| Not playing by the same rules People have the wrong idea about franchise agreements. A franchise agreement ensures your level of service. How many PAC channels? Payment centers. Weather or not schools and government offices get free service. And there is a fee that is paid to the township for this agreement being signed.
It's not a question of competition. Comcast will go to bat with the best and our accounting books are not in the RED like Verizon. There has always been competition no matter what people say. I can name many services that have been available for years. High internet speeds are not promised to anyone, read your bylaws for your on-line service agreement. And with net neutrality a question who knows what may happen to speeds. Just because no one had millions of dollars to invest in a over build is not Comcast or Cable-visions fault. If someone had the money they could apply for a local franchise agreement a start there own system.
This is where I have a problem with Verizon and AT&T. You don't hear cable companies saying we want to change the franchise laws. Our Government affairs office re-news 130+ franchise agreements per year. It is a on going, long process that never stops. Comcast as well as other cable providers has managed to comply with these laws for many years.
Then here comes the Telcos. They know these agreements involve sometimes millions of dollars being paid to each individual townships and can take months of negotiations to complete. Comcast, Cablevision, TWC and others comply to these laws everyday. So what makes the Telcos any better that they need different rules to compete. Why is AT&t suing townships to override policies that are there for that townships protection. So it's fair that Cablevision has to pay for example 2 Million dollars to East Orange for a video franchise but Verizon pays a Statewide fee which it would be less money than negotiating for each township. These townships should be furious with the State right now. For it's the New Jersey State government that will hopefully give some money back to each municipality involved. And from my experience, State government doesn't gives the Cities and townships what they want. And are always crying that it's not in the budget this year. Your Townships budget could be directly affected by this.
And there is the question of redlining. I live 5 blocks away from my Verizon substation. But I also live in a low income area. Verizon is upgrading everything on the county side which has home surpassing $150,000 and is 15 to 20 blocks away from the same substation. There are no current plans for FIOS to pass my area anytime soon. I speak to the Verizon techs all the time in my area for the HUB is in front of my house. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and anyone who thinks redlining isn't real just needs to come to Brooklyn Park Maryland and see it first hand. The FIOS construction trucks line the streets in Brooklyn height's and out to Glen Burnie, MD. |
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Reviews:
 ·Verizon FiOS
4 edits | Hey Mr cable employee.. once again I have to make this SAME statement. How do you justify the cable companies providing UNREGULATED TELEPHONE service .. totally free of all rules ?? ( in your case, comcast digital voice) Now you want the telco's to play by all current rules for their TV services while this is going on ? Are you going to bat on behalf of the consumer trying to get VoIP regulated?? NO, you are NOT. Until that day comes, stop bitching ya hypocrit. Do you agree with AT&T saying their IPTV service should be free of all rules? Hmmmmmmmmm Afterall, it is just data packets .. just like VoIP ! right ?! lol
OBVIOUSLY the laws have to change for both telecom and cable. You want to have your pie and eat it too. PLEEEEZ. |
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| Cable companies are not the only ones providing VOIP service, what about companies like vonage and skype? Why single out cable? |
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Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| Like I said, both telecom and cable rules have got to change. This includes VoIP companies paying small fee's to the broadband ISP's to deliver their service to the consumer over the last mile. This will then hold the ISP liable for timely repairs whether it be DSL, CABLE, FIOS or WIRELESS.
Right now cable co's have an unfair advantage delivering VoIP service virtually anywhere while being completely unregulated (and much cheaper) . Statewide video franchises will even out this unbalance. |
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 DaveDudeNo Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
kudos:1
 ·Vonage
·ViaTalk
| said by ITALIAN926:Like I said, both telecom and cable rules have got to change. This includes VoIP companies paying small fee's to the broadband ISP's to deliver their service to the consumer over the last mile. This will then hold the ISP liable for timely repairs whether it be DSL, CABLE, FIOS or WIRELESS. Right now cable co's have an unfair advantage delivering VoIP service virtually anywhere while being completely unregulated (and much cheaper) . Statewide video franchises will even out this unbalance. Hmm the last mile , is the customers. Believe me, internet would not survive if companies starting charging voip companies, because the customer would be charged twice, and they would go elsewhere.
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Vonage--No annual contract really means 13 month commitment. |
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| reply to ITALIAN926
Yeah, speak high and Mighty from the NYC area of our state. 88cents of every tax dollar generated here in Erie County is sent to Albany and then to YOUR area. The same will happen with ' State Franchising '.
I'm hoping an opportunity comes to bare where we can roll the whole NYC area into its own state, THEN you can have your franchise and get out of the rest of our pockets! |
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| Wow is that how the propaganda is spreading upstate? In nyc we are led to believe that NYC is sending BILLIONS of dollars in aid to the state and getting less money back especially when it comes to school funding. It is quite comical to hear you state the exact opposite. |
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| reply to DaveDude
If VOIP companies couldnt survive if they got charged then TOO BAD. Free Lunch is over...If verizon doesnt have to share their Fiber optic networks with other providers as ruled recently by the courts then companies like vonage should not be allowed to piggyback on The cable or telcos while making millions of dollars in profits.
I think Vonage is blowing their opportunity in two areas. Customer service and R/D. If your workers are not trained properly then they will not be happy and if they are not happy then your customers will not be happy and if your customers are not happy then they will cancel service. Its that simple. |
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