Consumer Reports National Technology

Service providers Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse were top recommendations for bundled telecom services, based on a recent survey of 70,000 Consumer Reports readers.The then best choice for many households for bundled services is a highly rated cable company just as Cox, Cablevision or Bright House Networks if they are in your area. If TV service is a priority and Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse aren't available in your area, satellite providers DirecTV or Dish Network received above-average survey scores.The survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Innovation Center, revealed that most major providers scored about the same in satisfaction as in recent years -- so-so compared with other services the magazine rates. Once again, the most satisfying telecom providers were a few small, regional cable companies, and Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse, the high-speed phone-company offerings.The trouble is, according to CR, most consumers have limited choice. All however a few markets are served by only one cable provider. Yet there are bright spots. Some newer alternatives received favorable marks in CR's survey, including the Ooma phone service, which offers free domestic calling and dirt-cheap international rates.PHONEPhone service from a major carrier makes sense for many households, especially if it's bundled with Internet and TV service at a nice discount. However changing or eliminating such home-phone service can be a practical way to slash telecom bills. If you drop home phone services from a major carrier and use one of the options below, you could save $20 a month or more.-- Consider low-cost VoIP services. Many homes already have Voice over Internet Protocol phone service from their cable company, Verizon FiOS or AT&T U-verse. Costs broadly speaking run about $30 a month as part of a bundle or about $50 a la carte, including a long-distance plan.-- Alternative VoIP services including Ooma, Vonage, Magic Jack and Skype cost less, from nothing to about $25 a month for unlimited domestic calls, plus an upfront cost for equipment.TELEVISIONTelevision nevertheless represents the biggest chunk of the home telecom bill for most households. More than 90 percent of the respondents to the survey in spite of everything had a pay-TV provider of some sort. Continued...

-- Drop premium channels. Premium channels, notably HBO and Showtime, increasingly offer original programming, not just movies that have run elsewhere first. If you don't mind playing catch-up, you can watch past seasons of some premium shows as part of an unlimited subscription from a streaming service or borrow DVDs or Blu-ray discs free from your library. As well ask your carrier about getting premium channels free as part of a limited-time promotion.-- Cut the cord to your provider. If you broadly speaking watch broadcast networks and rent movies, get your TV free over-the-air via an antenna and use an all-you-can watch online streaming service. You'll need an Internet-enabled TV, Blu-ray player, set-top box, or game console and a subscription to a service just as Netflix, which has streaming plans starting at $8 a month.INTERNETThe small cable operator WOW was top rated across the board for Internet service, significantly ahead of highly rated providers just as Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse for overall satisfaction.-- Don't pay for speed you don't need. If your Internet service provider pitches you a "blazing fast" speed -- 25 Mbps or faster -- at an extra cost, don't bite. A consistent download speed of for the time being 5 Mbps, which is standard from the better cable companies and high-speed phone services, should be fine even for streaming high-definition videos.-- Use Wi-Fi hot spots. In other words than paying $30 to $60 a month for a cellular data service, use free Wi-Fi in public areas, at cafes, and at hot spots that may be provided by your cable company. Wi-Fi is often faster than 3G and 4G, nevertheless you can't venture beyond the hot-spot area.Visit the Consumer Reports Web site at www.consumerreports.org.

Service providers Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse were top recommendations for bundled telecom services, based on a recent survey of 70,000 Consumer Reports readers.The then and there best choice for many households for bundled services is a highly rated cable company just as Cox, Cablevision or Bright House Networks if they are in your area. If TV service is a priority and Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse aren't available in your area, satellite providers DirecTV or Dish Network received above-average survey scores.The survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Technology Center, revealed that most major providers scored about the same in satisfaction as in recent years -- so-so compared with other services the magazine rates. Once again, the most satisfying telecom providers were a few small, regional cable companies, and Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse, the high-speed phone-company offerings.The trouble is, according to CR, most consumers have limited choice. All however a few markets are served by only one cable provider. Yet there are bright spots. Some newer alternatives received favorable marks in CR's survey, including the Ooma phone service, which offers free domestic calling and dirt-cheap international rates.PHONEPhone service from a major carrier makes sense for many households, especially if it's bundled with Internet and TV service at a nice discount. However changing or eliminating such home-phone service can be a practical way to slash telecom bills. If you drop home phone services from a major carrier and use one of the options below, you could save $20 a month or more.-- Consider low-cost VoIP services. Many homes already have Voice over Internet Protocol phone service from their cable company, Verizon FiOS or AT&T U-verse. Costs as a rule run about $30 a month as part of a bundle or about $50 a la carte, including a long-distance plan.-- Alternative VoIP services including Ooma, Vonage, Magic Jack and Skype cost less, from nothing to about $25 a month for unlimited domestic calls, plus an upfront cost for equipment.TELEVISIONTelevision on the whole represents the biggest chunk of the home telecom bill for most households. More than 90 percent of the respondents to the survey nevertheless had a pay-TV provider of some sort.-- Drop premium channels. Premium channels, notably HBO and Showtime, increasingly offer original programming, not just movies that have run elsewhere first. If you don't mind playing catch-up, you can watch past seasons of some premium shows as part of an unlimited subscription from a streaming service or borrow DVDs or Blu-ray discs free from your library. As well ask your carrier about getting premium channels free as part of a limited-time promotion.-- Cut the cord to your provider. If you usually watch broadcast networks and rent movies, get your TV free over-the-air via an antenna and use an all-you-can watch online streaming service. You'll need an Internet-enabled TV, Blu-ray player, set-top box, or game console and a subscription to a service just as Netflix, which has streaming plans starting at $8 a month.INTERNETThe small cable operator WOW was top rated across the board for Internet service, significantly ahead of highly rated providers just as Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse for overall satisfaction.-- Don't pay for speed you don't need. If your Internet service provider pitches you a "blazing fast" speed -- 25 Mbps or faster -- at an extra cost, don't bite. A consistent download speed of anyway 5 Mbps, which is standard from the better cable companies and high-speed phone services, should be fine even for streaming high-definition videos.-- Use Wi-Fi hot spots. To put it more exactly than paying $30 to $60 a month for a cellular data service, use free Wi-Fi in public areas, at cafes, and at hot spots that may be provided by your cable company. Wi-Fi is often faster than 3G and 4G, yet you can't venture beyond the hot-spot area.Visit the Consumer Reports Web site at www.consumerreports.org.