Why should cable consumers be the only ones who reap the benefits of bundling telephone, TV and Internet services? AT&T and DIRECTV know that not everyone wants to use the cable company, and that’s why the two businesses have teamed up to offer bundled deals for consumers across the nation.
AT&T offers several bundles, but only one of those includes DIRECTV satellite television service with AT&T’s DSL Internet. The plan, called “Triple Pack” by AT&T, includes a land line phone for your home or place of business, DIRECTV’s Choice XTRA package and the company’s fastest Internet speed package.
In today’s world, unlimited local and long-distance calling isn’t much of a feature. Almost all cell phones already do this, and few people don’t have a cell phone. However, if your phone gets poor reception in your phone, you like to turn it off at night, or you don’t actually have unlimited calling to deal with chatty loved ones, you might be more attracted to this feature.
At 6.0 megabits per second, AT&T’s DSL service in this bundle is respectable. It won’t take you long to download a few tracks or even an entire movie. However, it’s still light years away from the blazing speeds offered by cable Internet service and companies using FiOS. AT&T’s U-Verse offers four times the speed.
What’s really going to settle the issue in your mind is the television package offered in this bundle. You’ll have access to DIRECTV’s CHOICE XTRA package with NFL Sunday Ticket. This is great news to football fans because you can watch every football game on the weekends regardless of the market you live in.
The Choice Xtra package falls squarely in the middle of DIRECTV’s plans. You’ll get access to channels such as ABC Family, AMC, Biography, CW, Discovery, and ESPN. You won’t be able to watch documentaries on Chiller or movies on any of the Encore channels, however. This package offers access to GAC and H2, neither of which are available with DIRECTV’s cheaper plans. All in all, the combination of sports and stations will suit many consumers.
AT&T sells these bundled services for $93.94 per month when you sign up for one year. When you consider that DIRECTV will only give you Choice XTRA for $40 per month with a two year contract and NFL Sunday Ticket costs at least an extra $60 per month, this isn’t such a bad deal.
