I should forewarn you that I am writing this from a biased position. I’m not even going to pretend that I like Comcast in the least, because I don’t. In fact, I cannot stand Comcast, and I’d love to see them squashed completely out of existence. Everything written in this post is based on my experience with, and opinion of, Comcast. Now, on to my experience of finally cutting the cable for good and connecting via Clear Network wireless.
Why I hate Comcast
I have had Comcast on and off over the past ten or so years. My relationship with them was very much like the service they provided me – on and off. I would say that my internet service via Comcast was erratic at best. I could go weeks without any issues, making no changes to my configuration, then suddenly lose my connection for no reason. Sometimes I would have to go through a series of modem reboots and the connection problem was resolved. Sometimes I’d have to repeat this process 20 times in a week… I don’t get it.
If I ever had to call them (*GASP*), their customer service did little but work me into an annoyed, frenzied state. I don’t like have to chose “Option 1 for English” when English is the native language of the country I live in. I don’t like entering my phone number into an automated system, then having to repeat the same information again to every customer service representative they bounce me around to. I can’t believe I payed for this abuse…
I find it mind-boggling that a company would constantly raise their rates while maintaining consistently poor service. Comcast shamelessly raises their prices knowing that many households in DuPage County have few or no other options when it comes to high speed internet. Simply put, they are too expensive and their service is lacking. So I, in an annoyed, frenzied state, went out in search for a new high speed internet provider.
Clear 4G WiMax Internet
Two weeks ago, I canceled all of my Comcast services (TV and high-speed internet) and signed up for Clear wireless internet. I installed an HD antenna in my attic and receive a decent selection of local channels in HD for free; I rarely watch TV so I won’t really miss all the premium and boutique channels. Clear is now my sole source for internet access from my home.
The Clear sign-up process was fairly painless and quick. I did check out their website prior to calling just to verify I had coverage. You can check Clear’s coverage here. I would suggest that you zoom in close to your residence and be sure to click on the “Towers” option to see how close in proximity their wireless transmission towers are to you. I don’t know the technology inside and out, but I would be willing to bet that the closer to the tower you are, the stronger (and subsequently, faster) your signal will be.
I am a little over one mile from my Clear wireless tower and regularly receive three out of five green lights on my wireless modem. I will admit that both the download and upload speed are not as fast as they were with my Comcast account, but they are not terribly slower either (nothing that bothers me). If you are a heavy multimedia downloader/uploader, or are big into gaming, you may want to test Clear prior to dropping Comcast completely. So far, I am saving money and satisfied with uninterrupted internet service.
I’ll let you know if anything changes, but as of now, I am happy with the change to Clear from Comcast. I wanted to note that I am not receiving any compensation whatsoever from Clear for writing this and that all of what I have written is based solely on my personal observations and opinions.