US equivalent of UK service providers

[oroks]

Hi all,
I am new to this forum and reading through the posts for the last 2 nights. I am currently living in the UK and my wife won the Green card lottery. Now, we are considering to move US. But, before we come to a decision we try to consider all aspects of living in US.
To start with I appreciate if you share some information. What I am looking for are the major service providers (or retailers) in the USA and their websites? (or am I talking nonsense?)

Broadband Providers in US? (like UK: tiscali, sky)
TV services (like sky, virgin)
budget airlines (like easyjet, rynair)
money comparison sites (like moneysupermarket)
Online Banking? can we open a bank account online?
Landline providers? (like BT)
Mobile phone services (like orange, virgin)
Supermarkets (like tesco, asda, sainsbury's)
Water/Gas/Electricity suppliers?

I am sure I am missing a lot but you can add more.

Thanks a lot!

[Bevdeforges]

Hi, and congratulations! I thought UK residents were excluded from the Green Card lottery (or maybe it's UK citizens...) The US is a mighty big place, and very often the private sector "public service" providers you are asking about are specific to a particular region, state or area.

>>Broadband Providers in US? (like UK: tiscali, sky)<<

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).

>>TV services (like sky, virgin)<<

Cable TV is still limited in the US to a single monopoly per town. (In NYC, the cable franchises are laid out by neighborhood - but there may be some providers specific to the building you live in.) If you're in a Comcast area, you get Comcast cable, for example. There is satellite tv in the form of DirectTV (hit any Radio Shack for info on the dish and subscription rates). Some towns restrict the size of the dish you can use, and some won't allow you to put it anywhere it is visible from the street.

>>budget airlines (like easyjet, rynair)<<

Southwest, Jet Blue, there are others - again, it depends a bit on the region

>>money comparison sites (like moneysupermarket)<<

This is a new one for me. Not sure what you mean here.

>>Online Banking? can we open a bank account online?<<

There are plenty of online banks - but regular banks let you use their online services to do just about anything you like (transfers, pay bills, etc.) free of charge. The other "interesting" thing is the banks that are set up in supermarkets - open all hours, and many open on Sundays.

Big national banks include Bank of America and Citibank. Again, many large regional banks.

>>Landline providers? (like BT)<<

Verizon, various successors to the "Baby Bells" (what was the old Bell Telephone network after it was broken up), again, it tends to be regional.

>>Mobile phone services (like orange, virgin)<<

Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile (the old Deutsche Telekom) - most offer package deals that include landline and mobile services.

>>Supermarkets (like tesco, asda, sainsbury's)<<

Regional - in the Northeast, Stop & Shop, in the Midwest, Kroger, in the West, Safeway (not related to the UK chain - or at least I don't think so). Whole Foods and Trader Joe's are upscale supermarkets and pretty much nationwide these days.

>>Water/Gas/Electricity suppliers?<<

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.

In most areas you're spoiled for all the choices. And everyone advertises like crazy - on television and in the newspapers. It might almost be easier to pick a major city you'd like to be in or near and start scanning their newspaper online. You'll get a feel for the various services, brands and the local issues concerning the various services.
Cheers,
Bev

[synthia]

I hope you decide to use the lottery green card. It´s 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 didn´t win because there was someone who wasn´t serious who took a spot. They don´t get added back into the pool if they aren´t used. That opportunity has been eliminated forever if you don´t use it.

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).

I don´t know of any phone company that doesn´t offer broadband.

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).

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.

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Southwest, Jet Blue, there are others - again, it depends a bit on the region

Ours usually don´t have the great discounts you hear about in Europe or see in South East Asia. Our budget airlines just aren´t as ´budget´.

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.

These are not available everywhere, but then hardly anyone ever actually goes into a bank, anyway. ATMs are everywhere, including in supermarkets.

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile (the old Deutsche Telekom) - most offer package deals that include landline and mobile services.

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? That´s the norm in the US, though at least one provider is abandoning it. Your UK phones won´t work here even if they are triband, because your provider will require that you buy one of íts locked phones.

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.

The southeast states never deregulated. They couldn´t see the point when they already had the lowest prices in the country. They took a ´wait and see´position, 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 dirver´s 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 TV´s and radios. The size of the country and the variety in the size of the states.

[synthia]

I just did some research on what countries aren´t eligible for the green card lottery. Countries that have sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the US in the last five years are not eligible.

[oroks]

Originally Posted by synthia

I just did some research on what countries aren´t eligible for the green card lottery. Countries that have sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the US in the last five years are not eligible.

You're right, UK citizens are not eligible for green card lottery. I live in the UK as a work permit holder.

[oroks]

Thank you all for your quick replies.

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

>>money comparison sites (like moneysupermarket)<<

This is a new one for me. Not sure what you mean here.

moneysupermarket dot com is a price comparison site in UK (I don't know if they are also in US market). I can compare and apply car/home/life/health insurance, credit cards, loans, mortgage, etc. and this is the website I use when it is time for renewal for any of them.
My point was to get an idea of the cost of those things in US, i.e cost of car insurance for a particular brand, etc.,

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

>>Online Banking? can we open a bank account online?<<

There are plenty of online banks - but regular banks let you use their online services to do just about anything you like (transfers, pay bills, etc.) free of charge. The other "interesting" thing is the banks that are set up in supermarkets - open all hours, and many open on Sundays.

Can you name any with their website link?

thanks

[Bevdeforges]

Synthia, I'm glad you raised the issue of locked mobile phones - I thought I saw something recently about some companies allowing customers to "unlock" their phones, but only after they had completed a one or two year contract. (To be honest, it all sounds quite restrictive to me now that I'm used to how mobile phones work here in Europe.)

The other thing to remember is that in the US, you pay for all "air time" with your mobile phone - incoming calls as well as outgoing. There's no premium for someone to call you on a mobile number (in fact, you generally can't tell the difference between a mobile number and a regular number), so they hit the person with the mobile phone. At least it explains the "5000 minutes a month" plans they try to sell you there!
Cheers,
Bev

[synthia]

The best deals available are usually one´s offered through your employer via a deal they´ve worked out with a provider. And if you change jobs, you can usually keep the plan forever, unless you change phones...or plans. I foolishly gave mine up for what I thought was a good deal and now I regret it.