What should I get to replace CLEAR internet?

August 30, 2015 11:09 AM

CLEAR is dying. What can I get instead for my home internet?

I live in Brooklyn, and have for the last many years used CLEAR as my ISP. I don't have a TV (I watch everything online), and I don't have a landline. I just need internet, the end. My favorite part about Clear was that there was no setup: No person coming to my apartment, no drilling of whatevers, no "gotta call the guy to come do ____."

Time Warner and Comcast both represent levels of hell I am loathe to engage in, hence my hope that there is some alternative. Convenience and reliability are generally more important to me than cost, within reason. Apparently I use around 100 GB of data per month.

I'm open to work-arounds and non-traditional solutions. Hope me, hive mind!

posted by Charity Garfein to Computers & Internet (6 answers total)

Well, you could get 100 GB of Verizon fixed LTE for $820 a month...

Unless there is an independent wireless ISP serving your area, Time Warner, Comcast, or the phone company are probably your only realistic options.
posted by Juffo-Wup at 12:15 PM on August 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

At that usage, you could look into some other unlimited wireless data plan, like one of these. (The link says "for cell phones", but just about every carrier has options for a 4G WiFi hotspot device.) However, you should check and double-check that they won't throttle your speeds if you use more than some set amount of bandwidth, and make sure you have adequate coverage.

You could also plug your zip code into DSLReports ISP review finder and see if that comes up with anything.

Supposedly Verizon's FiOS is out in areas of NYC, but if you're looking to avoid the hassle of the likes of Time Warner and Comcast, it might not be an attractive alternative. Welcome to the US broadband oligopoly, I guess. :P
posted by Aleyn at 12:22 PM on August 30, 2015

I am 99% sure that none of the big four cellular companies (nor the companies which re-sell their service) offer a truly unlimited plan to new subscribers which includes tethering/hotspot access.

They will either throttle your speeds (drastically) after a certain amount of usage each month, charge you overages, or disconnect your service for violating the service agreement (in the case of those which do offer truly unlimited on-handset access).
posted by Juffo-Wup at 12:27 PM on August 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

@Juffo-Wup That's why I put the warning to check--get it in writing even--that the bandwidth usage you'd need wouldn't lead to throttled connections. I know most carriers have done throttling in the past, though I'm not sure whether any of them have loosened the strings due to the FCC's net neutrality regulations. In any case, can't hurt to check, but I wouldn't get any hopes up.
posted by Aleyn at 12:36 PM on August 30, 2015

Would RCN be an option?
posted by essexjan at 12:51 PM on August 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

Although I don't like Comcast, I've found their reliability and quality to be second-to-none. All it takes is one appointment to get you hooked up and you likely won't ever see them again.
posted by tacodave at 4:08 PM on August 31, 2015