With the wonderful seclusion, privacy and natural beauty of the island comes a few drawbacks we all live with. One of the drawbacks happens to be less than stellar service of cable, phone and Internet on the island. We have come a long way even in just a few short years but the questions and debates continue. So here are the recommendations for phone, cable and Internet service companies on Kiawah Island.
"Why not wait for AT&T U-Verse. Once you sign the Direct TV contract you are committed for 2 years. We have Dish and are very happy. But can't wait for U-Verse which is already on the Island in sections. Go on line and check to see if it is available to you yet. And stop by the AT&T store on Hwy17 (near Stein Mart & Harris Teeter) to check it out."
"Well, you have to compare apples to apples to get a price comparison. U-verse supplies all three connections you are interested in, phone (no charge long distance within the US), TV (all the channels and HD and old-style) and blazing Internet connectivity that Mary Johnson has talked about.
When considering all three, it is pretty clear to me that U-verse is less expensive as a package than cable + phone or DTV + phone. Besides it provides the blazing Internet connectivity needed for streaming video etc. that you cannot get with DSL.
We are a customer of both DTV at Kiawah and U-verse elsewhere. There is no doubt that we will switch our Kiawah home to U-verse when we get the chance. I understand that they are now running their Kiawah service through a normal test to ensure it is smooth before offering to a wider customer base.
On the issue of fibre... The fibre is not run to your home. The fibre connects to a drop at various places on the island. The regular copper wires take the signals the rest of the way.
I think this is a pretty impressive technology."
"U-Verse sounds good, but my concern is that it's offered by AT&T. I've generally found AT&T to be expensive, non-responsive and about as bureaucratic as the DMV. Recently, I switched to Comcast Internet (12.0 service that routinely measures at 18+) as AT&T would only provide terrible
1.5 DSL as they said their 6.0 ports were all filled. I switched from Direct to Dish a few years ago as Dish had better receiver technology, though I think Direct has caught up. If I were getting service today, I'd compare the offering packages of each and go with whatever suits my interests best."
"Do it! (Direct TV) Much better technology, and a great deal for the first two years."
"You can't get the Internet on satellite. We use Hulu and other web sources to watch most shows.....(but no news). U-verse will have both. I think both Comcast and Direct are scrambling to get people locked into contracts before U-verse is available. Their fiber-optic technology is the way things are heading. I'm waiting for that."
"No brainier in my opinion. With the lousy Comcast service it amazes me that we let them continually dig up our island. Only occasional problem I have had with Direct TV is with very heavy rain, and that is usually minuets, not hours."
"I second the wait 4 uverse."
"The u-verse fees are considerably greater than DTV."
"There are so many extra benefits. You can bundle DSL with phone long distance and TV for best rate. For example, now DSL is offered up to 6.0 (speed). With U-Verse it can go up to 18.0. You TV can be wireless. So you can move it from room to room for special reasons, such as Super Bowl
watching in a bigger room. It is not just basic TV programming service. Stop by the store and check it out."
"I have had Directv for over 5 years. I have been very pleased. If you follow sports, this is the way to go, great programing and access, I have had very few problems and when I have, the response was excellent. Heavy rains will interrupt the signal, but haven't had too many instances where that has happened."
"We switched to Dish several years ago...love it."
"We had the triple play from Comcast for several years, and just switched our TV service to Direct. Comcast service was fine, but their price kept going up and up every year. The intro offer sounds fine, until you start adding in DVR, HD, additional rooms, fees, taxes, etc, etc. The $129 offer
quickly becomes almost $200.
"DTV technology and features are way, way better than Comcast, and their intro price for 2 years saves me over $50/month."
"I agree about the net cost of DTV and AT&T (phone, DSL). I'm going to sit tight until ATT starts delivering Uverse on the island and then switch. We have the Uverse service at another residence."
"Not sure, but I can tell you that we have ATT DSL Extreme 6.0 and maybe someone else on the list can tell us the speed of some other alternatives."
"When I use speakeasy speed test and click on "Atlanta", I get 5.75 Mbps down and 0.43 Mbps up. While it is pretty reliable, I notice it does not always seem fast-- has some sluggish periods that seem to last less than an hour here or there. Bill says we pay $30 per month - $43 less a credit. I know they are planning to change their offerings soon and offer some faster alternatives."
