said by Rick :

You fail to consider how allowing them entry could in fact raise prices higher than normal in time.
That could happen in one of two ways.
First..if you allow another company to simply cherry pick the highest ROI customers..you create an imbalance that saddles Comcast with the rest. Who gets to pay for that in the form of higher prices? All the rest.

Secondly, we've all seen the news of verizons massive loss of landlines and dsl customers. There is NOTHING conducive in that which will allow verizon to be particularly price competitive in the years ahead and if anything..due to the high cost of the rollout itself..could cause them to RAISE prices higher than normal. What might comcasts move then have to be? To do the same because all verizon would have done is to cannibalize customers who otherwise might have allowed them to keep prices lower.

said by Rick :

You fail to consider how allowing them entry could in fact raise prices higher than normal in time.
That could happen in one of two ways.
First..if you allow another company to simply cherry pick the highest ROI customers..you create an imbalance that saddles Comcast with the rest. Who gets to pay for that in the form of higher prices? All the rest.

said by Rick :

Secondly, we've all seen the news of verizons massive loss of landlines and dsl customers. There is NOTHING conducive in that which will allow verizon to be particularly price competitive in the years ahead and if anything..due to the high cost of the rollout itself..could cause them to RAISE prices higher than normal. What might comcasts move then have to be? To do the same because all verizon would have done is to cannibalize customers who otherwise might have allowed them to keep prices lower.

said by Rick :

You fail to consider how allowing them entry could in fact raise prices higher than normal in time.
That could happen in one of two ways.
First..if you allow another company to simply cherry pick the highest ROI customers..you create an imbalance that saddles Comcast with the rest. Who gets to pay for that in the form of higher prices? All the rest.

Secondly, we've all seen the news of verizons massive loss of landlines and dsl customers. There is NOTHING conducive in that which will allow verizon to be particularly price competitive in the years ahead and if anything..due to the high cost of the rollout itself..could cause them to RAISE prices higher than normal. What might comcasts move then have to be? To do the same because all verizon would have done is to cannibalize customers who otherwise might have allowed them to keep prices lower.

said by moonpuppy :

Your first point only works if FIOS were to manage to lure a lot of people away from Comcast. If Comcast had a superior product, then this would be a non-argument.

You second point, so far, has not shown itself. In fact, neither Comcast nor FIOS really compete on price but on how many features (channels, VOD, etc.)

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.

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.

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.

said by Rick :

in fact raise prices higher than normal in time.

said by Rick :

First..if you allow another company to simply cherry pick the highest ROI customers..you create an imbalance that saddles Comcast with the rest.

said by Rick :

There is NOTHING conducive in that which will allow verizon to be particularly price competitive in the years ahead and if anything..due to the high cost of the rollout itself..could cause them to RAISE prices higher than normal. What might comcasts move then have to be?

said by Rick :

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.

said by Rick :

Prices are higher..but so too is quality and speeds and dependability.

said by Rick :

Despite some having a monopoly over the years..it's created a lot of innovation and value.

said by Rick :

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.

said by Rick :

What has caused rates to go DOWN however for many consumers..is bundling of products.

said by Rick :

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.

said by Rick :

I stand by my comments. I'm not against competition..nor against Verizon going into areas with fios.

said by Rick :

wouldn't mind having that choice myself.

said by Rick :

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?

said by Rick :

You cause prices to go UP for everyone.

said by Rick :

You fail to consider how allowing them entry could in fact raise prices higher than normal in time.
That could happen in one of two ways.
First..if you allow another company to simply cherry pick the highest ROI customers..you create an imbalance that saddles Comcast with the rest. Who gets to pay for that in the form of higher prices? All the rest.

Secondly, we've all seen the news of verizons massive loss of landlines and dsl customers. There is NOTHING conducive in that which will allow verizon to be particularly price competitive in the years ahead and if anything..due to the high cost of the rollout itself..could cause them to RAISE prices higher than normal. What might comcasts move then have to be? To do the same because all verizon would have done is to cannibalize customers who otherwise might have allowed them to keep prices lower.