Telecom-Related Questions Every One Should Ask Before Buying a Home

I have worked for the same small telecom company for more than a decade and, even though we no longer offer residential services or even advertise, I do still have a few residential customers find our number and call in every week.

The majority of those calls are customers who just purchased a new home and, because they are new to the area, are hunting for phone service, internet service or a combination. And, as I have learned from those discussions, most are shocked about just how difficult the process is. This is especially true of homeowners looking for internet access. As a result of this, I have come up with a list of telecom-related questions every new homeowner should ask before closing on their house.

First, is there competition for my business? When I first started in the telecom industry, everyone wanted residential accounts. Today, many companies (including the one I work for) focus just on the commercial accounts. This means there are a quite a few areas where there is no competition and, as a result of that, you might discover the services are either more expensive than you were budgeting for or may not be up to the same standard you would expect (I know of at least one area that can’t even get caller ID yet).

Second, do I have broadband internet access? As hard as it is to believe, a lot of areas don’t have broadband internet yet (this is especially true in the Midwest). Sometimes it’s whole communities. Other times, it’s just a small section (usually on the outskirts of town). This is why, even if companies say they can service a specific city or town, it’s best to check using the exact address. There’s a reason why my company still has about 200 active dial-up internet customers.

Third, will I be required to have a phone line? Most of the customers who end up calling into my office don’t want a land line phone. They just want an internet connection. Unfortunately, there are quite a few companies that still don’t have stand-alone internet like that. Others (usually in areas where there is no competition) will require you to purchase a bundle even if they do have the ability to sell the internet separately.

Last, if you are building a brand new home, what kind of headaches will the new construction cause? Telecom companies used to expand their facilities to new homes automatically. That is no longer the case in some areas. If you don’t check ahead of time, you might find yourself without service for several weeks while your phone/internet company is expanding out to you and digging up your yard to bury them.

With all the stressful things related to buying or building a new home, it might be easy to forget about something as simple as your phone or internet connection. But, if you don’t take the time to ask these questions, there is a good chance you will end up regretting it later.