 Review by evilghost 
UPDATED: 185 days ago
member for 5 years, 698 visits, last login: 100 days ago
 Springville,Saint Clair,AL
 $50 per month (12 month contract)
 about 7 days
 AllTel
 "Delivery of broadband to rural communities."
 "Congestion, insufficient bandwidth, and cyclical problems."
 "If it's an option it's likely your only option."
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Install Co-ordination:
Connection reliability:
Tech Support:
Services:
Value for money:
(ratings match consensus)
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The network is prone to time of day high latency and insufficient bandwidth. DSLAMs and major network routes often appear congested (see attached example, a primary and ongoing example). The entire network at times is starved for sufficient bandwidth. Budget at least 3 hours once a month to working with support reporting network issues.
*American* second-level support is exceptional, they understand high level technical issues. The root issue is when a ticket is dispatched to the local technicians for service the local techs often simply close the ticket as resolved *without* sufficient investigation, refuse to contact you (if you leave a cell number with multiple notes in the ticket to contact that number they will *always* default to the home number), or flat out lie about contacting you and you reported the problem as resolved.
If Windstream is an option it's likely your only option for broadband. With the recent decision by Windstream executives to outsource Level 1 support to WiPro offseas in India you don't need to question what their motives are; profit seems to paramount with a stable responsive network taking a back seat.
I really can't rate much of what this company does as exceptional, they're mediocre in most of what they do, with the *exception* of American support (Level I and Level II).
Update: May 19, 2008
After bus-speed issues were addressed at the CO latency has improved substantially and I've not had to engage support for some time. Bandwidth appears to be sufficient.
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