L337
Premium
join:2005-03-10
Chicago, IL | Torrent Caps
I'm telling you but I think it's the torrent caps =D |
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axus
join:2001-06-18
Washington, DC | If the competitors have the same price and no caps, that could be a reason. Sounds like they've got a problem if switching over a customer costs $800... that should only be for new customers. |
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morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000
clubs: | who wants this project to fail?
incumbents would love to see this fail. it would be the ultimate answer for other cities thinking about a muni system... |
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Lazlow
join:2006-08-07
Saint Louis, MO | Short on information
Is the $800 a one time cost per physical location? If so, once each "house" has had it done then it is no longer an issue.
Kinda thin on information in this topic. |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
|  Tell me it isn't so
The shining star of muni systems? The model, on which others were to build theirs, is losing money with no end in sight and the std nationally priced $99 triple play from their competitors is gaining customers. Maybe there isn't as many customers for those super high speeds(at higher prices) as was projected. |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | Not everyone cares about having 50Mbps, especially with caps.
Many care about pricing and service.
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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Jerm
join:2000-04-10
Richland, WA
| reply to TKJunkMail
Well the error here is the college town part. I've lived in college towns, and it's not a place I'd want to service a broadband network.
College students use a LOT of bandwidth. They also don't always pay the bills.
Comcast & Qwest come in and offer $100 triple play deals (for probably 8mbps cable and even slower DSL).
These muni broadband providers have to match that (except they are 15mps) and then if the customer starts using P2P (ie torrents) and actually *using* that 15mbit god forbid then they could really lose $$ on that customer. And lets not get started on the 50mbit customers - if you were paying for 50mbit broadband would you like it if your provider told you "no sorry can't use it" for certain things? |
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diehardspeed
Premium
join:2003-05-14
Salt Lake City, UT
1 edit | I have MStar Internet (50/50Mbps) and IPTV
As for pricing... I pay $95/mo for the combined service. No matter how you cut it, it is cheaper to go with Utopia. Even if all your getting is basic internet only ($39.95/mo.)
The TV Pricing is comparable to Satalite service. But once you bundle. Again you can't beat the price.
I am not in "Provo" but am on the Utopia network as well as having MStar for my provider.
I would agree with the customer service being and issue as no one ever seems to know what your talking about nor do they even reply to all your emails.
My biggest concern is still the IPTV freezing at least once every 10 min on the higher channels. It can get even worse than that. One night of Tin Man on SciFi was almost unwatchable.
I have two IPTV boxes and have the same issues with both.
I can't get a strait answer from anyone on the cause/solution to my problem... or that there even is a problem! (according to them) |
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DotMac4
Shill H8r
Premium
join:2007-10-26
Huntington Beach, CA | So much for the shill claims...
...that cable can't compete with a public muni.
Looks like the muni needs to drop their prices to $99 to compete. If they don't, they deserve to lose customers. |
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tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Floral Park, NY | If you can't beat 'em?
If you can't beat or match what Verizon is doing with FTTP.. then it's time to pack-it-in...
No caps, no rate hikes, easy to understand billing.. (that last one would beat Verizon, hehe) |
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benc
Premium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL
·Charter Pipeline
 ·Future Nine Corpor..
·Callcentric
 ·AT&T Midwest
| Maybe The Service Is No Good
I can't comment on the service personally, as I'm not in a service area.
However, if any company is losing customers it's probably because the service is lousy. It could be:
1) Too unreliable - Most people don't expect T1 reliability but if it's bad enough then it's an issue.
2) Too restrictive - Caps, caps on certain traffic, no servers allowed, etc.
3) Customer service knows little or nothing.
4) Installation isn't smooth.
5) Value for dollar. If the price is too high for what they get, people won't want it.
Except for point (2), this is why Charter has been having problems. |
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wifi4milez
Big Russ, 1918 to 2008. Rest in Peace
join:2004-08-07
New York, NY
 ·Verizon FIOS
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·RoadRunner Cable
·BroadVoice
| reply to en102
Re: Tell me it isn't so
said by en102  :Not everyone cares about having 50Mbps, especially with caps. Many care about pricing and service. What?? HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT. Anyone who isnt an idiot knows that everyone in America is demanding 50Mbps home connections. I mean, we hear it everyday right on this website so it must be true! 
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время индейки! |
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Rogue Wolf
Is Kind Of A Big Deal In Yemen
join:2003-08-12
Troy, NY
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to Lazlow
Re: Short on information
I was wondering that myself. Surely it can't cost $800 simply to "turn on" the service at an already-connected location? If that's the case, they've got a lot more problems than simple subscriber churn. 
