I hope you decide to use the lottery green card. Itīs kind of a shame when they go to someone who just entered for the fun of it, or wants to use it for a couple of years like a working holiday visa, because there are a lot of people who really, really want to emigrate to the US who didnīt win because there was someone who wasnīt serious who took a spot. They donīt get added back into the pool if they arenīt used. That opportunity has been eliminated forever if you donīt use it.
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Originally Posted by Bevdeforges
Depends a bit on where you are in the US - but many of the phone providers also do broadband - Verizon, AT&T. There is also the possibility of getting your broadband via cable (see below under TV services).
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I donīt know of any phone company that doesnīt offer broadband.
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Originally Posted by Bevdeforges
Cable TV is still limited in the US to a single monopoly per town. (In NYC, the cable franchises are laid out by neighborhood).
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There is a choice for land-based cable in some areas where local governments require lines be leased to other companies, much as the long distance companies lease your local line so you can make long distance and overseas calls from home. You can get phone service through cable, too.
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Originally Posted by Bevdeforges
Southwest, Jet Blue, there are others - again, it depends a bit on the region
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Ours usually donīt have the great discounts you hear about in Europe or see in South East Asia. Our budget airlines just arenīt as ībudgetī.
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Originally Posted by Bevdeforges
The other "interesting" thing is the banks that are set up in supermarkets - open all hours, and many open on Sundays.
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These are not available everywhere, but then hardly anyone ever actually goes into a bank, anyway. ATMs are everywhere, including in supermarkets.
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Originally Posted by Bevdeforges
Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile (the old Deutsche Telekom) - most offer package deals that include landline and mobile services.
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One thing that is different is that your phone is designed to work only through the company you choose for your service. You have to get a new physical phone every time you change providers. Remember the fuss over the I-phone being locked to AT&T? Thatīs the norm in the US, though at least one provider is abandoning it. Your UK phones wonīt work here even if they are triband, because your provider will require that you buy one of íts locked phones.
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Originally Posted by Bevdeforges
Regional and "deregulated" these days. (I.e. privatized) But there is very often a choice - at least in the electric and gas markets. Water is more or less by town or region.
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The southeast states never deregulated. They couldnīt see the point when they already had the lowest prices in the country. They took a īwait and seeīposition, that mess happened in California, and deregulation died for good in the south. As Bev said, it is really regional.
Other things you might find odd: Your dirverīs license will be issued by your state, as will your car registration, and if you move to another state, you will have to get new ones. No license fees for TVīs and radios. The size of the country and the variety in the size of the states.