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usmcr 
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Posts: 922
Joined: Sep. 2003
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Posted on: Sep. 01 2010,6:58 pm |
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if i remember correctly the city is now in negotiations with charter for a new contract. according to the February , 2010 issue of Consumer Reports. charter was 25th out of a field of 27 rating of internet service. they were also 16th out of a field of 16 for television service. finally they were 20th out of a field of 23 for their phone service. according to these figures there must be a better choice out there. verizon was rated in the upper three of all three categories!who is in charge of this endeavor as the city manager is in limbo? 
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"Do not confuse dissent with disloyalty" Edward R Murrow
Memento homo quia pulvis es, et in pulverem veverteris
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Grinning_Dragon
rideo draconigena
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Posted on: Sep. 01 2010,10:32 pm |
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Well as you have surmised, Charter sucks, and is considered a joke in the internet realm, sub-par anything they have to offer, they are only a tad bit better than a dial up service.
I live in an area that offers many different cable providers, but the top dog around here is COX, I have my issues with them, but they offer the highest speed in the area, and is always upgrading their network, and have been in the works to lay fiber optics.
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*SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS / MOLON LABE / Se Defendendo
memoria of cado frater ,Semper fidelis
*The object of war is NOT to DIE for YOUR Country, but to make the OTHER BASTARD DIE for HIS...Patton
My Constitutional Rights trump your dead.
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the unc
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Posted on: Sep. 04 2010,1:49 am |
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Would be nice if the city investigated some of the other cable companies to sign up with, but, I'm sure someone on the higher up level has their pocket filled just right to keep us in Charter country. Having been without television for two Friday nights in a row now, I'm tempted to tell them where to put their cable. I then think about having just changed over to Qwest at work and remember they are no better than Charter. There must be some service out there that is at least honest with their customers. We called Charter to ask if there was a problem in Albert Lea Friday night and were told there wasn't a problem...then were told we'd have to schedule a service call...we had a very nice Charter employee the Friday before replace our cable box three times and still not get a signal to the sets. He called his supervisor who told him that if he'd tried everything he could try then maybe he'd better start rewiring the entire house. I was amazed that the supervisor called him back about 10 minutes later and told him that the supervisor himself was having the same problem wherever he was working. Cable was the put on hold in the house 'til Monday and when everything cleared up about an hour later on that Friday....I WAS AMAZED! I have no argument with their phone or internet service, but...damn I thought this was supposed to be a step up from an antenna. As far as digital television goes, GOD ONLY KNOWS WHY....AND HE WON'T TELL. The only time the digital signal "tiles" for some reason is when you're recording....then try to get help from someone in India you can barely understand. Isn't cable wonderful. Bet the guy with the city, who gets that little "special package of funds" for his support has great cable. OH WELL WHY COMPLAIN...NOTHINGS GONNA CHANGE HERE ANYWAY....ALBERT LEA IS ALBERT LEA.
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MADDOG
Group: Moderator
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Posted on: Sep. 04 2010,7:01 am |
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I'm one of the lucky ones in the area to not have Charter. I have WCTA out of Lake Mills. Nearly no complaints about their internet. My cable has gone down 4 times in the last three weeks. Of course working all day I don't know it's down until after I'm done with work. Of course they are too. So far, re-booting their system has worked all but once. I really enjoy going from set to set having to do that. It takes 7-8 minutes for each one. Had to do one this morning again after they were just here. They tell me it's normal??? NORMAL? Top that off, I can be watching a movie in one room and not be able to watch it on a different set occasionally.
I've been talking to Qwest, but they can only provide me with 1.5M for internet at this time which isn't even close to the 5M WCTA is providing. I told Qwest that when they get even close to the speed, I'm all theirs.
You just burst my bubble in that hope. I don't think I had nearly all these problems before digital.
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Actually my wife is especially happy when my google check arrives each month. Thanks to douchbags like you, I get paid just for getting you worked up. -Liberal
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ControlledHyperness
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Posted on: Sep. 08 2010,7:51 pm |
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For wha it is worth, Jaguar offers all three...usually bundled...with equal channes to Charter, for cheaper! they have. the fiberoptics. here in townalready...up to the area of the web room. they told me they cant offer the cable because city said no...maybe now is the time to let them have a shot at it?
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I once had a thought...then it ran off before I could remember what it was...
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nphilbro
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Posted on: Sep. 08 2010,9:25 pm |
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Even while I live in the 14th largest media market in America, we have had our similar "least responsive provider"issues. Seattle and Tacoma started their own triple play companies as a co-op.
It forced Comcast and Verizon to really step up their service offerings in surrounding communities.
I get 16mb download on internet and pay for 3mb.
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Merely to try is to prepare for failure.
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Geek Squad
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Posted on: Sep. 09 2010,1:01 am |
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I have Charter TV and internet. No problems yet. I have the highest speed internet you can get for the home. The next upgrade would be buisness speed.
It's probaly alittle more expensive than others , but I'm happy so far with the goods and the service.
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Whiskero
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Posted on: Sep. 14 2010,4:48 pm |
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We have had Charter for about 3 years now; before that, Dish Network.
We have not lost our t.v. viewing in any storm (with Dish, if you sneezed it went out), the internet is great and the telephone is nice for long distance (even tho we could use our cell phones).
If I have had an issue of any kind, someone was there, right away, on the phone, to answer my question.
We will stick with Charter.
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the unc
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Posted on: Sep. 15 2010,7:26 am |
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I guess my comment on the "Charter sucks" is you don't know that until you have it...so, if they suck and we know it because we have it....does it make sense to say that if we get something different that they too, may in the long run, suck equally? I don't see what the big deal is...you get cable, you get what you get. There's nothing on the box worth watching except for maybe a couple of hours a week anyway. The Charter internet is fine with me...better than the Jaguar I suffered through at work....and I have no complaints about Charter phone service...except when there's no power. Then I lose my phone, but, we all know there aren't any power outages ever are there? 
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| Post Number: 10
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Geek Squad
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Posted on: Sep. 15 2010,8:33 am |
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I don't use charter for phone. You need to get a cell phone and keep it fully charged for the power outages. I did hear that charter phone service SUCKS.
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