2 edits | We're talking about competition now Split from this topic --> »[Caps] Please sign the petition to raise or eliminate the cap
~sorto'
said by C_Chipperson:What does it matter if people are suspicious of Comcast's motives behind the cap... Say hypothetically the cap is in place solely to protect their video offerings - that is their prerogative.
Sure it is, and then I can then switch to the wide variety of alternate HSI providers with the outstanding Euro/Asian-style open access market we have and...
*smack*
What was I saying?? |
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 CableToolPoorly Representing MYSELF.Premium
join:2004-11-12
1 edit | Name one thing that is stopping any other competitor from building out plant or fiber and offering service to anywhere in the country...
*smack*
What were you saying??
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1 edit | reply to GTFan
said by GTFan:said by C_Chipperson:What does it matter if people are suspicious of Comcast's motives behind the cap... Say hypothetically the cap is in place solely to protect their video offerings - that is their prerogative.
Sure it is, and then I can then switch to the wide variety of alternate HSI providers with the outstanding Euro/Asian-style open access market we have and... *smack* What was I saying?? Fine then, sign the petition that will surely persuade Comcast to eliminate the cap for free and never raise rates or implement usage based billing.
Careful what you wish for... |
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 fuziwuziNot born yesterdayPremium
join:2005-07-01
Atlanta, GA
1 edit | reply to CableTool
said by CableTool:Name one thing that is stopping any other competitor from building out plant or fiber and offering service to anywhere in the country...
*smack*
What were you saying??
Exclusive contracts for one. Also incumbents (like Comcast, Time Warner, etc.) coercing legislators and commissioners to throw every roadblock imaginable into preventing competition. People claiming it is a "free market" are seriously deluded.
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1 edit | reply to CableTool
said by CableTool:Name one thing that is stopping any other competitor from building out plant or fiber and offering service to anywhere in the country..
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barriers_to_entry |
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CableToolPoorly Representing MYSELF.Premium
join:2004-11-12
1 edit | reply to fuziwuzi
said by fuziwuzi:said by CableTool:Name one thing that is stopping any other competitor from building out plant or fiber and offering service to anywhere in the country...
*smack*
What were you saying??
Exclusive contracts for one. Also incumbents (like Comcast, Time Warner, etc.) coercing legislators and commissioners to throw every roadblock imaginable into preventing competition. People claiming it is a "free market" are seriously deluded. I guess I do not work in an area that offers WoW, RCN and UVerse on top of Comcast then...
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CableTechs.org/"Horrible People with Integrity" |
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fuziwuziNot born yesterdayPremium
join:2005-07-01
Atlanta, GA
1 edit | said by CableTool:said by fuziwuzi:said by CableTool:Name one thing that is stopping any other competitor from building out plant or fiber and offering service to anywhere in the country...
*smack*
What were you saying??
Exclusive contracts for one. Also incumbents (like Comcast, Time Warner, etc.) coercing legislators and commissioners to throw every roadblock imaginable into preventing competition. People claiming it is a "free market" are seriously deluded. I guess I do not work in an area that offers WoW, RCN and UVerse on top of Comcast then... In how many areas do incumbents have REAL competition? Sure, there are a few, but those are the exception, not the rule. I'm sick to death of hearing cable operators "poor mouth" while attaining record profits. Here in Atlanta the only competition is AT&T with their crappy DSL. There are a few neighborhoods where U-Verse is offered but that is plagued with issues and in some cases, like mine, Comcast has exclusive contracts with the building management that prevents any other provider from having access. That kind of arrangement is very common here.
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Teabaggers: Destroying America is Priority #1 |
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CableToolPoorly Representing MYSELF.Premium
join:2004-11-12
1 edit | said by fuziwuzi:In how many areas do incumbents have REAL competition? Sure, there are a few, but those are the exception, not the rule. I'm sick to death of hearing cable operators "poor mouth" while attaining record profits. Here in Atlanta the only competition is AT&T with their crappy DSL. There are a few neighborhoods where U-Verse is offered but that is plagued with issues and in some cases, like mine, Comcast has exclusive contracts with the building management that prevents any other provider from having access. That kind of arrangement is very common here.
