And if so, how do you like them?
Around my area, there are a lot of "co-op" utilty and internet access providers. These co-ops service in the neigborhood of 30k-60k people each and provide services like cable TV, cable internet, DSL, water, phone, natural gas, electricity, ect.
I've got a co-op that covers my phone and DSL lines, and a seperate co-op that provides my electricity. On top of pretty low service charges, these co-ops also pay back dividends based upon how much service you use. For instance - in the last three years I earned a $150 dividend check back from my telephone company. This was for having $70 a month service (DSL and phone). My electric company sent us a $6 check, but we've only been using them for two years.
I posted a thread earlier this morning talking about the cable internet connection that a co-op in another city offered. 10mb download, 1.5mb upload, and static IP for $90 a month. That's dirt cheap bandwith really.
To add to reasonably priced services, these companies are headquarted in your home town, are usually easy to get ahold of, and offer excellent customer service. I fail to find really any fault in them.
Has anyone had any bad experiences in co-op providers, and are they widespread nationally? I live in Iowa now, and there are a whole slew of them. I didn't know a single one when I lived in Illinois.
Around my area, there are a lot of "co-op" utilty and internet access providers. These co-ops service in the neigborhood of 30k-60k people each and provide services like cable TV, cable internet, DSL, water, phone, natural gas, electricity, ect.
I've got a co-op that covers my phone and DSL lines, and a seperate co-op that provides my electricity. On top of pretty low service charges, these co-ops also pay back dividends based upon how much service you use. For instance - in the last three years I earned a $150 dividend check back from my telephone company. This was for having $70 a month service (DSL and phone). My electric company sent us a $6 check, but we've only been using them for two years.
I posted a thread earlier this morning talking about the cable internet connection that a co-op in another city offered. 10mb download, 1.5mb upload, and static IP for $90 a month. That's dirt cheap bandwith really.
To add to reasonably priced services, these companies are headquarted in your home town, are usually easy to get ahold of, and offer excellent customer service. I fail to find really any fault in them.
Has anyone had any bad experiences in co-op providers, and are they widespread nationally? I live in Iowa now, and there are a whole slew of them. I didn't know a single one when I lived in Illinois.
