Question about upcoming Bonding and Uverse Plans

[dane]

Well, I'm hopeful we'll be taking orders and delivering service prior to 3/23, but I can't guarantee that at this point without potentially putting you in a bind. There might be a few weeks of time where you'd have to pay them an out-of-term rate if you wait for Sonic's service.

So that you understand the offering, it's limited to residential locations, and will deliver up to 18Mbps and a VoIP phone line with nationwide calling, for $40/mo, or up to 45Mbps and a VoIP line for $60/mo. Taxes and fees for the VoIP service will apply, as does an equipment fee of $6.50/mo for the slower service, or $9.50 for the faster one. Hopefully that gives you enough data to make an informed decision.

[jonr]

So that you understand the offering, it's limited to residential locations, and will deliver up to 18Mbps and a VoIP phone line with nationwide calling, for $40/mo, or up to 45Mbps and a VoIP line for $60/mo. Taxes and fees for the VoIP service will apply, as does an equipment fee of $6.50/mo for the slower service, or $9.50 for the faster one.

Is the VoIP part mandatory? It would be nice if customers who didn't need voice service could opt out and save the voce-related taxes and fees of $10/month or more.

[agav]

I second that. I haven't used my landline in 10 years.

[dane]

So that you understand the offering, it's limited to residential locations, and will deliver up to 18Mbps and a VoIP phone line with nationwide calling, for $40/mo, or up to 45Mbps and a VoIP line for $60/mo. Taxes and fees for the VoIP service will apply, as does an equipment fee of $6.50/mo for the slower service, or $9.50 for the faster one.

Is the VoIP part mandatory? It would be nice if customers who didn't need voice service could opt out and save the voce-related taxes and fees of $10/month or more.

Sonic's product offering is unlimited nationwide phone plus a single line of broadband, at up to a Gigabit, for $40 monthly.

This is the same whether that is Fusion via copper using POTS/xDSL, or Fiber, or IP Internet+Phone. We do not at this time offer any unbundled, data-only services.

Where applicable we do offer a second, additional data line or bonded offering on copper with the Fusion service or the IP Internet service which can provide roughly double the data speed, for $20/mo additional. This isn't applicable for fiber today of course, it is simply a Gigabit service.

[nyee]

Taxes and fees for the VoIP service will apply, as does an equipment fee of $6.50/mo for the slower service, or $9.50 for the faster one. Hopefully that gives you enough data to make an informed decision.

dane, are the 6.50/9.50 fees for the equipment rental? I assume if we purchase our own equipment we can opt out of these fees like you currently can?

[dane]

Taxes and fees for the VoIP service will apply, as does an equipment fee of $6.50/mo for the slower service, or $9.50 for the faster one. Hopefully that gives you enough data to make an informed decision.

dane, are the 6.50/9.50 fees for the equipment rental? I assume if we purchase our own equipment we can opt out of these fees like you currently can?

Yes, these are the modem/residential gateway. No, you cannot supply your own equipment, as AT&T uses a certificate-based authentication on the VRAD network for this platform. We are not aware of any way to circumvent this AT&T requirement at this time. There's also an IAD equipment cost, but it is a wash versus other applicable taxes & fees on POTS, so the total product ends up at the same cost as Fusion would be in the same city.

Stated another way, if you look at Fusion total costs today, you'll see this new product at virtually the same total cost, for service at up to 18Mbps. And, the same as compared to Fusion X2 (dual line), but for service at up to 45Mbps. The product has a different name and is delivered differently, but the cost total is virtually identical.

[Guest]

This is the same whether that is Fusion via copper using POTS/xDSL, or Fiber, or IP Internet+Phone.

How will 911 service work for VoIP? Will the call be routed to a local company based on where a subscriber is? The stories about how some 911 services are outsourced to companies outside a subscriber's area is what concerns me and this--perhaps unwarranted--fear is what drives me to keep POTS.

[Richard]

Yes, I'm interested in 911 too. Also, I am interested in how Sonic's FTTN implementation will be different from ATT, specifically how it will differ in terms of caps and if Sonic can maintain it's renowned privacy policies.

[ben]

No, you cannot supply your own equipment, as AT&T uses a certificate-based authentication on the VRAD network for this platform.

Please give us the option to purchase the AT&T equipment like AT&T and DSLExtreme do.

[jonr]

I'm really not a fan of VoIP and if it's mandatory it makes the whole Sonic Uverse product unattractive. The concerns I have about VoIP are at least these: 911; unavailable during extended power outages; unavailable when your internet service is down (how are you supposed to report a service outage?); and security issues.

What I'd like to see instead of VoIP is a hybrid solution: voice over Sonic-provided POTS (like Fusion, but without
xDSL and thus not limited by distance from the CO) and Sonic-over-Uverse (without VoIP).