We have those in Chicago as well, that is usually due to the cost incurred to wire up a building an extend plant to it. There were previous cases where Comcast wired the building, extended plant and RCN came in, got an exclusive contract and used Comcasts wiring.
Thats only going to happen once or twice until the business starts trying to protect their investment.
So it isnt so much that competitiion cant come in.. as AT&T has crappy DSL and buggy Uverse.
I dont think cable is poor mouthing. I think they have rising costs every year much like every other content provider does.
To say there is no "real" competition in the industry however is an extremely misinformed statement.
Every other thread is about streaming video killing cable, dish killing cable, Uverse killing cable, cord cutting etc.. and right under that post is a post from someone saying there is no alternative.
You cant have it both ways. Excluding niche areas and going by the averages.. competition is EVERYWHERE.
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fuziwuziNot born yesterdayPremium
join:2005-07-01
Atlanta, GA
2 edits | reply to CableTool
Re: We're talking about competition now said by CableTool:You cant have it both ways. Excluding niche areas and going by the averages.. competition is EVERYWHERE.
»www.usatoday.com/news/nation/sto···p=34news
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Teabaggers: Destroying America is Priority #1 |
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1 edit | reply to CableTool
said by CableTool:Excluding niche areas and going by the averages.. competition is EVERYWHERE.
You really have no idea what you're talking about, unless you consider widespread monopoly/duopoly markets to be true 'competition'. 
From the article that fuzi posted:
Falling behind
Once a broadband leader, the USA has slipped to 15th in a poll by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that ranks countries according to the percentage of households and businesses using broadband, falling behind Finland, France, Canada and other countries. The USA's "duopoly problem" — 96% of households have access to two or fewer broadband service providers — has contributed to the slide in ranking, according to the Federal Communications Commission. In its National Broadband Plan, the FCC urges Congress to clarify federal rules allowing state and local governments to provide broadband service. |
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 nerdburgPremium
join:2009-08-20
Schuylkill Haven, PA
kudos:1
2 edits | reply to fuziwuzi
The cable industry as a whole has the lowest customer satisfaction of any industry. Comcast has consistently been ranked at the bottom of the barrel amongst cable operators in both voice and television.
As anyone that has taken even a freshman level business class can tell you, companies simply don't survive with customer service at that level unless their is a significant mitigating factor. For Comcast, that factor has long been monopoly conditions (or more accurately, oligopoly conditions.) |
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| reply to GTFan
I live in Panama City Beach, pretty small town, and in the Panama City area, we have Comcast, Knology, ATT, and Mediacom, and IIRC, another one I can't bring to mind right now. Of those, Comcast has far and away the best offerings. Are they perfect? Hell no, but what company is? Seriously, name a company with more than say 1k employees which does everything right always. |
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1 edit | reply to CableTool
said by CableTool:Name one thing that is stopping any other competitor from building out plant or fiber and offering service to anywhere in the country...
*smack*
What were you saying??
tell that to the OP of this thread...»Comcast- 1,100 Feet of cable for 3 Houses ???
profitability alone is a strong word.
said by CableTool:To say there is no "real" competition in the industry however is an extremely misinformed statement.
lucky for you, you're in Chicago where competition is abundant but your thoughts are in la la land about broadband outside of Chicago.
duopoly is not competition.... |
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 tshirtPremium,MVM
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA
kudos:3
 ·Comcast
1 edit | People keep saying excess profit, record profit
but never read the actual stock reports
»74.125.224.84/finance?client=ob&···Q:CMCSA#
note:
Net profit margin for 2011 8.13%, DOWN from 9.67% in 2010
and another important metric
Return on average equity 7.80% also down from 2010
Alot of places have higher sales tax than that.
when you have a business which is as capital intensive as this (relies on outside money for buildouts, upgrades, etc) and is also very high cashflow (very dependant on keeping the majority of customers happy and paying on a regular basis) less than 10% is not excessive, and no they can't give away free plant extentions to everyone who moves to acreage off the public roadway.
