay for, but they would have them whether I had a landline or not. It worked the same way whilst I was in Nova scotia as it does in Winnipeg. They install the lines as if you have a landline, I even have a landline number, but they just don't activate the phone and thus don't charge you. I only pay for the cable TV and high speed internet portion. If I ever chose to have a landline they just activate the phone part and charge approx. $18 per month extra.
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