12 Keys to Bundling

​There are numerous options to make sure your home is connected. You can obtain telephone, internet,

television, and even security services. In fact, most television service providers also offer each of these

other connectivity options for your home. You may be tempted to price everything out individually to

obtain the best price per service. In reality, you will likely find that ordering this service from the same

provider can make the entire package much more affordable. However, there are key points to

remember when bundling services.

Contract or Month to Month

First, you need to decide where your comfort level lies. Many of these bundling packages are cheaper

when a contract is signed. This is because customers are guaranteed to stick around for an extended

period of time. Most contracts are two years in length. Barring any unforeseeable circumstances, such

as a move or death, a fee will be charged if you cancel the contract early. However, by agreeing to this

contract, you will often receive added benefits, such as free premium channels, free installation, or even

a free month or two of services. Choosing to forego the contract does not indicate the bundle will not

save money, but may indicate freebies will not be given.

More Than You Need

The more services you bundle, the cheaper the package will be. Companies would rather guarantee that

you are giving them all of your business than risk losing you to a competitor. As a result, some of the

best priced packages offer more services than most people need or want. Many bundles include

internet, television, and telephone. In the age of increased cellular usage, most people do not wish to

have a home telephone. However, by agreeing to keep the landline, you may actually pay less per

month than if you purchased just television and internet. Be prepared to agree to more than you may

need or want to get better overall pricing. The added benefit is that if you decide you want to have the

service down the line, it is already built in. Agreeing to add the telephone service does not mean you

need to attach it to an actual phone. It simply means the line is there is you should choose to utilize it in

the future.

Bundling will almost always save you time and money, keeping your services in a neat billing package

that keeps you and your service provider happy. However, it is still important to price out each provider

to find the best price for your service needs. Using a company that works as a broker for these types of

service may be in your best interest. These companies do the legwork for you, giving you the pricing

from different providers to help you choose the best fit for your family. If you are shopping for service

providers for your home to make sure you are connected, contact the experts at The Connected Home

at (612) 424-8483. They will gladly help you find the best company for your needs and budget.

Saving Money on Your Cable Services

Cable and internet services for your home are necessary in the 21st century. However, they can be quite costly. It seems like cable companies are constantly adding new fees and raising your bill virtually every month. Almost nothing appears to be included in the initial price. To make matters worse, many providers tend to only offer better pricing to current customers who agree to sign a two year or longer contract. Many people believe the only option is to ditch cable television altogether and subscribe to services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. You do have another option; however, it means leaving your comfort zone and switching providers.
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Shop Around

The key to making sure you are getting the best price for your cable and internet services is to shop around. Call other local providers to determine what they offer for new subscribers. Compare prices not just for the first payment, but also for payments you will make a year and even two or three years later. Make sure the introductory offer is not excessively discounted to the point that you will experience sticker shock after the promotional period ends.

When shopping around, make sure you are getting the channels you and your family actually watch. Some of the newer providers do not have contracts with all of the available cable channels, thereby cutting out some sports, children’s, or other specialty channels. In doing so, these providers can actually cost you more money in the long run.

Do not be afraid to not only ask questions, but also to make the change. You know your television watching habits and your budget better than anyone else does. If you are with a provider that does not meet either of these needs, do not be afraid to switch to a new carrier. The worst that may happen is that you will be unhappy and switch back to your original provider.
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Promotional Offers

Many service providers want your business and will offer special pricing for you to become a new customer. These promotional offers are not offered to existing clients. Rather, they are designed to entice potential new customers to try their services. These are often rates the new customers will receive for one to two years and may include free premium channels or reduced bundled services. Many times, once the new client tries the services and realizes they prefer it, they will often be able to negotiate lower rates going forward. This is because they were able to take advantage of a promotional offer from the beginning.
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If you are in the market to save money on your cable provider, contact the experts at The Connected Home at (612) 424-8483. Their technicians and customer service representatives can help you find the best services to help your family stay connected – and save a little money as well. ​

Happy Thanksgiving

We are grateful to our customers, employees and vendors.

As Thanksgiving day arrives again this year, we wish to extend our gratitude to all with whom we have been in contact this past year. 

It has been a good year. We take pride and joy in helping people work their way through the maze of advertising, hype and often confusing set of options they face when deciding on the best carrier for the phone, TV, internet and security situation.

We have made significant progress this year as well in expanding our reach online in an effort to serve more people.

Sometimes when you offer a "Free" service people can discount or mistrust the effort. That said, we have been gratified by the large number of people who have been willing to refer their friends and neighbors as well as leave testimonials on our behalf.

