Masque
join:2001-12-04
Auburn, MI | Wish Our Local Muni's Would Do The Same!
All they ever do is re-sign Charter to exclusive deals....selling their constituents out. |
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woody7
Premium
join:2000-10-13
Torrance, CA | Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm......
I wonder if this will catch on and not infuriate the cablecos and telcos.............just joking........and it seems to be paying its way.........let the misinformation begin........:-0
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BlooMe |
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russotto
join:2000-10-05
Collegeville, PA | So what?
I pay less than $17/month for phone service (from Verizon), so I don't see the great bargain there. |
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Minister
join:2002-01-02
Fleeting | I pay $50 a month for basic local service with CallerID (which accounts for a big chunk of that) only through Verizon. |
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lesopp
join:2001-06-27
Land O Lakes, FL
4 edits | Cry baby monopolists
I agree with Charter and Bell South when they cry they shouldn't be competing with the same organizations that often wind up regulating them.
In areas where a municipal system is operated, all regulation except rules against "at less than cost" pricing should be removed.
The day that happens we will hear a collective "does anyone know how to compete" ring throughout the corporate halls of the whole telephone and cable industry.
Perhaps the communities with muni systems should tell the cable and telephone companies they are outsourcing their TV, internet and phone needs to the people of the community....:) |
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CrazyJr
join:2003-02-27
Oakland, CA
| Bottom line.
Newman joined the municipal push about seven years ago after failing to get BellSouth to upgrade deteriorating lines in the region. As Newman got into the broadband business, local competitors like Charter and BellSouth began to finally pay attention. Charter filed a lawsuit to prevent Newman from offering cable, and according to the Times, eventually wound up offering Newman residents as much as $300 to switch to Charter service.
It just never ceases to amaze me how these companies operate. Anything that threatens their bottom line is when they will go into action.
Charter and BellSouth argue they shouldn't be competing with the same organizations that often wind up regulating them. They also suggest that the munis have an unfair advantage, sometimes drawing from taxpayer funds to help fund operations.
If these companies would've done their job in the first place, then none of this would've happen. Charter, BellSouth, et al. need to wake up and smell the coffee. The times for sitting back and getting fat is probably over. |
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lesopp
join:2001-06-27
Land O Lakes, FL
2 edits | reply to russotto
Re: So what?
You must be on the lifeline program.
Here in FLA it is $12.10 for residential service (no bells & whistles), plus $6.50 subscriber line charge, plus the 9.5% to reimburse Verizon for what they paid into the USF (it varies), plus all the taxes. By the time your done being nickle and dimed to death it runs around $25.00 just for basic phone service. Not sure of the exact price since my addons rachet it up to $38.00 without long distance. |
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vic102482
Premium
join:2002-04-30
Upper Marlboro, MD
| reply to Minister
said by Minister  :
I pay $50 a month for basic local service with CallerID (which accounts for a big chunk of that) only through Verizon.
Ditto.
For 17 dollars a month you get what? a styrofoam cup and a peice of string?:)
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I tie a rope around my penis and jump from a tree, don't you wanna grow up to be just like me!!!! |
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LegoPower77
Abecedarian
Premium
join:2002-08-03
Arlington, VA
| reply to lesopp
Re: Cry baby monopolists
You make a good point, regulations are nothing more than barriers to entry. However, I disagree that so-called "less than cost" pricing should be illegal: people should be able to freely bargain in the open market. Besides, predatory pricing is a chimera, anyway.
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"Lunches don't get free just because you don't see the prices on the menu. And economists don't get popular by reminding people of that." --Thomas Sowell |
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Minister
join:2002-01-02
Fleeting | reply to vic102482
Re: So what?
Not even; the styrofoam would come with a "400% inflation fee" and the string would come with a mandatory surcharge of some kind. |
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shadow520
join:2002-04-03
Warren, MI
1 edit | cash cow
But then what happens when the muni starts to have budget deficits? Look for these low-prices utils to start to be a cash cow for the muni. The utility will start to subsidize the budget of the community because it won't be billed as a tax hike (usually known as political suicide).
However, I cannot blame them for starting their own utility. It is usually a lack of concern/improvements from the incumbent provider that got that ball rolling in the first place. If the service was already available (at a reasonable price), the community wouldn't have had any incentive to get involved.
