I've had Century Link for years. I was paying $29.99/mo for a couple of years and then it seemed to creep up slowly. Now, this month it has jumped up to $90. I guess I am at the end of "promotions".

I am in south Salt Lake County. Anyone have suggestions?

I don't have any. Where I live they're all overpriced, overrated, and we only have a handful to choose from.

The choice/s here is to have a contract, or be contract free.

They're both expensive. I pay lots more for mine than you do yours, but then I bundle mine with cable and landline service. There aren't any lower rates for my area to get quality service. (I pay about double what you are now for bundled.)

My former company was bought out a couple of years ago.. The promotions it offered are not offered anymore by the new company. My rates have been going up each year since the takeover.

If you can get a provider without a contract, that's better in the long run because you won't have to pay early termination fees if you take your business elsewhere or move.

Call them and tell them to lower your rate or you'll change providers. See what they will offer.

Call them. They have your records. Tell them that you want them to match what their giving new customers. That you've been a loyal customer for years and that if anybody deserves a discount, it's long term customers. Mention that you will cancel if not given a lower rate. As soon as you mention "cancel" you will connected to "Customer retention". They'll try to lock you in for another 2 years (or more), but keep your ground. Tell them you want another year at the low rate and will revisit after that year. They'll cave. Century Link is a reliable provider, but you have to play the tough guy in negotiations every few years.

I will do that. But I think it is really bad customer service to make long time loyal subscribers go through those hoops.

I guess I am just a cranky old lady...haha

We used to be able to call mine, before it was sold.

That doesn't work anymore.

It's either their way or the highway (seriously.) No negotiating. The new company did away with it.

Is tethering from your mobile phone an option?

maybe that only works for limited sign-on time blocks, IDK

I would like to imagine that when 5G rolls out, there will be a device you can use to tether to your phone that will cast to your big TV. With everything 'over the air', all those physical installations, cables and splitters, etc., will be history.

Then there will huge "F.U." parties as cable companies are deluged with returned cable boxes and remotes. It'll be a glorious day!

Which just replaces the cable monopolies with the cellular monopolies. I suspect the net cost to consumers won't fall very much--though it will be nice to get rid of the hardware.

Gawd declared it unto me that I should go for Spectrum TV, in

every room except the bathrooms and so I did. It's $200 a month.

I'm happy.

My brother is happy with a combination of Sling TV (for live TV) plus Netflix and Amazon for series and movies.

Just about all phone and internet providers will steadily raise your prices every year if you let them. I recently showed up in the lobby of my local cable company's office with an armful of cable boxes and remotes to turn-in. They set me back to the new customer prices in exchange for me keeping the equipment. I didn't negotiate, just gave them my terms or they could take back their equipment on the spot and terminate all of my services with them. They won't do that over the phone. Via phone, I could only get a $5/month price reduction. They did tell me that next year I would need to come back and do the same thing again to keep the same deal, but that I wouldn't need to bring all of the equipment with me again then to get the better deal.

If you have Verizon for your phone service, check out Page Plus cellular. They are a Verizon reseller. You get the same Verizon network with equal performance as if you subscribed to verizon (using your same verizon phone), for less than half of the price. After your Verizon contract expires you can ditch Verizon while keeping their network if you use Page Plus cellular. It is rare to find a Page Plus provider in your area (might have to drive a way if at all). So you will probably need to order the sim card online (for around $3.00), and call to activate your phone yourself when it arrives. Feels good to stick it to Verizon while keeping their network.

I got into the CenturyLink price for life plan when it was available for existing customers. Its OK, $45 a month and won't go up. Might be worth it to call them and see if they will do it for you.

I wish I had other provider choices but in my rural town CenturyLink is all there is.