Options for "rural" Internet

**ConstantChange** · 07-20-2017, 10:57 AM

I'm moving to a new house off Sooner Rd that Cox says isn't in their service area. It looks like Sooner Wireless and Atlink are two options, but I haven't heard great things about them.

If you live in the "rural" south OKC/Moore area, what are you using for your Internet? What's your experience been with that company?

Thank you!

**tfvc.org** · 07-20-2017, 02:55 PM

I live in Slaughterville and my only wired choice is Windstream. I have looked into wireless options and they are twice as expensive for the same 3/.666. Windstream is garbage but it is my only choice. If you have a better wired solution than Windstream (if it is in your area) choose them.

**Zuplar** · 07-20-2017, 04:04 PM

I'm in the rural south OKC area and I'm using AtLink. It's our only option other than Satellite like HughesNet or Exede. When it works it's pretty good. Consistency over the past 5 years has improved, but I feel like it should be better. It's also what I would consider very expensive for the speeds you are receiving, but since it's really the only 'unlimited' option, I pay for it.

**bchris02** · 07-20-2017, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by tfvc.org

I live in Slaughterville and my only wired choice is Windstream. I have looked into wireless options and they are twice as expensive for the same 3/.666. Windstream is garbage but it is my only choice. If you have a better wired solution than Windstream (if it is in your area) choose them.

I can attest that Windstream is some of the worst Internet service possible. The only way they stay in business is most of their areas are non-competitive, meaning you either use them or satellite service which is even worse.

OP, What is your LTE signal like down there? During times when Cox has been down I have used LTE and it is usually acceptable.

**ConstantChange** · 08-07-2017, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by bchris02

OP, What is your LTE signal like down there? During times when Cox has been down I have used LTE and it is usually acceptable.

I'm with AT&T and the LTE signal is decent there. I'll probably use my phone a lot more for streaming audio and general Facebook/Instagram/etc... use, but will need to find a reliable option for work.

It seems like Atlink and Sooner Wireless are two options. From what I'm seeing Atlink is a much bigger company with what I'm assuming is a bigger budget to continually update their hardware and towers while Sooner Wireless is much smaller. I'll probably have both companies come out and see which one has the best connection to the closet tower.

**Zuplar** · 08-07-2017, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by ConstantChange

I'm with AT&T and the LTE signal is decent there. I'll probably use my phone a lot more for streaming audio and general Facebook/Instagram/etc... use, but will need to find a reliable option for work.

It seems like Atlink and Sooner Wireless are two options. From what I'm seeing Atlink is a much bigger company with what I'm assuming is a bigger budget to continually update their hardware and towers while Sooner Wireless is much smaller. I'll probably have both companies come out and see which one has the best connection to the closet tower.

AtLink is larger, but it's because they continue to take government subsidies to buy up little guys (other WISPS), to appear as though they are expanding. I can tell you without a doubt they are not upgrading their towers, and more importantly not upgrading capacity. I live by WRWA and have no other option than AtLink. When I moved out here 6 years ago they had me on their Airport Tower. After 6 months of issues I called to try and get some relief. They came out and tech told me Airport tower didn't have enough bandwith available to give me what I'm paying for, so they switched me to Tuttle tower, because I was told at the time that was their "biggest baddest" tower. He told me both Airport and Mustang towers were older, low capacity, and hadn't been "upgraded" yet. Fast forward to last week, when the 2nd to last home built in my neighborhood became occupied and they reached out to our neighborhood FB group to ask us about AtLink, they were told Tuttle tower was at capacity, and no one could be added to it any longer. He was told he'd have to be added to Airport or Mustang towers which were older and had limited bandwidth.

So the moral of this story is after 6+ years they still haven't done what they said they were going to do. The towers were old in 2011, and are very obsolete now. Worse off the supposedly good towers are now limited on capacity, which means I never get the speed I'm paying for because bandwidth is limited. AtLink has had some serious growing pains. I've thought that these would go away after a few years, but truthfully have gotten worse. I can tell you this if ATT or Cox ever decide to run internet out this way, there will be a mass switch in my area.