Verizon Keeps Jacking Up The Price For its Aging, Slow DSL
by Karl Bode
Monday Apr 25 2016 12:24 EDT
For years now, Verizon has made no secret of the fact that it doesn't actually want to do business with millions the company's DSL customers. With no desire to upgrade many of these users to FiOS, Verizon's quite actively trying to drive them to either wireless, or cable service (where there's a chance they'll be upsold Verizon Wireless service anyway). That's been occurring with a one-two punch of apathy and price hikes. For many DSL users, that has meant a $7 price hike on their aging DSL lines despite no notable improvement in performance.
Many users in our forums have spent the last few months noting that when many users call and try to negotiate a better deal, they'll find that the deals available have gotten notably worse.
In some instances, users complain that they face slower speeds (as in 3 Mbps instead of 7 Mbps) if they try to do anything to lower their monthly bill.
"My father's went up by $7," notes DSLReports user dataice . "He tried to order the same bundle, but Verizon will cap his DSL speed at 3 Mbps if he does, and he doesn't want to lose the 7 Mbps he currently has."
According to the notice Verizon sends customers, the hikes are necessary to "continue to bring you quality service." But there's a notable lack of "quality" about a DSL line that still delivers circa 2002-era broadband speeds, but with notably worse customer service and repair than a decade ago.
Of course Verizon wants these customers to either leave (if they're in one of countless Verizon areas the company is unwilling to upgrade), or upgrade to FiOS should the option be available. The problem of course is that with AT&T and Verizon leaving many DSL customers behind, that means a stronger cable monopoly in these markets -- resulting in higher prices for everybody due to an overall reduction in competition.