If you are a company listed as a recommendation and your contact information is incorrect or missing please leave a comment at the end of the page and your contact information will be corrected.
"Why not wait for AT&T U-Verse. Once you sign the Direct TV contract you are committed for 2 years. We have Dish and are very happy. But can't wait for U-Verse which is already on the Island in sections. Go on line and check to see if it is available to you yet. And stop by the AT&T store on Hwy17 (near Stein Mart & Harris Teeter) to check it out."
"Well, you have to compare apples to apples to get a price comparison. U-verse supplies all three connections you are interested in, phone (no charge long distance within the US), TV (all the channels and HD and old-style) and blazing Internet connectivity that Mary Johnson has talked about.
When considering all three, it is pretty clear to me that U-verse is less expensive as a package than cable + phone or DTV + phone. Besides it provides the blazing Internet connectivity needed for streaming video etc. that you cannot get with DSL.
We are a customer of both DTV at Kiawah and U-verse elsewhere. There is no doubt that we will switch our Kiawah home to U-verse when we get the chance. I understand that they are now running their Kiawah service through a normal test to ensure it is smooth before offering to a wider customer base.
On the issue of fibre... The fibre is not run to your home. The fibre connects to a drop at various places on the island. The regular copper wires take the signals the rest of the way.
I think this is a pretty impressive technology."
"U-Verse sounds good, but my concern is that it's offered by AT&T. I've generally found AT&T to be expensive, non-responsive and about as bureaucratic as the DMV. Recently, I switched to Comcast Internet (12.0 service that routinely measures at 18+) as AT&T would only provide terrible
1.5 DSL as they said their 6.0 ports were all filled. I switched from Direct to Dish a few years ago as Dish had better receiver technology, though I think Direct has caught up. If I were getting service today, I'd compare the offering packages of each and go with whatever suits my interests best."
"Do it! (Direct TV) Much better technology, and a great deal for the first two years."
"You can't get the Internet on satellite. We use Hulu and other web sources to watch most shows.....(but no news). U-verse will have both. I think both Comcast and Direct are scrambling to get people locked into contracts before U-verse is available. Their fiber-optic technology is the way things are heading. I'm waiting for that."
"No brainier in my opinion. With the lousy Comcast service it amazes me that we let them continually dig up our island. Only occasional problem I have had with Direct TV is with very heavy rain, and that is usually minuets, not hours."
"I second the wait 4 uverse."
"The u-verse fees are considerably greater than DTV."
"There are so many extra benefits. You can bundle DSL with phone long distance and TV for best rate. For example, now DSL is offered up to 6.0 (speed). With U-Verse it can go up to 18.0. You TV can be wireless. So you can move it from room to room for special reasons, such as Super Bowl
watching in a bigger room. It is not just basic TV programming service. Stop by the store and check it out."
"I have had Directv for over 5 years. I have been very pleased. If you follow sports, this is the way to go, great programing and access, I have had very few problems and when I have, the response was excellent. Heavy rains will interrupt the signal, but haven't had too many instances where that has happened."
"We switched to Dish several years ago...love it."
"We had the triple play from Comcast for several years, and just switched our TV service to Direct. Comcast service was fine, but their price kept going up and up every year. The intro offer sounds fine, until you start adding in DVR, HD, additional rooms, fees, taxes, etc, etc. The $129 offer
quickly becomes almost $200.
"DTV technology and features are way, way better than Comcast, and their intro price for 2 years saves me over $50/month."
"I agree about the net cost of DTV and AT&T (phone, DSL). I'm going to sit tight until ATT starts delivering Uverse on the island and then switch. We have the Uverse service at another residence."
"Not sure, but I can tell you that we have ATT DSL Extreme 6.0 and maybe someone else on the list can tell us the speed of some other alternatives."
"When I use speakeasy speed test and click on "Atlanta", I get 5.75 Mbps down and 0.43 Mbps up. While it is pretty reliable, I notice it does not always seem fast-- has some sluggish periods that seem to last less than an hour here or there. Bill says we pay $30 per month - $43 less a credit. I know they are planning to change their offerings soon and offer some faster alternatives."
If you are a company listed as a recommendation and your contact information is incorrect or missing please leave a comment at the end of the page and your contact information will be corrected.
Thanks for sharing your views.
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I have Comcast Internet in Pittsburgh, PA and love it! Not sure if they offer it on Kiawah Island, but I don't see why not. Give them a call!
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