@Home users - a quick heads up!

UberNeuman · Post by **UberNeuman** » Tue Nov 27, 2001 6:50 pm

I'm a Excite@Home member, so I'm not sure this effects every @home member or not, but here's a heads up about the current @Home status...

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REDWOOD CITY (Reuters) - Bankrupt cable Internet access provider ExciteAtHome Corp. ATHMQ.OBATHM.O said on Tuesday it could cease providing service to its 4.1 million U.S. customers on Nov. 30 if it cannot renegotiate agreements with the cable companies that carry its service.

Representatives of Redwood City, California-based ExciteAtHome will appear in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Francisco on Friday, where a judge will decide whether to have the service blocked if current negotiations fail, said spokeswoman Stephanie Xavier.

"It depends on the decision of the judge," she said. "All I can say is we're in active negotiations with the cable companies. We're doing all that we can to maintain service."

Xavier said many of the cable companies that carry ExciteAtHome have informed users that their service could cease after Nov. 30.

"They've been notifying them and giving them a heads-up," she said.

poop · Post by **poop** » Tue Nov 27, 2001 6:53 pm

Holy crap. I cannot go back to 56k dial-up. AGH!!!

Kakarot · Post by **Kakarot** » Tue Nov 27, 2001 6:58 pm

Originally posted by poop
Holy crap. I cannot go back to 56k dial-up. AGH!!!

Yea, tell me about it... dial up sux.

I got an email from AT&T about the @home situation. They said they were still trying to buy excite@home and their network. It said that if the deal is approved then service should be fine... but if it isn't that there may be a temporary stoppage in service. They also said they've been building their own network for sometime now and hope to have it done soon should the @home deal fall through. I can copy and paste the email once I get home for all you to see(if my internet is still working that is

)

poop · Post by **poop** » Tue Nov 27, 2001 7:00 pm

cool, I would appreciate that.

I live up on a hill, so I am just barely out of reach of DSL. The only thing I can get is idsl, which is $99 a month, and only 144/144 kbps

PreDatoR · Post by **PreDatoR** » Tue Nov 27, 2001 8:37 pm

I know up this way its Charter@home. Couple of my buddies have it and they got a notice it would be cut off on the 30th of Nov. Their all bitching about having to go back to dial up.... I'm still on it so it don't bother me one bit

Jim Z · Post by **Jim Z** » Tue Nov 27, 2001 9:32 pm

Oh fsck.

PreDatoR · Post by **PreDatoR** » Tue Nov 27, 2001 10:37 pm

From the sounds of it, it is @home in general is shutting down. I know Charter up here is the local cable company. It doesn't sound like they'll have cable access for a while until they find someone else... Which sucks cause i'm gonna be moving in a couple month to where it was available... Oh well at least Qwest just got DSL going this past couple months so i still can have broadband.

Hipnotic_Tranz · Post by **Hipnotic_Tranz** » Tue Nov 27, 2001 10:44 pm

what are some other cable companies other than comcast@home? @home has been dickin' my parents around with the bill for quite some time (~$60 a/mo!) and Ive been itching to change but I don't really even know of any other companies. I'm just gonna have to look in the phone book and start callin' up places to see if they have service in my area.... TimeWarner is the only one I know of other than @home. What else is there?

Post by **FlyingPenguin** » Wed Nov 28, 2001 12:03 am

I have Comcast@home and haven't been notified.

Kakarot · Post by **Kakarot** » Wed Nov 28, 2001 12:34 am

This is the email I got from AT&T in all its glory:

As you may be aware, Excite@Home, our service provider, recently
filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. In order to continue providing
you the quality and reliable high-speed cable Internet service
that you expect, AT&T has submitted a proposal to purchase the
Excite@Home network. If AT&T is able to purchase and manage the
Excite@Home network, there will be no immediate change to your
current service. If the network purchase is approved, we will
notify you via your AT&T@Home email account as soon as possible.

As a precautionary measure, AT&T Broadband also has been building
its own network and service in the event that AT&T is unable to
purchase the Excite@Home network. If the proposal to purchase the
Excite@Home network is not approved, your service may be temporarily
interrupted and it will be necessary to move your service to a new
AT&T Broadband network.

In any event, AT&T Broadband is deeply committed to providing you
the best cable Internet service possible and communicating any
upcoming changes. Be sure to frequently check the "Announcements
and Updates" section of our Web site for the latest information
about your service:
http://help.broadband.att.com/

In the meantime, please check your AT&T Broadband email account(s)
on a daily basis. Doing this will automatically save your email
to your hard drive as well as ensure timely receipt of important
future communications from AT&T Broadband. Also, if you use our
Personal WebSpace feature, we recommend you backup your personal
web page(s) by copying it to a diskette, CD, or to your computer
hard drive.

If migrating your service to the AT&T Broadband network and service
becomes necessary, we will call to notify you of the migration timing.
A message will be left on your voicemail or recorder if no one is
available at the time of the call. As a precaution, we are
providing you the following instructions, which will enable you
to connect your computer to the new AT&T Broadband network. Again,
you will only need to follow these steps in the event you receive a
call from AT&T Broadband instructing you to do so.

1. Restart your computer to begin the process.
2. Open your Internet browser. You should be automatically
sent to an AT&T Broadband welcome page. This page includes
instructions on how to download software used to change
your computer settings for the new network. If the welcome
page does not automatically appear when you open your browser,
please go to
http://newuser.attbi.com/
(This website will only be available if the service migration
is necessary).
3. Follow the instructions on the Web site to run the Automated
Configuration Utility (or you can choose to change your
computer settings manually).
4. The software will automatically change your Outlook Express
email client, your Internet Explorer settings, and configure
your computer for the new AT&T Broadband network.
Information on how to manually change your settings for
other email clients and Internet browsers such as Netscape
Communicator and Netscape Navigator can be found at
http://help.broadband.att.com/
5. You can now surf the Internet and use email on the new
AT&T Broadband Internet network and service.

