[mythtv-users] Switching away from comcast to online streams

[Joseph DeGraw]

On 01/29/2014 07:40 PM, Stephen P. Villano wrote:
> On 1/29/14, 5:05 PM, Joseph DeGraw wrote:
>> How I wish a letter to the CEO (or what they call a letter bomb) would
>> solve the problems with the current broadband / TV market. However, Its
>> not the case in a monopoly.
>>
>> The current state of the US Broadband market is dismal at best. The
>> areas of service are cut up into small monopolies that guarantee
>> business for any company involved.
>>
>> Its not that they dont know what you need. Its that they dont care what
>> you need. They also dont care about the quality of service is - to an
>> extent. As long as they dont have to hear from the controlling board
>> that over sees the provider in each state they are quite happy disposing
>> of your letters in the garbage. Thats why monopolies are such a bad
>> thing. They no longer depend on satisfying the customer because they are
>> the only game in town. One can fire off a letter to a CEO of such a
>> company but in the end you will find that nothing changes.
>>
>> What needs to be done is to deregulate the market completely. Finish off
>> the fiber optic runs would be a good thing as then many providers can
>> compete on a house to house market. Of course this is wishful thinking
>> as it takes alot of money to provide fiber optic lines. Once again, This
>> is something that the companies involved do not wish to do because it
>> would eat into their profits and there is really no need as there is no
>> competition to drive it. The states do not want to shoulder the costs
>> either. The US government would never even get the job completed even
>> after spending millions of dollars on the project. So, Things sit as
>> they are.
>>
>> jdegraw
>> _______________________________________________
>>
> Actually, AT&T ran much of their fiber for the US government to use. The
> dark fiber has largely been leased out to private interests, as the US
> government had sufficient circuits to conduct its business. Some dark
> fiber remains reserved for possible US government usage though.
> So, the government *can* get things done in grand scale problems. Small
> scale problems rightfully should be community/county/state programs.
>
> Still, let's look at the monopoly where I currently live.
> RCN cable, Comcast cable, Verizon FIOS, Dish networks, ADSL providers
> galore.
> That's a hell of a monopoly!
> It's in the cities that monopolies tend to exist, largely due to city
> governments granting monopoly to single providers or single provider per
> division of the city.
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>

I would have to say you are very lucky. You didnt mention your local.
But from my experience in the midwest (USA) you get 2 options - AT&T
dsl, and perhaps comcast. I think monopolies are more prevalent than you
are thinking. Its just your do darn lucky! :) .

Id love to compare costs / locations with you.

I am in South Bend, Indiana - USA. Comcast rapes us for 60 a month for a
15d / 5u connection. They also price it by zipcode/average income of zip
code area. This I find underhanded too.

I have heard that Ft. Wayne, In has verizon fiber optic availability but
not seeing alot of that around here. Just confined to the larger markets.

jdegraw