AT&T U-verse TV non-update update for Orange County
March 31st, 2010, 11:30 am · 25 Comments · posted by Tamara Chuang, a.k.a. The Gadgetress
Readers searching for an alternative TV service have been asking for months: Any updates on the AT&T U-verse roll out?
It’s been 8 months since last summer’s series detailing the company’s decision to stop pursuing 7 Orange County cities, including Cypress, Dana Point, Irvine, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, San Clemente and Tustin. AT&T ran into roadblocks with the city governments to install large utility boxes above ground. The cities wanted underground structures. AT&T decided it wasn’t worth the time or money.
So, what’s happened since? AT&T just got back to me with an answer and you’re probably not going to like it.
“No updates to report on the OC cities,” said Katie Keating, with AT&T.
| More on the U-verse impasse |
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Keep in mind, U-verse has expanded tremendously in the past year. According to the company’s 2009 earnings report, it doubled the number of U-verse customers to 2.1 million and it still plans to make the service available to 30 million by the end of next year.
AT&T continues to market to new customers in Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, La Habra, La Palma, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Orange, Placentia, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Stanton, Villa Park, Westminster, and Yorba Linda.
But like the other newish TV service, Verizon FiOS, there have been no expansions into new cities. This week, the Associated Press reported Verizon is winding down FiOS expansion. We already knew this was happening in Orange County last year and the company confirmed as much just a few months ago. If you can’t get FiOS today, you probably won’t be getting it for a very, very long time. Sounds like the same is true with U-verse, at least for the 7 cities previously mentioned.
There is still some hope that Orange County cities will get fiber Internet, if not TV service. Google’s recent pitch to help out cities build fiber networks did attract some local attention. Fullerton, Mission Viejo and Anaheim all made a bid (read earlier story: “Orange County doesn’t go crazy for Google’s 1 gbps fiber Internet“).
More on U-verse:
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Here's a list of TV/mobile companies helping consumers one tweet at a time. 
U-Verse isn’t available in my part of Santa Ana (near Tustin), and it’s be great if it was. I hope the proximity to Tustin isn’t holding it up.
C’mon everyone. ATT has decided to eliminate their retiree’s prescription drug coverage in their health care plan due to increased costs as a result of the new health care legislation. The costs would affect their $26 stock price $.07/share, and for that they’ll harm thousands of people. STOP USING THEM. BAD COMPANY
At&T has been one of the most liberal companies around when it comes to health insurance for their employees.
Why don’t you try getting your assertions documented before posting?
And what if anything does your complaint have yo do with U-Verse?
I hope my roommate and I consider switching at the end of our contract. They give you some good channels but FSW isn’t one of them. I am a huge Angels and Kings fan and can’t 99.9% of the games.
Oh wait, I lied…if I am willing to pay more for the special channel I can get it….its basic cable with other companies.
Strange, I got the U200 package and get FSW. I dont pay may more for FSW.
i love u-verse!
Are they finally coming to La Habra?
Hope they can offer me a basic package for less than $65 a month!
ala-cart would be nice too!
AT&T says it offers U-verse service in La Habra but the company won’t say what percentage of residents can actually order it or exactly where it is. Check with AT&T and let us know!
I tried U-Verse and spent over 40 hours (mostly on hold) trying to resolve issues with AT&T. After cancelling U-Verse, I was sent to collections twice which meant I spent additional hours with AT&T trying to get that mess resolved.
No other company has caused me the grief AT&T has with U-verse, my Iphone and now our DSL at work – horrible customer service.
AT&T has horrible customer service for the internet service as well. I also spent about 40 hours (including 1.5 days off work) trying to resolve my internet that was down for over three months. Got bounced back and forth to numerous depts making me repeat the same trouble shooting steps at every call. At one point, I was put on hold for over 30 minutes while the rep in India waited for her manager to approve a tech to come to my house…this is after the trouble shooting failed for the third time. After waiting the 4 hour window for the tech to show up at my house, I call AT&T and was told the tech was running late. Three more hours go by and he was no show. No phone call, nothing. I call AT&T back, barely got an apology, couldn’t file a complaint, and was told all they could do was reschedule another 4 hour window. So I take another half day off from work, tech shows up and says its my modem and offers to replace it for twice the cost of the exact same AT&T brand modem from Best Buy. After replacing the modem (that I got from Best Buy) my internet still doesn’t work. Another few weeks go by with no service, several more phone calls and mysteriously a tech got it to work claiming he did nothing different than the very first person I called. Tried to file a complaint but there’s apparently no one or dept to talk to. Tried to get refund for no service for four months but was put on hold for a half hour and lost patience.
Horrible, horrible, customer service.
