Can I get a divorce from NRTC?

[mvstx]

I am in a small Texas town, and I am forced to be in The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) becuase of the wisdom of our government.

What this means, that on many issues, I cannot resolve them directly with DirecTv. When I call them, my account comes up on their computer, and then the rep says that she (or he) can't help me. I have to call my local provider. My local provider does not answer their phone 24/7. They are M-F, 9 to 5, and 1/2 day on Sat. They don't always answer at noon because they are helping walk ins.

I am also restricted from doing some things online. Ie, I cannot look up my billing history. I have to call my local provider. They tell me they will order it and then after they get it, they will mail it to me. They don't know how to scan and email it.

Can I get a divorce from NRTC and just be like any other 'national' account? How do I do that?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Joe Diamond]

I had forgotten about them.......Every once in a while I got no pay for an installation or service call with a big NRTC as an explanation. In each case I told the installation company I wanted to be paid...I did what was ordered.

So that crap is still out there? There is no "rural" anymore. This could be a good one to ax.
What do they do?

Joe

 

[raoul5788]

I am in a small Texas town, and I am forced to be in The National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) becuase of the wisdom of our government.

What this means, that on many issues, I cannot resolve them directly with DirecTv. When I call them, my account comes up on their computer, and then the rep says that she (or he) can't help me. I have to call my local provider. My local provider does not answer their phone 24/7. They are M-F, 9 to 5, and 1/2 day on Sat. They don't always answer at noon because they are helping walk ins.

I am also restricted from doing some things online. Ie, I cannot look up my billing history. I have to call my local provider. They tell me they will order it and then after they get it, they will mail it to me. They don't know how to scan and email it.

Can I get a divorce from NRTC and just be like any other 'national' account? How do I do that?

Thanks in advance.

I don't understand. How can the local government tell you how you get your satellite television? Why can't you have a standard subscription and service from Directv?

 

[boba]

Cancel your Directv account and subscribe to DISH Network. You are now DIVORCED from NRTC.

 

[Mr Tony]

I didnt think the NRTC existed for D* anymore

I know of telco's who bundle your account with Directv. Maybe its set up that way?

 

[stonecold]

They are still around but from my understanding one did not have to sign up through nrtc any more like some use to have to .

 

[Claude Greiner]

I thought Directv got rid of the NRTC also, unless there is still some small territories that did not get taken over when Pegasus went under.

The choice is DISH Network or move to a territory that is not serviced by the NRTC

 

[wildbill129]

You may have to buy your landline service from them, but TV is optional. All they are doing is bundle billing. Get them to seperate it, or cancel it, then call DirecTV and have it installed again.

 

[stonecold]

Yeah I verified you dont have to be threw NTRC unless you want the bundling discount . it is optional and you can cancel service with NTRC and get it directly through directv according to a sales manager I talked to last night.

 

[raoul5788]

So the Directv service gets subbed out only if you have a bundle with the local telephone company? That makes more sense.

 

[SamCdbs]

I don't understand. How can the local government tell you how you get your satellite television? Why can't you have a standard subscription and service from Directv?

The government has, and never did have, anything to do with it.

History time. Back during the intitial rollout of DirecTV, then called DSS, the original owners sold specific parts of the country to the NRTC, which is a lobbying and shared back office supplier to those unlucky 15% who live in places where the telephone company is not decended from Ma Bell or the General.

The idea was that with this brand new technology, the NRTC's membership provided an "on the ground" relationship with the most natural DBS market, those who lived outside the reach of cable, or at least reasonably well-run cable.

It really did not workout that way. DSS exploded as the fastest outroll of a consumer electronic in history, and soon the deals, on recerivers and on programming packages, offered by DirecTV directly were soon very superior to those offered by the NRTC, especially its largest member known as "Pegasus".

This led to litigation between the NRTC and DirecTV. It also led to a lot of gripes and lots of people just "moved".

Under the NEWS Corp ownership DirecTV finally bought out the NRTC's monopoly. Today it is just a "bundler". You can just cancel and get a direct relationship with DirecTV.

 

[Bill_KY]

Pegasus...now that brings back memories from the the old dbsforums.com. That was a common thread and complaint, the solutions were like you said, "move" or go to Dish. We were very close to Pegusus territory then...just made it in the Direct territory in 2001.

 

[raoul5788]

The government has, and never did have, anything to do with it.

History time. Back during the intitial rollout of DirecTV, then called DSS, the original owners sold specific parts of the country to the NRTC, which is a lobbying and shared back office supplier to those unlucky 15% who live in places where the telephone company is not decended from Ma Bell or the General.

The idea was that with this brand new technology, the NRTC's membership provided an "on the ground" relationship with the most natural DBS market, those who lived outside the reach of cable, or at least reasonably well-run cable.

It really did not workout that way. DSS exploded as the fastest outroll of a consumer electronic in history, and soon the deals, on recerivers and on programming packages, offered by DirecTV directly were soon very superior to those offered by the NRTC, especially its largest member known as "Pegasus".

This led to litigation between the NRTC and DirecTV. It also led to a lot of gripes and lots of people just "moved".

Under the NEWS Corp ownership DirecTV finally bought out the NRTC's monopoly. Today it is just a "bundler". You can just cancel and get a direct relationship with DirecTV.

I was equating the NRTC with the government.

 

[PMKS]

wow, I didn't know that the NRTC was still around.....

I too live in a small Texas town, when I first got DirecTV in 1994 I paid my bill to a small local Electrical Co-op that sold DirecTV service, then Pegasus until DirecTV took them over.

I remember all the odd rules, etc. We didn't get TNT when it was first offered on DirecTV for some time due to some stupid rule. I remember missing Sunday Night NFL games on TNT and being pissed about it.

 

[Mr Tony]

We use to live in a Pegasuck area....Northern MN

We had Primestar and when D* bought Primestar out we had D* for like a month then switched to Dish

The thing I remember about NRTC is they actively sold 2 packages that D* didnt anymore. Select Choice and the one that was like an add on to your existing cable that added the (at the time) "newer oddball channels" and the multisports package. It was like 15 bucks a month

 

[stonecold]

We use to live in a Pegasuck area....Northern MN

We had Primestar and when D* bought Primestar out we had D* for like a month then switched to Dish

The thing I remember about NRTC is they actively sold 2 packages that D* didnt anymore. Select Choice and the one that was like an add on to your existing cable that added the (at the time) "newer oddball channels" and the multisports package. It was like 15 bucks a month

Select choice now called Select is around if you ask a billing agent really pretty like they can switch you to it lol.

 

[nicklawrence77]

I am in a small Texas town, and I am forced to be in

Can I get a divorce from NRTC and just be like any other 'national' account? How do I do that?

Thanks in advance.

Greetings mvstx,

I have sent you a private message on this topic to assist you with your issues/concerns. I feel confident that we can get you to back on track. My apologies if you received two PM's from me as I experienced a glitch during registration.