I can't believe that Utah is seeing such explosive housing growth that people will build houses, have FTTH connected and then move out before the muni project sees a return on the layout investment.
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I have learned to ignore such naysayers, when... quelling... them... hm?... was out of the question. |
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Richard B
Fur It Up
join:2007-06-22
Portland, OR
·Comcast
1 edit | reply to en102
Re: Tell me it isn't so
I bet 99% do not care about caps. Most people I know are value not technical oriented. A good example is my family. They are not dumb Ones an environmental chemist, one Register nurse, one physician assistant, I am the only one technical and know to maintain computers. They only care if the can connect to a network at any speed. Most are happy with dial-up.
To then a cap is something that place over a test tube or I.V catheter. |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
1 edit | More Info...
Mstar: 50/50 for $39.95 a month (3 months free) (WOW OMG)
Veracity: Not clear from website, business only apparently
Nuvont: 10 MBPS, price unclear per month
Mstar... wow that's CHEAP 50 mbps SYMETRICAL for $40.
Price doesn't seem to be an issue....
It seems like the ISP's and services may be the problem, not the network itself. For example weak bundles/poor service maybe?
Mstar offers Digital Phone, IPTV, and Internet for very attractive prices. Something else may be up. Big boys playing dirty? What incumbent cable and phone co serve Utah?
*Edit: Further checking reveals iProvo is in competition with Utopia, another fiber provider, and Utopia is a bit cheaper. Wow, this part of Utah has it good... I'd *love* to be trying to figure out which Fiber provider to pick... especially at these great prices. |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
| reply to TKJunkMail
Re: Tell me it isn't so
said by TKJunkMail :The shining star of muni systems? The model, on which others were to build theirs, I don't know about you but to ME 50/50 Symetrical for $40 is like OMG WOW SIGN ME UP
I'd say that's a model of kick-azzness for the rest of us to WISH we could get.
Obviously the problem is not with the network itself or even the pricing--- it's something else.... maybe the partner ISP's suck.... We have insufficient information at this time.
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"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) |
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soothsayer15
join:2002-03-01
Irving, TX
| reply to benc
Re: Maybe The Service Is No Good
said by benc :I can't comment on the service personally, as I'm not in a service area. However, if any company is losing customers it's probably because the service is lousy. It could be: 1) Too unreliable - Most people don't expect T1 reliability but if it's bad enough then it's an issue. 2) Too restrictive - Caps, caps on certain traffic, no servers allowed, etc. 3) Customer service knows little or nothing. 4) Installation isn't smooth. 5) Value for dollar. If the price is too high for what they get, people won't want it. Except for point (2), this is why Charter has been having problems. Having worked customer service a long time ago, I can tell you numerous people put up with poor service despite having options because of introductory offers on broadband, like $19.95 for the first few months. Coming as no surprise, those customers would cancel after the promotional period, so ISP's saw they better lock people in with contracts. People complain about bad customer service, but few cancel because of it. The elderly, people who've lost money or an opportunity are they only ones that really go through with canceling. Most people talk big and do nothing. You see that everyday on this site from people that always complaining and beating their chest like a gorilla because they cussed out some rep at the company who probably ending up transferring them to the land of never-ending hold after hearing that nonsense. |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
2 edits | reply to TKJunkMail
Re: Tell me it isn't so
Edit: iProvo and Utopia do not directly compete. They are in the same area, but not the same towns/cities. Mstar is available on both. |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Comcast
| said by KrK :So, Iprovo needs to *slightly* drop prices to match Utopia.... and then the problem will be solved. Sure. They can make up the money they lose on each customer by having more customers.
They will just lose money FASTER with lower prices, especially if price isn't their main problem.
--
Internet News
My BLOG
My Web Page
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soothsayer15
join:2002-03-01
Irving, TX
| reply to KrK
Re: More Info...
said by KrK :Mstar offers Digital Phone, IPTV, and Internet for very attractive prices. Something else may be up. Big boys playing dirty? What incumbent cable and phone co serve Utah? It's not the "big boys" playing dirty, it's economics pure and simple. Anytime someone tries to explain to the BBR masses why muni-broadband isn't such a great idea, they get called corporate fanboys which isn't always the case. Some of us did go to college and learn how the machine called the American economy works. Corporations have what munis don't, economies of scale. Because of that, they will almost always be able to offer rates muni's can't. In plain english, the more customers you have, the cheaper it is to provide them service. Comcast has about 10 million broadband customers, I don't think Utah has 10 Million people.
People on BBR think that their $20-$60 a month is feeding everyone at a corporation. People really have zero clue about all the costs involved in running and supporting an ISP. |
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