Amen. I ditched AT&T internet – which, ironically, I used to sell – and hooked up with the evil Time Warner. Still have my DirecTV though (cable TV’s awful), and flippin LOVE it. The customer service at TW and DTV have been great (especially the latter), and unfortunately I have an eerily similar-sounding story about AT&T’s customer service. Ugh!
I heard AT&T was rolling out 24mbps to everyone who can get U-verse, and I’ve been pretty annoyed with Time Warner as far as my internet goes, so I was interested in switching. When I called them to find out what was available, they said I was only allowed to get up to 18mbps. And thanks to the gentlemen’s agreement Verizon and AT&T seem to have in Southern California, I will never have the chance to get FIOS unless I move out of Anaheim.
Sweden’s largest ISP announced on the same day of AT&T’s announcement that it would be providing 1Gbps services to its subscribers. Where’s the progress? Seems like we’re stuck in the past while we settle with “blazing fast” 24Mbps or, if you’re lucky, 50Mbps from Verizon. I commend what Google is doing, but I’m really hoping that this pushes the other ISPs to further loosen regulations and increase speeds on their networks.
It’s time to ditch the legacy TV broadcasts and the legacy phone networks, and move forward to an all-Internet based system. The biggest expense of upgrading to fiber is the physical labor of doing so. Once the physical fiber is laid down, for the most part upgrades are a matter of installing new decoders and end point hardware for individual homes. Fiber has immense capability to grow with the needs of the internet, limited only by how we can handle the light that travels down it. One of the things I think we as a country should focus on is to lay down a national initiative for carrier-neutral fiber lines so people can choose which provider they would like to purchase bandwidth from.
I live in Mission Viejo and cannot get the service where I live and it is fustrating. When are they going to be in our area?
I’ve waited for a year to get service in our corner of Laguna Niguel. I’m still waiting. Cox has driven me crazy with constant prices increases and older technology. If ATT can’t get it done, I’ll have to try satellite, as much as I hate to go that route.
lol @ you.
I live in LN and have DirectTV. FSW is not part of the base package so I have to pay extra, but the service is great, the cust. service is great, and when I called to ask if they could lower my bill (after being with them for only 1 year), they said “no problem”. They knocked $10 off per month gave me a free package upgrade for 6 months.
I’ve read a lot of complaints regarding installations and customer service. I am thinking about switching from TW but it just does not seem like ATT really knows what they are doing yet.
Will AT&T sell you the Internet bit without the TV service or do you have to buy the bundle?
if you get the fiber internet there is a 149.99 installation fee but it will be faster than DSL. For DSL its 100.00 for the modem with a 100.00 rebate makes it free. But if you sign up for the bundle TV/Internet the installation is free plus there are cash back being offered as well. Give our store a call 714 965 4917 if you have any questions.
I have U verse & live in Tustin. Love it! Got rid of Dish. Call AT&T to check availability. If you don’t get good service from the person you’re dealing with, ask for a manager & they will make sure that you are taken care of.
I have been without service for 17 days. It took over a week to get a tech to show up. When he did, he was 1 hour and 20 minutes late after the 2 hour window, did not have his drill, nose running like a faucet, took two hours to tell me that I was not getting a signal to my house. Needed a repairman. Tech said he would return after the repair on Sat. Repaired on Sat. Tech blew me off and the soonest I could get another tech to come back was 6 days later which is today.
I’m already sick of ATT U-Verse and I don’t even have it installed because of the BULLPOOP!! It better happen today.
hmmm…mebbe I’ll just stick w/ Cox instead of switching & drop some channels to lower my bill instead. Sounds like AT & T isn’t ready for prime time yet…
Chris,
AT&T really has great promos on U-verse! Compared to Cox you will get more HD channels/DVR in which you can record from all your TV’s and faster internet. We have a package right now thats 127/mo for tv/internet/home phone. It includes all the channels besides HBO and we are offering up to $200 cash back. free additional receivers and HD for 6mos. You can call the HB corporate store at 714 965 4917 thanks
We recently moved to Mission Viejo and decided to give Uverse a try. I signed via on line and when the tech showed up, he spent 5 hours trying to get the signal to work then had to call in another tech. He said my address is not covered and that their website is wrong. He left a mess at my house, including his equipments. I called their cs to advised of such and so far nothing. I left the equipment by my trash I had a horrible past with AT&T wireless & internet in the past but decided to give them a second chance. Well I’m done with AT&T for good. I’m back w/ cox.
If you want to sign up for U-VERSE here are the price plans best plans: $127/mo U300 includes all all channels except for HBO/6mbps and home phone with unlimited calls to US/CAN or $147 for all the channels including HBO/12mbps/home phone. with $100 cash back!! 133 HD channels free for 6 months, DVR and WIFI. Also it has FSW/PRIMETICKET ch. 1772 on hd. CALL OUR STORE 714 965 4917 ATT CORPORATE STORE. calling the store will have better offers than online or over the phone.