Broadband termination fees: Check before you sign up

A new survey from our colleagues at Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, highlights the importance of checking for termination fees for broadband service, especially if you're signing up for DSL broadband from a phone company.

Published on HearUsNow.org, CU's website devoted to telecommunications issues and advice, the survey showed that most DSL services still come with termination fees of $70 and up. For the most part, cable broadband still involves no contracts or termination fees, a continuing plus. But CU's efforts showed that it's still worth checking the fineprint, since that's where researchers turned up termination fees with Comcast triple-play service in some locations. A portent of penalties to come in other triple-play cable offerings?

-- Paul Reynolds