said by Rick 
:"Hasn't the lack of competition also caused rates to go up?"
I don't think that Comcast, nor most tv companies for that matter..have unfairly raised prices and in fact...todays prices reflect a far better value than they used to.
I don't know about you..but back in the day I used to pay 300.00 a month for dial up internet by the hour.
Today..it's 20 to 50 dollars depending on who we're talking about.
Back in the day I used to get a few channels in black and white. Today..it's dvr's and high def and widescreen and color.
Prices are higher..but so too is quality and speeds and dependability.
Despite some having a monopoly over the years..it's created a lot of innovation and value.
Year after year..comcast has raised HSI speeds and features..and charged zero dollars more for it.
Does that sound like a monopoly abusing it's power to you?
It certainly doesn't to me.
You may think they represent a better value but I know for a fact that competition lowers prices and/or has more features. In my area, there were 2 cable companies that were constantly competing. In the rest of the area with just Comcast, you had to pay for The Disney Channel, Home Team Sports and a couple of others that the competition area had as part of their package. And the prices were lower than the monopoly area.said by Rick :What has caused rates to go DOWN however for many consumers..is bundling of products.
And that's why so many landlines and dsl customers are fleeing the telco's. Because people are getting better deals by doing just that.
This is a sign of how a company growing larger and people moving more services to them DOES lower prices.
Many are leaving DSL for FIOS so all those DSL customers are not total losses. And we have already seen how Comcast can screw up a simple phone connection. (Remember the granny with a hammer story?)said by Rick :I stand by my comments. I'm not against competition..nor against Verizon going into areas with fios. I think it's a good technology and wouldn't mind having that choice myself.
But it does need to be thought through for the reasons I mentioned. It COULD lead to higher prices overall and actually be self defeating. People are failing to realize how the loss of landlines and dsl will be devastating to this company in the years ahead. And how it may weaken them.
There is nothing conducive in that..combined with the high costs of a fios rollout..to fios in the years ahead being an inexpensive product. Again...I ask the question...what good does that do for consumers if all you did was to serve to weaken the other company?
You cause prices to go UP for everyone.
Are you serious? You are fully against any OTHER company coming in on Comcast's turf. I could use your same argument that the Comcast phone service is causing people to flee landlines and causing higher prices for those who can't get their voice service.
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