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Finally, if you want premium TV channels, you will need to order them from Comcast.  

Qwest Local Phone Service

A physical telephone is provided in each apartment by Budget Suites but the Resident is responsible for obtaining service. Local phone service can be ordered via the Qwest web site or by calling Qwest at 1-800/244-1111. Business hours are M-F from 7:00 AM - 7:00PM. It normally takes one business day to obtain service. They do not have to enter the apartment to hook up the service.

The cost for basic service is approximately $20/month (plus taxes and fees of approximately $9) and $20 (plus taxes and fees) for installation.  Qwest will give you a choice of long distance carriers. A "Maintenance Warranty" is not required because we will repair problems inside the building, including the physical phone.

All apartments are wired for one line (with 2-3 jacks) and service can normally be hooked up from the Qwest central office without bothering the Resident or us. However, lately they have sometimes been asking to go into the building service area to test the service. If you need a second line, it may be necessary for the service people to enter the building service area and your apartment to hook it up. Please contact Budget Suites Management before ordering a second line or if the phone company wants to enter the service area to test and/or hook up the first line.

Please call Prudence with your new phone number as soon as possible. We need to be able to contact you for a variety of reasons and having a phone number makes it a lot easier.

Finally, new phone books are usually delivered in 1-2 weeks. If you receive some, please place the old ones in the laundry room and we will see to it that they are recycled.

Comcast High Speed Internet Access

High Speed Internet Access from Comcast provides high speed online Internet access via cable on a connection separate from your telephone. It does not interfere with your TV or your regular phone service. However, you do need to install a cable modem with its appropriate drivers on your computer and Time Warner needs to install special splitters in the cable line behind your TV. In addition, because of the high speed, always-online access, you may want to consider a personal firewall to protect your computer from hackers. We use "Norton Internet Security" and it seems to work quite well. Your computer needs to have Windows XP or higher operating system, 64 MB or more memory, 110 MB or more of disk space, CD ROM drive, and a USB or Ethernet port for connecting to the cable modem. Support is also available for the Macintosh computer.

You can order High Speed Internet Access as an add-on to the bulk cable TV service that is currently in service in the building. The cost of the bulk cable TV service is included in the monthly rent. The cost of all add-ons (e.g., High Speed Internet or premium TV channels such as Home Box Office or Starz) is the responsibility of the Resident. The current price for High Speed Internet Access is about $50/month but occasionally there are special deals available.  Installation charges vary depending on what special deals are being offered. For details of the service (including current pricing and installation options) please contact Comcast.

To order High Speed Internet, please call Chad Menton (Comcast) at 651-285-5309. You will need to tell the him that you want to order High Speed Internett, your apartment building address and unit number, and that your cable service is on a "bulk account" or a MDU (Multiple Dwelling Unit) account. This level of service is high enough to qualify you for the approximately $50/month internet service.

Qwest DSL Internet Access is also a high speed internet service that can be ordered via the Qwest web site. Since it requires local phone service from Qwest, you can order it the same time you order your local phone service.

Digital cable is available as an extra cost item directly from Comcast. This is the Resident's responsibility but it is easy to obtain and set up. The basic digital package includes:

The Digital Home Communications Terminal can be picked up and the service set up very conveniently by visiting the nearest Comcast store which is less than a mile north of Budget Suites at 6540 Penn. You might want to call to verify that they are open at 612/522-2000.