I tracked down where the OP in that other thread lives... IMHO when a large used farm impliement store (stuff you attach to tractors to farm with) is between you and town YOU are rural and may not have all the things you find in the city.
and if you want to be first on your road to have a modern convience like cable YOU may need to pay quite a bit of the cost.
The big (evil?) corp isn't required to give you anything for free, or provde additional competition (they are in fact provde competition AND improved service offerings over the satellite and DSL offerings that OP has ) just because the existing companies fail to provide as good a service.
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CableToolPoorly Representing MYSELF.Premium
join:2004-11-12
1 edit | reply to medbuyer
said by medbuyer:said by CableTool:Name one thing that is stopping any other competitor from building out plant or fiber and offering service to anywhere in the country...
*smack*
What were you saying??
tell that to the OP of this thread...» Comcast- 1,100 Feet of cable for 3 Houses ???profitability alone is a strong word. said by CableTool:To say there is no "real" competition in the industry however is an extremely misinformed statement.
lucky for you, you're in Chicago where competition is abundant but your thoughts are in la la land about broadband outside of Chicago. duopoly is not competition.... Of course profitability plays the biggest role in building out an area. Whats not to get?
Maybe you would like to donate your time and work for a company who at a deficit rolls out broadband to every corner of America. Sounds like a sound strategy.
That thread is about a guy with Dish who wants Comcast to build out to his area. Would you then say DISH has a Monopoly in is area or would you say- Someone needs to step in and build it out? Dish isnt stopping anyone.
And, its up to Comcast- or whatever provider- to look at it and see if it makes sense.
My whole point is do not blame who is already there and made the initial investment and continues to invest and service the area, blame the providers that dont want to take the risk or do not have a sound strategy to step in and Compete.
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 baineschile2600 ways to livePremium
join:2008-05-10
Sterling Heights, MI
·Comcast
1 edit | I live in a metropolitan (Sterling Heights, near Detroit) area. I have
ATT
Comcast
WOW Cable
Satellite Broadband
4G connectivity (numerous wireless providers)
available for internet connectivity.
At what point, is it "enough" competition? |
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1 edit | reply to CableTool
said by CableTool:My whole point is do not blame who is already there and made the initial investment and continues to invest and service the area, blame the providers that dont want to take the risk or do not have a sound strategy to step in and Compete.
it wasn't too hard to make a decision for Comcast not to roll out services for a community with only 13 houses.
that doesn't need a sound strategy. it's more like common sense..now if there were say, 200-300 houses, then sure.... |
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CableToolPoorly Representing MYSELF.Premium
join:2004-11-12
1 edit | said by medbuyer:said by CableTool:My whole point is do not blame who is already there and made the initial investment and continues to invest and service the area, blame the providers that dont want to take the risk or do not have a sound strategy to step in and Compete.
it wasn't too hard to make a decision for Comcast not to roll out services for a community with only 13 houses. that doesn't need a sound strategy. it's more like common sense..now if there were say, 200-300 houses, then sure.... So we are in agreement? Im not sure of you previous point then.
Even in this case, Comcast is willing to roll it out, even for One House if they assist in the cost of the extension.
Im just saying- Competition is EVERYWHERE, there ARE choices in most cases. You line in a field, your limited sure, but thats the decision you made.
Ill still stick to my original statement however- There are far and few places that do not see some sort of competition. Even in the cited thread, Dish is in Jeopardy of loosing their sub to cable, in a place that by all means Cable would generally not be ran.
Did anyone mention LTE yet? Do you really not think this is legit competition as well?
If you want to talk about State or local govt setting up their own broadband- Im out of the discussion. That is such a hairy and convoluted abyss I wouldnt even dip my toe in it. As far as free market however- They are all scrapping for the privilege to service a home.
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CableTechs.org/"Horrible People with Integrity" |
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| Ignoring the facts posted about lack of broadband competition (i.e., 96% of USA is stuck with monopoly/duopoly) means that this is now a waste of time thread.
And no, wireless/LTE does not count as wired HSI competition.
I'm done, start changing the subject again. |
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