$39 a month gets you U-Verse broadband Internet, basic cable, HBO Go, and a full Amazon Prime subscription.
We’re all in the same boat here: Your relationship with Comcast, Verizon, Time Warner, etc. is neutral at best, and “I HATE THEM WITH THE FURY OF A THOUSAND SUNS,” on a normal day. But it’s a struggle we all must endure to access those precious Internet pipes (unless you’re some lucky duck who can get municipal broadband or Google Fiber).
But not all is doom and gloom in the world of Big Telecom and Big Cable. Sometimes a deal so rad comes along, that you must put aside your burning hatred, of only for a moment.
Now is one of those times, my netizen friends.
AT&T recently took the wraps off a new U-Verse plan aimed squarely at the cord-cutting generation. For $39 a month, you can get broadband Internet “up to 45 Mbps” (depending on location, which speed you choose), basic cable for your TV, HBO (namely HBO Go), and a full Amazon Prime subscription. That means free two-day shipping, and access to Prime Instant Video.
Let’s put this deal in perspective: HBO normally costs $15 a month on top of the cable you’re already buying. Amazon Prime is $99 a year, or $8.25 a month. That’s $23.25 a month right there, which means your heavily-subsidized broadband connection and basic cable cost a whopping $15.75 a month. That is less than I spend on Humble Bundles every month, I think.
The usual caveats apply: The cost doesn’t include taxes, fees, etc., so you’re on the hook for equipment. And AT&T does employ a 250 GB bandwidth cap per month, which is standard fare for many cable companies (even if it’s really, really crummy standard fare). Furthermore, the deal is only good for the first 12 months you’re signed up, and appears to be limited to new customers.
So fees, a 12-month cap, and other cable company nonsense are all in play here. However, a “I AM GOING TO CANCEL IF YOU MESS WITH MY RATE,” call to AT&T in that twelfth month could keep your bill at the advertised $39, and a similarly aggressive call when buying the service could knock out some fees, too. Complaining while frothing at the mouth works 60 percent of the time, every time.
If you’ve read anything I’ve written on here about cable companies, net neutrality and the like, you know I am not a friend of the cable industry. The relationship I (we?) have with them is a necessary evil…but even I know a good deal when I see one.
Source: AT&T
Published: Sep 24, 2014 07:00 pm