09-02-2015, 12:24 PM
As I write this I'm on DSL in Orchidland! I wanted to wait until it was actually hooked up and running before I posted anything, and here it is. It's the Hawaiian Telcom "basic" package at "up to 7 Mbps down / 1 Mbps up" for $19.99/month ($23 and some change after taxes, surcharges etc). It's the fastest rate they offered but we're excited to have it! Our last Verizon bill was over $300, 90% of that because of data. VERIZON... YOU CAN NOW OFFICIALLY GO HAVE FUN WITH YOURSELF! That's a G-rated F word I can use!
Actual speed (via DSL reports speed test) 6.72 down, 0.928 up... which is pretty much where it should be at their advertised rate... especially at this hour of peak usage.
Now you're wondering... how did this happen? If I punch my address into the Hawaiian Telcom web site, it still says it can't find my address. When I called seeking service, they said that I was only eligible for voice service.
Honestly, I don't think my address was EVER in their system as being even potentially available for data. Every time I called them over the last 3.5 years I was probably completely wasting my time. I contacted corporate types in Honolulu to make this happen... it seems since after their FCC-sponsored upgrade I was eligible for DSL all along, I just wasn't greasing the right wheels. (Translation: complaining politely).
Now we're not counting bytes again like we were on Verizon. We're streaming videos and going data crazy. It's like, technologically we've gone back to 2006 in Alaska. Wooo Hooo!
Actual speed (via DSL reports speed test) 6.72 down, 0.928 up... which is pretty much where it should be at their advertised rate... especially at this hour of peak usage.
Now you're wondering... how did this happen? If I punch my address into the Hawaiian Telcom web site, it still says it can't find my address. When I called seeking service, they said that I was only eligible for voice service.
Honestly, I don't think my address was EVER in their system as being even potentially available for data. Every time I called them over the last 3.5 years I was probably completely wasting my time. I contacted corporate types in Honolulu to make this happen... it seems since after their FCC-sponsored upgrade I was eligible for DSL all along, I just wasn't greasing the right wheels. (Translation: complaining politely).
Now we're not counting bytes again like we were on Verizon. We're streaming videos and going data crazy. It's like, technologically we've gone back to 2006 in Alaska. Wooo Hooo!