Actual Internet Sppeds/Costs

[Doc. Caliban]

There are a lot of posts that ask about Internet access, and the general feedback is that there's a $500 deposit on the phone line for the DSL and that the service itself is around $80 a month.

What I think people would like to see is the actual rates based on speed.

I've spent some time in Google looking for a Cable & Wireless rate sheet for Saba, but they don't even list Saba in the country list on their web page. I can find pages for all the surrounding islands however.

So, can someone post accurate, current access plans including the up/down speed and price? Also, if anyone has a link to a C&W Saba page, that would be great.

BTW, the phone line deposit in Nassau, Bahamas is $600 and it takes between six months and a year to get it back once you disconnect the service. (I'm at 5+ months and still waiting.) Gotta love government monopolized services.

[rdecastro]

There are two plans available right now to private (non business) users of DSL. Both require the $500 deposit, a $122 installation charge and about a $130 equipment purchase cost (total to get going is $750 or close to it). It doesn't matter what speed it is.

The faster of the two services is 128K/64K for $80/mo. The slower is 64K bidirectionally for (I think) $60 a month.

C&W doesn't serve SABA, SA-TEL does. They are the only company on the island offering landline services.

The good thing about them is that installation can be very fast, as I said in my post addressing this subject. Certainly not a few weeks, much less months.

I can't find a website for them either

[Doc. Caliban]

Those speeds... what a shame. I've been spoiled with 2 megabit or better since 1997!

Someone in a post said that they were sharing a 512k connection with a few others in what I thought was an off-campus home. Any idea what that was about?

[Doc. Caliban]

Ah, I will be living in an off-campus cottage that already has a phone line. Does that mean I won't need to foot the $500 deposit to get DSL hooked up? (Or is the deposit FOR the DSL?)

[rdecastro]

Those speeds... what a shame. I've been spoiled with 2 megabit or better since 1997!

Someone in a post said that they were sharing a 512k connection with a few others in what I thought was an off-campus home. Any idea what that was about?

No idea, unless they snuck a directPC dish. The 'premium business' service the phone co offers is 256/128.

[rdecastro]

Ah, I will be living in an off-campus cottage that already has a phone line. Does that mean I won't need to foot the $500 deposit to get DSL hooked up? (Or is the deposit FOR the DSL?)


You will need to pay the $500, and the 'installation' fee. When I moved from the dorm (where I had DSL) to my cottage (that already had phone, and previously had DSL) I had to pay the 'installation' fee again, even though I moved the equipment myself.

[Doc. Caliban]

You will need to pay the $500, and the 'installation' fee. When I moved from the dorm (where I had DSL) to my cottage (that already had phone, and previously had DSL) I had to pay the 'installation' fee again, even though I moved the equipment myself.

It's certainly no secret that "installation fees" are just holdovers from yesteryear when a tech actually had to come out to your house to hook up cable or phone service. Now it's just a freebie for the service providers and it happens everywhere.

People are just things to squeeze money out of, not provide service for.

[psychMajor]

Can one of the students on the island that has internet in dorm or in the library run this speed test:?

http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/

Thanks,

[stookie]

Is the deposit transferable? I mean, when you move out of the dorms and into an apartment, do you need to make another $500 deposit for that phone line?

[rdecastro]

Is the deposit transferable? I mean, when you move out of the dorms and into an apartment, do you need to make another $500 deposit for that phone line?

No, you don't have to re-pay. It's a DEPOSIT.

[rdecastro]

Can one of the students on the island that has internet in dorm or in the library run this speed test:?

http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/

Thanks,

I'm not in the dorm (thank G-D), but I got 98K down and 45K up.

I was at the phone office today, they confirmed they've got a project going to upgrade the bandwidth on the island but wouldn't commit to any specific time for completion or speed.

BTW, the issue is one of bandwidth on the island...there is too much demand for the available microwave link to Sint Maarten, and the Caribbean traditionally has had pretty minimal bandwidth overall. It takes time to get the permits to install more/bigger/different microwave dishes, find space on the towers to install them, get the equipment and install it, etc.

[Doc. Caliban]

I'm not in the dorm (thank G-D), but I got 98K down and 45K up.
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/1306/image0284vj.jpg

It'll be OK. It'll be OK. It'll be OK. (gasp!)(wheeze!) I won't panic! I'm relaxing! (pees pants) Deep breaths, deep breaths... not freaking out, not freaking out...

[rdecastro]

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/1306/image0284vj.jpg

It'll be OK. It'll be OK. It'll be OK. (gasp!)(wheeze!) I won't panic! I'm relaxing! (pees pants) Deep breaths, deep breaths... not freaking out, not freaking out...


It's not like you're going to have a lot of time to surf, anyway

[Doc. Caliban]

It's not like you're going to have a lot of time to surf, anyway

There's always room for desert, and there's always time to surf.

[rdecastro]

You've obviously never been in medical school

[Doc. Caliban]

You've obviously never been in medical school

Attending medical school and living on Saba are not inseparable concepts. ;-)