Better Internet and Landline

Technology
#1

Hi folks,


We are currently with Orange - mobile, internet and VOIP phone bundle.


The service is dire because of our location. I want to get a proper landline for work reasons, and would like a better download speed of max 2mbps.


We are 1km beyond the max distance (5km?) for internet signal from the mast, so are not doing too bad, considering. But it is not good enough for my work. I don't think fibre optics is coming any time soon.


My priority is landline (not VOIP) and faster internet. They don't have to be together, but internet has to come through as LAN.


What can you recommend? Thank you.

#2

http://www.degrouptest.com/test-debit.php will let you test the speed you have at the moment and there is a link on the right hand side that will show you what is available for your line.

#3

I've looked and the two of us here have discussed it but as AEs we are not allowed expenses and allowances for capital outlay, so why pay for our daughters to receive more TV channels and email a bit faster for no real return? If you are really busy and shifting a lot of data it is not the cheapest subscriptions. To get an idea, just have a look at how few films you can download on the cheap subs...

#4

Probably not.

#5

Alex hint is good.

Depending how much you are down-& uploading go for Tooway XXL, best buying the set (antenna & receiver). We take it even to Italy and Croatia when we travel, saving lots of money for communication because I need to upload quite a lot videos and photos. Rest you can do with a French mobile isp.

#6

Thanks for the link Alex - very helpful comparative site.

Re offsetting, I will be setting up as an AE so I don't have the opportunity to do that with the AE system, do you think?

#7

Satellite internet links have become more and more price competitive in recent years. If you are looking to use the internet for work, you could offset the costs against your revenue stream.

Check this link for an idea of what you can get these days.

#8

:-)

every seems to have a 5 year plan

#9

Déjà vu coming on. Before we saw the 12 year plan we had heard the president of the department making a grandiose speech saying fibre optics for all in five years. I suspect he probably mean fibroids, but being a pollutician doesn't know the difference...

#10

2025????

We'll probably be all living on another planet by then. Plus, thats a decade of new technology in between.

At the rate tech is currently moving, we won't need ADSL, FO, or even Internet for that matter - we'll be able to communicate with an implant in our brains :-)

#11

Will definitely go in and speak with them about their plans locally. And if there is something we can do in the meantime.

I don't think we can improve on (upgrade) what we have, as we are so far away from the exchange. But will look at alternatives too - thanks Karen

#12

Hi Stella,

Just pulled out the annual bulletin - "in talks" with Orange, mention of fibre optics in next 5 years. Stuff I've heard all before in rural Ireland, thankfully in Ireland we had some innovative people provide alternatives :-)

No doubt the 67 million investment will be whacked onto our abonnement.

#13

Yes, they are a few years old but there has been nothing like then since. Probably your departmental plan. Good old American expression strikes me: 'Bummer'! We use for work too and at present it is stuttering...

#14

Thanks all.
So it seems no easy answer to all of this. Brian, thanks for the links. Interesting those articles are 4 and 5 years old, and could have been written yesterday. We are in Ariege (09) and therefore, at the end of the trail also.
A lot of talk, but rural does not pay. We’ve been through this problem in ireland for over 10 years. Thankfully a small progressive company came into the game about 10 yrs ago offering very good radio signal connection, we had up to 8mbps by 2013.
Now we are back down the ladder again. Landed on a snake with this one.
Irony is we don’t use mobile phone anymore and barely the telephone. Skype and FB changed all that.
But now I want to work online, so this has now become a serious issue as certain clients require fast connection or landline to hold online training sessions.
I fear it will be a vicious circle for me over next few weeks, trying to find an acceptable solution. All just to earn a few bob, so I can give it back to the government.
And it’s snowing now…

#15

Elaine, the cables are the basic problem. We have the same but with lower Mbps than you. Somewhere or other I have a copy of the departmental regional freebie magazine that approaching a year and a half ago did a double page with map feature on fibre optic upgrading. It was a 12 year plan up to 2025. Our commune was one of the ones coloured as low priority, so around 2025, but our bit on the edge of the commune came under one of the many areas left white where there is no foreseeable plan. We have a couple of decent masts in the area so that mobile reception is very good. However, it will not be until at least G5 and perhaps G6 that the services will be of a quality to provide internet services as cheaply as cable or fibre optics. That is a decade of loner away. All round, bleak unless we go for satellite and for the quality and capacity we would like at present it would be quite an expensive subscription.

All very grey I am afraid. Anyway, there is a plan for upgrading in all of France. Find your department's one, have a look and let's cross fingers you do not share our disappointment. With luck you might be immediately due for it. Take a look at these two links for information just to get an idea.

http://point-topic.com/press-and-events/2012/france-leads-europe-in-fibre-broadband/

http://www.muniwireless.com/2010/10/31/france-switch-copper-to-fiber-broadband/

#16

I am afraid that there is no magical cure for your predicament, myself and thousands like us are paying for this service from orange or the other providers and are not receiving what we are being billed for, i have managed to get a better internet service by going over to a satellite provider but the land line is still a big problem, we are looking at the mobile phone option at the moment as a way of doing away with the land line.

If you do find a solution then do please let us all know.

#17

have you spoken to Orange?? it appears that sometimes....even out here in backward beyond Corsica...if you speak to them you can get upgraded to a higher speed internet.depending on what line is available near to where you live....don;t think they advertise it all the time! if not have you tried Chromecast for getting your speed up a bit?