Last year around March, I gave up cable TV. I realized I hadn’t actually watched TV since the Olympics and wondered why I was paying so much a month for it. Unfortunately, Internet without any bundling is a bit pricy around here. So I dropped down from the 12 Mbps I had been getting to 3 Mbps and paid $40 a month for it.

For the most part, the slower speed was unnoticeable. But there were times when it was noticeable. Still, I didn’t want to bother switching to anything else (heh, there is only 1 alternative around here). For one thing, silly ol’ me had been using my Road Runner account as my main spam-trap business/shopping/etc e-mail.

Then, as Time Warner always does, they increased the bill. I was now paying $42 a month. And the mailings from Windstream (my phone company) to switch to them seemed even more tempting. So I decided to go for it. I upgraded online, sticking, for the time being, with a 3Mbps program and going with the wired-only modem/router. Meanwhile, I started switching all my shopping etc e-mails over to a new pagefillers one. I’m mostly converted now.

Nothing happened. I received no packages. I got no e-mail response. And eventually another Time Warner bill showed up. A month had passed. So this time I phoned and got a very nice sales lady. And she was so good at her job, I wound up going with the 12Mbps service and getting their wired/wireless modem/router. And today, the modem/router showed up.

Speedtest.net confirmed it. With Time Warner Ripoff, I was getting 2Mbps (2?!?!?!?) download speeds. With Windstream, I’m getting more than 11! (12, even, as advertised). Rock on!

And instead of paying $35-40 a month for phone plus $42 a month for internet, I’ll be paying $70 for phone and internet AND FREE LONG DISTANCE – woot! Suck air, Time Warner! (I could drop down to 6Mbps for $5 less a month and 3Mbps for a further $5 less.)

I’ll be keeping an eye on Windstream and they’d better behave for awhile. They should be grateful that I don’t trust Time Warner with my phones (but if they start doing the price raising every few months, I’ll consider switching again).

Ah, my need for speed is sated!