If migrating your service to the new network is necessary, certain
aspects of your service would change. Your current homepage would
feature new content and your current email address domain name
would change. Please note that your username would remain the same.
For example, jsmith@home.com would change to jsmith@attbi.com.
If service changes are necessary, a detailed description of all
changes will be provided at
http://help.broadband.att.com/
in the Announcements and Updates section.

Whether the Excite@Home network is purchased or your service is
migrated to the new AT&T Broadband network, your Subscriber
Agreement, which outlines the general Terms and Conditions of your
service will change. You will be able to view the amended and
restated Subscriber Agreement that will apply to the AT&T Broadband
Internet service at
http://help.broadband.att.com/
Your continued use of the service will constitute your acceptance
of the amended and restated AT&T Broadband Internet Subscriber
Agreement.

If you need assistance, visit us online at
http://help.broadband.att.com/
to chat with a customer care specialist. Please remember, AT&T
Broadband will call you if any action is required on your part.

While we realize these potential changes may cause some inconvenience,
please be assured that we are doing everything possible to avoid
any service disruptions. However, in the event the service is
disrupted during a migration, you will receive a credit for those
days of interrupted service.

We are working hard to provide you with the best high-speed cable
Internet service possible. We appreciate your patience and your
business.

Sincerely,

Susan K. Marshall
Senior Vice President
Advanced Broadband Services

interesting

renovation · Post by **renovation** » Wed Nov 28, 2001 4:04 am

it arrived at 2:08 am nov 28th 2001

Dear Comcast @Home Customer,

As you may know, Excite@Home, the Internet service provider for Comcast
@Home, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the end of September
2001. During this process, we are committed to keeping you informed about
any new developments and to providing you with the best high-speed Internet
service.

This month, Excite@Home petitioned the Bankruptcy Court for permission
to terminate agreements with its cable affiliates - including Comcast,
Cox and AT&T - on November 30, 2001. If the Court grants Excite@Home's
request, there could be a temporary disruption in the services Excite provides
to the more than four million customers served by its North American affiliates.

Please be assured that we value your business and are doing everything
possible to ensure that there will be no interruption of your Comcast @Home
service. Additionally, we have taken the following steps to minimize any
inconvenience should a temporary service disruption occur as a result of
the Court's ruling:

* Toll-free Customer Information Hotline (1-888-433-6963): you can call
in for the latest updates as we work to quickly resolve any issues.
* Web Site Message Center at http://www.comcastonline.com/info.htm: we will provide
online updates and an FAQ section to answer your questions.
* Automatic Account Credits: we will credit your account automatically,
so you will be properly reimbursed for any time you are without service.

We also have been working to develop a Comcast-managed network that will
provide you the always-on cable-powered, high-speed Internet service you've
come to enjoy. We will make this new service available as quickly as possible
and will provide you with more details in future correspondence.

Five years ago, Comcast became one of the first cable companies to offer
customers high-speed Internet service. We remain committed to providing
you with high quality service both now and in the future and thank you
for choosing Comcast.

Sincerely,

David Juliano
Sr. Vice President & General Manager

COMCAST @HOME FAQS

How can I connect to the Internet if my service is interrupted?
---------------------------------------------------------------
We recommend that you take advantage of Comcast's Connection Backup Program
to obtain free dial-up and e-mail service as a temporary alternative.
Visit http://www.comcastonline.com/info.htm today to sign up for service. (This
service requires that you have a phone modem.)

What will happen to my personal Web page ?
------------------------------------------
As a safety precaution, you should always backup your personal Web page
to a CD or hard drive. For detailed instructions, please visit http://www.comcastonline.com/info.htm.

What should I be doing right now?
---------------------------------
1. Back up your personal Web page.
2. Check your @Home e-mail daily. Opened messages will be saved automatically
to your hard drive.
3. Take advantage of Comcast's Connection Backup Program.

What will happen to any e-mail sent to me if my service is interrupted?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
We are hopeful that Excite@Home would store and hold your @Home e-mail
until the service is restored. However, we cannot guarantee that this
will happen as Excite@Home controls the e-mail servers.

What should I do with my Comcast cable modem?
---------------------------------------------
In the unlikely event of a service interruption, you should leave your
modem connected to your computer until service is restored. If you lease
your modem from Comcast, we would automatically issue a credit for both
service and equipment rental during any service interruption.

What should I do if there is a temporary service interruption?
--------------------------------------------------------------
1. Call the Comcast toll-free hotline at 1-888-433-6963 for regular status
updates.
2. Connect to the Web through Comcast's Connection Backup Program and visit
http://www.comcastonline.com/info.htm for Web updates.

renovation · Post by **renovation** » Wed Nov 28, 2001 4:23 am

AND ONLY 10 HOURS A MONTH OF INTERNET IS FREE

I WANT MY CABLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

vwkess · Post by **vwkess** » Wed Nov 28, 2001 7:21 am

Well that sucks

I have Comcast@home too. Don't know if I've received a notice yet though... I don't have my @home email account set up!!

Kakarot · Post by **Kakarot** » Wed Nov 28, 2001 10:30 am

Here's and interesting artical on the situation:

http://www.dotcomscoop.com/athm.html

VidmanII · Post by **VidmanII** » Wed Nov 28, 2001 1:44 pm

Jeesh, what's the good news?

PCA Forums

@Home users - a quick heads up!

@Home users - a quick heads up!

just got the letter from comcast :(

what sucks worst is that they have you sign into juno in my area