Beware of what they tell you over the phone regarding whether or not you need to be home at the time the technician comes to turn on service for the first time.

I recently rented a studio apartment in a multiple unit apartment building. After being reassured by the representative that I do not need to be home, the technician came and left, and phone service was never turned on. After multiple phone calls over a couple days talking to different technicians and customer service representatives, we found out that the line had been connected only to the switch box for the entire apartment building. And in order for it to work, someone needs to make the connection to the specific unit apartment. At&t offered to connect it for a fee. It wasn't cheap; $150+. I was furious. Especially when the Rep I was on the phone with said that there was no way for the technician to finish the job because I was not home at the time.

So beware! No matter what they say, make sure you are at home when they come to turn on service for your home phone. We don't have much of an option as far as which company to choose for our landline.