We know we are not perfect, But we strive to do our very best to provide accurate and useful advice to all we meet. 

So on behalf of the entire The Connected Home Family, we wish you a most happy and peaceful Thanksgiving day.

PS: Go Vikes - take out Detroit in time for our turkey dinner.

Comcast X1 Service ... Beyond Comcast

Comcasts X1 Service or Platform may soon be everywhere, even outside of Comcast's Cable Networks

The X1 platform is actually where internet and TV meet, for Comcast, so it’s not surprising that the company would be so focused on it.Recently Matthew Strauss Comcast person in charge of "Video & Entertainment Services" for Comcast discussed a series of questions on Comcast's  competition and their X1 platform. His comments were captured in part by The Consumerist

That platform is actually where internet and TV meet, for Comcast, so it’s not surprising that the company would be so focused on it.
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​“We authenticate over 20 devices today,” Strauss said, referring to various ways outside of your traditional TV that you can login to access the video content that you’ve paid Comcast for, whether it’s Comcast itself, or streaming services from HBO and others.
“Securely” and its cousin, “authenticated,” are the key for Comcast. They want content providers who are worried about piracy to keep paying them, and they want customers paying them too.

The point Struss is making is that people watch "TV" today on a lot of different platforms other than the standard TV set we all know and love. The key economic and technical challenge in the evolving media world is a fundamental consideration for Comcast and content providers.

“Securely” and its cousin, “authenticated,” are the key for Comcast. They want content providers who are worried about piracy to keep paying them, and they want customers paying them too.
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Those also tie in to part of why Comcast has been the fastest and most ardent voice objecting to the FCC’s now-shelved set-top box alternative proposal: the X1 is already most of the way there, and for all the times Strauss called cable a “competitive landscape,” Comcast probably wants to stave off competition as much as possible. Making all content available on everyone’s hardware would interfere with the X1 in a big way.
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What cable consumers may not know — because they only have the option of one cable carrier in their area — is that Comcast actually licenses the X1 platform out to other cable providers. For instance, Cox Communications uses it in their entire footprint. This sort of resource sharing gives lie to the oft-repeated idea (at least by the cable industry) that there is strong “competition” among landline cable companies.

Now there is something to note here. Comcast's X1 Service may or may not be the final solution to having access to all the myriad of content resources out there. But at this point in time, it is the leader in providing access to many if not all resources.

Not only can you access HBO and Showtime which have traditionally been cable based platforms, you can now access Netflicks and Hulu which it partially owns. These platforms were previously independent properties outside the typical cable package. Now they are being integrated and accessible via X1 service.

You will note that Comcast's TV advertising is increasingly focused on the X1 platform for good reason. It is their #1 selling point today and will likely remain so for a while.  If you are interested in accessing Comcasts X1 Service in the Minneapolis St Paul Twin Cities area, contact us at The Connected Home.

Century Link Merger with Level 3 Raises Stock Market Questions

The Connected Home is Proud to be an Authorized Representative for Century Link Phones and Century Link Internet Services

Today we are sharing some information on Century Links recent acquisition of Level 3 Communications. We are sure this will only build the long term value of Century Link, but we note that it may rock the boat in terms of Wall Street for a while.

In the case of the $34 billion merger between CenturyLink Inc. (NYSE: CTL) and Level 3 Communications Inc. (NYSE: LVLT), the deal may have done more than just pressure the acquirer. The initial read a few days after the deal’s announcement could suggest that CenturyLink and Level 3 just ruined their stock charts for some time ahead. Still, CenturyLink did announce later in the week that it is selling its data center business for $2.15 billion in a fresh news announcement.  Read more..

CenturyLink CEO Glen Post addresses shareholders during the company's annual meeting at the company headquarters in Monroe last year.(Photo: FILE/USA TODAY NETWORK OF LOUISIANA)

CenturyLink, which last week announced a blockbuster deal to buy Level 3 Communications in a $34 billion deal, will help pay for it by selling its data centers and colocation business to a consortium led by BC Partners for $2.3 billion.thetowntalk.com

​But making CenturyLink, Inc. an even more interesting and timely stock to look at, is the fact that in trading on Thursday, shares of CTL entered into oversold territory, changing hands as low as $22.86 per share. We define oversold territory using the Relative Strength Index, or RSI, which is a technical analysis indicator used to measure momentum on a scale of zero to 100. A stock is considered to be oversold if the RSI reading falls below 30.

