CarryTel Internet: Lightning Fast Speeds

Carrytel is a good budget ISP. They are stable, reliable and at a decent price. Customer service is average with limited hours, which can be an issue if service outages occur outside 10am-7pm EST. Some plans are limited to use with a Hitron CGN3U modem/router combo that they require to be purchased for 59$. Use of your own compatible modem is limited to certain plans which would require me personally to pay over 30% more monthly, sign a new 1 year contract, and require a 29$ charge for the opportunity. The Hitron CGN3U modem is absolutely terrible and makes the ISP service worse with intermittent latency issues. Manual DNS, keyword filtering, and router level VPN services do not work on Hitrons CGN3U software despite the GUI having these options. Latency issues persist after bridging the modem to a router capable of performing these basic networking tasks that I use personally for parental controls. If Carrytel allowed the use of its supported Technicolor TC4400 modem on all plans, I would not be shopping around for a different ISP and they would have kept me as a customer.

Buyer beware, while the lower rate plans may seem appealing, the company will get their money back from its practice. Please read the reviews and all their fine print before deciding for yourself.
Carrytel will increase rates yearly, sometimes multiple times a year - usually after Black Friday / Holiday deals in the hopes to retain customers for another year as they've missed the promotion/opportunity to switch to another provider. Pay close attention to your invoices as they will make changes here with no other notice. Opt to make payments yourself and stay on top of it, do not give them your bank or card info for automatic withdrawals. While they may offer a free modem rental, they will ask for a deposit and in the long run, ask you to forfeit the deposit to buy the modem or incur new charges for the modem rental. Note that if you have any issues with their refurbished devices, you will have to pay for shipping there and back or drop off and pick up and only be given a one-time replacement before being warned about a purchase for additional replacements.

I have cancelled my plan with Carrytel now and am glad to be out. I have had Internet and phone service with the company for about 3 years and overall the service was okay, however, there will be a handful of outages and intermittent issues throughout the year. The fact that the company does not care about retaining customers or loyal customers rubbed the wrong way with me. The last bullet that did it for me was during cancellation when I had to return the phone modem. This was a working phone modem and I've never had any issues with the phone modem since I've had it. When I returned this modem - hand-delivered to their office - I was naive not thinking to have it tested in front of me. Needless to say shortly after drop off I get an email indicating that the device is defective and that I would be charged for it. I've called to complain, requested a retest, and that the device be given back to me now that I've bought it - crickets, no callback. It was coincidental that the device was defective when they received it just as coincidental as their templatized emails when they request charges that say "Dear customer, Dear customer," (yes, it is written twice). So dear customers, please do your due diligence, read the reviews and decide for yourself before signing on!

Interent speed is trhottling during the day

We suffered some outage over the years. They have limited time you can call to get assistance. You have to drive to their office to get replacement modems. They tell you they've opened a ticket nbut can't comment on what happened to the previous tickets that we opened beyond "they're looking at it" My response "after looking at it for a couple of weeks, are their eyes getting tired? How come I haven't heard from them?"
More recently, our speed got cut in half and they were unable to resolve it after a couple of weeks. Sometimes, it was down to 5% of what we were supposed to get. Sometimes, it was out altogether. We also had to get rid of our phone with them for quality issues - calls not getting through or dropped. I've spent 8 hours today trying to resolve it - in the wake of many, many hours over the last couple of weeks. We did everything - switched out cables, power supplies, modems, etc. After more than two weeks, we lost our 5G network and it requires us to go to their office again to get another modem. There's something wrong with these people and/or their product.