Kinda a catch-22. However, anything that gets cable and telecom companies to compete is a good thing, at lease for now. |
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vic102482
Premium
join:2002-04-30
Upper Marlboro, MD
1 edit | reply to Minister
Re: So what?
said by Minister :
Not even; the styrofoam would come with a "400% inflation fee" and the string would come with a mandatory surcharge of some kind.
I wonder if you can get DSL on that contraption....;)
Haha, seriously, 17 bucks a month. I wonder how in the fook he managed to work that out.
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I tie a rope around my penis and jump from a tree, don't you wanna grow up to be just like me!!!! |
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lesopp
join:2001-06-27
Land O Lakes, FL
1 edit | reply to LegoPower77
Re: Cry baby monopolists
Without fair pricing protection an RBOC could use its vast monopoly generated financial power to undercut a muni and drive it out of business.
They have already claimed to numerous utility commissions what their costs are, and what their minimum prices should be to realize a profit. To go any lower than their claimed costs would only prove they had lied all along. |
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marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO | reply to Masque
Re: Wish Our Local Muni's Would Do The Same!
They shouldn't be able to sign exclusive deals. Though normally the problem is that even without exclusivity no other companies will overbuild. |
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DonLibes
Premium,ExMod 2001
join:2003-01-19
| reply to LegoPower77
Re: Cry baby monopolists
said by LegoPower77 :
You make a good point, regulations are nothing more than barriers to entry. However, I disagree that so-called "less than cost" pricing should be illegal: people should be able to freely bargain in the open market. Besides, predatory pricing is a chimera, anyway.
Then how do you prevent companies (and munis) with plenty of cash from taking short-term losses (due to temporary low rates) in order to drive out competition? |
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marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO
| reply to lesopp
I would have to disagree with this... regulation is what insures that the phone and cable companies service all neighborhoods in a city, provide uniform pricing throughout the city, provide the same service options throughout a city, and actually carry public access signals.
--
ISCABBS - the oldest and largest BBS on the Internet
telnet://whip.isca.uiowa.edu
Member: American Association of Geographers, American Geophysical Union, American Water Resources Association |
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LegoPower77
Abecedarian
Premium
join:2002-08-03
Arlington, VA | reply to DonLibes
Market contestability.
And the way to make markets contestable is to keep the government's greasy mitts out of business. |
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damonlab
Premium
join:2001-05-02
Detroit, MI
clubs: 
| SBC/Ameritech offers this to Michigan residents:
These are the basic prices for SBC/Ameritech phone and DSL packages for Michigan residents. Not much of a difference from the municipalities.
***ALL DISTANCE® Connections --- $43.95
All the nationwide direct-dialed long distance you want. Includes Call Plan Unlimited with unlimited local calling for $43.95 per month. In addition you will have our most popular calling features, Call Waiting, Caller ID with Name, and LINE BACKER Basic inside wire maintenance and Voicemail Plus.
***Call Plan Unlimited --------------- $12.31 - $14.31
Unlimited local calling for $12.31 - $14.31, plus great pricing on Discounted Packages.
***Call Plan 50 ---------------------- 50 calls for up to $11.24, 6.6¢ each addl call
Place 50 local calls per month for up to $11.24, and pay 6.6¢ for each additional local call over the 50. Note that unlike the Flat Rate Service Calling Plan, the Call Plan 50 does not have a maximum monthly local phone charge, and so you should be aware of your monthly usage before making this selection.
***SBC Yahoo! DSL for Home ------- $26.95
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themew
@24.197.x.x | Correction >> NEWNAN, GA ... not Newman.
OP -- the town is Newnan, GA not Newman.
It's a large suburb south of Atlanta where all the
Delta pilots live.
tHeMeW |
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DonLibes
Premium,ExMod 2001
join:2003-01-19
| reply to LegoPower77
Re: Cry baby monopolists
said by LegoPower77 :
Market contestability.
And the way to make markets contestable is to keep the government's greasy mitts out of business.
I don't see how that stops the scenario I brought up: two companies, one of which has the cash to drive the other out of business simply by dropping its rates long enough. |
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