Cut your telecom bills

The at once 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.

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.

Few markets are served

All nevertheless a few markets are served by only one cable provider. Yet there are bright spots. Some newer alternatives received favorable marks in Consumer Reports' survey, including the Ooma phone service, which offers free domestic calling and dirt-cheap international rates.

Phone service from a major carrier makes sense for many households, especially if it's bundled with Internet and TV service at a nice discount.

Practical way to slash telecom bills

But changing or eliminating such home-phone service can be a practical way to slash telecom bills. If you drop home-phone service 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.

•Alternative VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services including Ooma, Vonage, Magic Jack and Skype cost less, up to about $25 a month for unlimited domestic calls, plus an upfront cost for equipment.

The cord to your provider

•Cut the cord to your provider. If you as a rule 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.

The small cable operator WOW

The 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.

Consistent download speed of for the moment 5 Mbps

A consistent download speed of for the moment 5 Mbps, which is standard from the better cable companies and high-speed phone services, should be fine even for streaming high-definition videos.

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