Get the myAT&T app
grrlgeek's profile

Explorer

 • 

3 Messages

Wednesday, December 5th, 2012 5:40 AM

Uverse vs POTS- Conflicting prices for unpublished number

I am considering switching to AT&T for my internet service.  I currently have a POTS landline with measured rate service.  I dont want a landline, but I have it because I have ADSL through an ISP that I've been with since the 90's, through 3 houses, and 2 different phone carriers and I'm told every time I move that I have to have at least a minimum phone service to be able to get the DSL.  The DSL is great, and I have nothing bad to say about it except it's only 1.5 down, and a price hike last year now has me paying a total of $95 a month for the DSL and landline.  Money is tight, and I am looking to tighten my budget and perhaps speed up my surfing.

 

Right now, I pay $1.25 to have an unpublished number (not in the white pages, not in 411).   If I create an order starting at "High-speed internet without uVerse," and add home phone, the cost is the same, $1.25.  Unfortunately, proceding through to order the non-Uverse DSL fails, with the message that I can't have high speed internet (ADSL) and I can only have Uverse.  Under the Uverse order system, an unpublished number is charged at $4.95.  

 

I don't get it. Can someone explain why it costs almost $4 more to not publish a Uverse number?

 

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

Expert

 • 

10.1K Messages

11 years ago

grrlgeek - You say you do not want a land line, but your current service requires one. U-verse internet does NOT require a landline. The price of non-pub is moot if you do not have a number in the first place.

ACE - Expert

 • 

14.1K Messages

11 years ago


@grrlgeek wrote:

I am considering switching to AT&T for my internet service.  I currently have a POTS landline with measured rate service.  I dont want a landline, but I have it because I have ADSL through an ISP that I've been with since the 90's, through 3 houses, and 2 different phone carriers and I'm told every time I move that I have to have at least a minimum phone service to be able to get the DSL.  The DSL is great, and I have nothing bad to say about it except it's only 1.5 down, and a price hike last year now has me paying a total of $95 a month for the DSL and landline.  Money is tight, and I am looking to tighten my budget and perhaps speed up my surfing.

 

Right now, I pay $1.25 to have an unpublished number (not in the white pages, not in 411).   If I create an order starting at "High-speed internet without uVerse," and add home phone, the cost is the same, $1.25.  Unfortunately, proceding through to order the non-Uverse DSL fails, with the message that I can't have high speed internet (ADSL) and I can only have Uverse.  Under the Uverse order system, an unpublished number is charged at $4.95.  

 

I don't get it. Can someone explain why it costs almost $4 more to not publish a Uverse number?

 


I worked at AT&T for 5 years and never new it to be $1.25 for a non-published landline. Perhaps you had a an older, grandfathered rate plan for your non-published landline that you would lose if you moved to U-verse.

New Member

 • 

25.7K Messages

11 years ago

I have had a non published, and also outbound caller ID blocked number (says private) since 1980 and have never paid additional for either.  I would call that grandfathered!!!  Smiley Wink

Explorer

 • 

3 Messages

11 years ago

 

I read more posts here last night and aviewer has confirmed what I was starting to realize - that I can finally cut the landline cord entirely if I switch.  I am still considering keeping one though; despite not even having a phone plugged in for the past 5 years, just in case of emergency and to take advantage of bundled installation promotions.  The costs really do seem to add up with Uverse... so it's back to crunching numbers for a little while... just trying to explore all the options I guess.

 

Thanks very much to all who replied.

Expert

 • 

10.1K Messages

11 years ago

grrlgeek - Have you considered magic jack?

Explorer

 • 

3 Messages

11 years ago

aviewer,

 

No, not really.   My cell has 1500 shared anytime minutes a month, plus unlimited cell-to-cell.  Between two of us, we barely use 300 of the allotted premium minutes.  For daily life, I have all my phone needs covered. 

 

My main concern about having a landline (and I guess I kinda want one, but I just have so little use for it that the monthly cost is hard to justify) is for emergencies like natural disasters.  I have elderly parents who still live in their home but are entirely dependent on myself, my brother, and the caregiver who lives with them.  I live in southern CA, and vividly remember the Northridge earthquake (I lived a mile from the epicenter).  Getting a call out was nearly impossible then, but these days with so many people shunning landlines I figure the cell will be just as useless as the landline was then, and at least while my folks are still kicking, I have to plan for everything. 

 

Not that magic jack isn't a cool service, so thank you for the hot tip!  I bookmarked their website for future perusal.

 

 

ACE - Expert

 • 

14.1K Messages

11 years ago

For what you're looking for, you should keep your exisitng landline (POTS) service and not switch to Uverse Voice. You'd have separate bills, but you'd keep your existing landline pricing and have service beyond the 4-6 hours the back up battery would provide.

Since you mentioned you're in CA, it jogged my memory that nonpublished listings were much cheaper in CA due to old tariffs and Pacbell pricing. I only handled CA landlines for a couple months, so I didn't think of that earlier. Uverse is nationally priced, so CA customers don't get the breaks they used to.
Not finding what you're looking for?
New to AT&T Community?
New to the AT&T Community? Start by visiting the Community How-To.
New to the AT&T Community?
Visit the Community How-To.