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Is CTL Stock's Dividend Yield Threatened?
Centurylink Inc (NYSE:CTL) stock has been in hot water for long time, despite paying a market-beating dividend yield. Income investors have been questioning how long this telecom giant will be able to sustain its payout when sales are shrinking.

But this week, CenturyLink surprised investors by announcing plans to buy Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE:LVLT) for about $34.0 billion in cash and stocks in an effort to grab a share of the heavy Internet traffic market for businesses. The acquisition, subject to regulatory approval, values Level 3 at $66.50 a share, offering a 42% premium over its stock price being traded before reports of the potential acquisition by CenturyLink. The equity value of the deal, excluding debt, is about $24.0 billion. (Source: “Centurylink To Acquire Level 3 Communications,” Centurylink Inc, October 31, 2016.)

Taking into consideration the immediate market reaction, it seems investors aren’t happy with this deal, as CTL stock plunged over 12% soon after the details of this acquisition surfaced. This happened despite CenturyLink’s statement that it expects to maintain its annual dividend of $2.16 per share.

What ever the near term future of Century Link's stock price, we are confident that they will continue to offer good value to Minnesota Phone and Internet users.  If you are looking to add change or upgrade your phone or Internet service be sure to contact us at The Connected Home. 612-424-8483  

​We are your source for century link services.

How to Find the Best High Speed Internet Company: Minnesota

​Get Free Help When Shopping for Internet and TV Bundles in Minneapolis, St Paul or elsewhere in Minnesota.

Getting straight information about your options when setting up a new internet and or TV connection can be difficult.  The companies of course all claim to offer the best service and often toss around technical jargon, few people actually understand.  It is nearly impossible to know who to believe. Complicating things is the simple fact that in many cases the best answer is that, "It depends."

How will you and your family use the internet. Are you looking for TV as well as online access. Are you a Gamer, do you avidly follow sports or are you more interested in news and information or perhaps old movies. Will you be downloading a lot of music?

Thankfully, there is a place where you can get free unbiased advice on who are your best choice of internet companies in Minneapolis, St Paul and all of Minnesota.

The Connected Home has been working to help people understand their options and get the best deal on internet and TV Bundles. Minneapolis based, they serve the entire state of Minnesota and can help not only with high-speed internet, but also satellite TV, Internet Access, and Home Security offerings around the entire state of Minnesota.

The Connected Home is proud to partner with a variety of companies to offer you high-quality high-speed internet service at competitive rates. Give us a call to learn what company may best meet your needs. 612-424-8483  Read More:

Learn more about The Connected Home here: ​http://goo.gl/N1h7EK

Services offered include advice on

1. Internet in Minneapolis and across the State
2. TV Access - Cable and/or Satellite Options
3. Local Phone Service  (Yes, People still do use landlines)
4. Home Security
5. Bundles of all of the above

Get Frontier Internet for Minnesota Homes and Cabins

The Connected Home can help you access Frontier Internet if it is available in your area.

The Connected Home represents many different ISPs as well as TV providers in Minnesota. Each provider has its own service area and as such, we often are limited by our customers location. 

So our first step is to determine which services are available at your address.  In Minnesota, many of our rural and suburban communities have access to Frontier Communications services. 

The Connected Home will help you get Frontier Internet Minnesota

Frontier offers phone, TV and internet access.

Among the benefits they offer are a no contract service. As they say in the promotional material, they are confident that you will love their service. No signature is needed.  Compare that to others vendors, some of whom need a two year commitment.

Speaking of two years, they also offer a price guarantee for a full two years. 

Plus they offer a free router, saving you the expense or even worse the rental charges some cable providers gouge their customers on.

And in terms of quality of service, they offer a dedicated connection. That results in more speed for you vs. shared connections that bog down when too many of your neighbors are online the same time you are.

Get a Frontier Landline

Many people have given up their landlines. but if and when you have an emergency, a landline can be a lifesaver. Frontier's home phone service is reliable and can be used to connect to your security system. Better yet, the voice quality is clear, which makes it easier to hear, especially for persons with less than 100% hearing.

Inexpensive on its own, it is a true bargain when packaged with  internet service.
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image credit: http://ift.tt/2e4CLQN

Frontier Means Business

Frontier Means BusinessWhen you choose Frontier, you never have to worry about connecting with clients. You get Internet that's reliably fast and phones with a steady, crystal-clear connection. Here's more of what Frontier can offer your small business:

• Multiple Wi-Fi networks for private use or customers'
• Intuitive phone features, with up to 12 lines
• Private data lines on lightning-fast Internet
• Unlimited Cloud backup

Get a competitive advantage today with Frontier Internet.

Keep in touch with The Connected Home

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