compton
join:2002-02-08
Brooklyn, NY
| Phooey
I don't buy the argument put forth by Cableguy that cable companies need exclusive deals with MDUs, because the cost to wire those building would be prohibitive. If that was the case then every single MDU would have such a contract, and these exclusive deals would be the norm, but that is not the case. The exclusive deals probable affect less than 10% of MDUs; so, cost is not a factor. For example, I now live in South Florida, and my condo has such an exclusive deal with Comcast, but other condos in my area doesn’t have such deals, and they all have access to Comcast services. Why do my condo development have a restrictive deal while others in the area do not? Comcast has no problem wiring up those Condos without the exclusive deals. The residents in my condo are in the same socio-economic bracket as the residents in the other condos that doesn’t have the exclusive deals; so, income is ruled out. It’s very simple. These restrictive arrangements benefit the cable companies. It remains to be seen if the customers on the other end of arrangements get any price/value benefit in comparison to if they shop for their own services. |
