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Ryan818
join:2006-12-14
Medford, OR

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Ryan818

Member

My city may be giving Charter the boot.

I just read an article on one of our local news sites that the city I live in may not extend the franchise agreement with Charter. Not sure what this means really. Maybe another company will take over the market? Here is the link.

»ktvl.com/shared/news/top ··· 57.shtml

KoRnGtL15
Premium Member
join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

I could see Charter putting up a stiff fight with this. They are the monopoly and will promise to improve blah blah. Just for someone else cannot come in. They just need to be bought out and be over with it.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

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Wouldn't whoever came in have to pay Charter for the infrastructure Charter built? So who else serves Oregon? Comcast? Yeah that's an improvement.

cork1958
Cork
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said by KoRnGtL15:

I could see Charter putting up a stiff fight with this. They are the monopoly and will promise to improve blah blah. Just for someone else cannot come in. They just need to be bought out and be over with it.

Do I detect a little detest with Charter there? Aren't you a totally happy camper now that you have your late night speeds back? They are, aren't they?

As much as I may bash/criticize Charter and their ways, I don't think I would want them to leave here. Have never had an internet issue or tv issue with them in the 15 years I've had them.

Now, as far as their business practices, especially of late, I will continue to dog the heck out of Charter.

I know you'd be glad as heck, wouldn't you Ryan?

KoRnGtL15
Premium Member
join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

Even though its fixed and my speeds are back 100% of the time. Crap is crap and they are still crap imo. Charter Miscommunications and poor pricing yeah. I so wish Verizon Fios would come to town. That is just a dream though. Like Medford. Charter is the "big" guy here. We need more competition allowed to be moved in.

P.S.

In case you missed it or was curious. Their fix was enabling 8 channel downstream bonding as it was a major capacity issue. Which I knew all along. Charter put it off as long as they could. I was told it was a major fix and cost them big time bucks. Thousands of dollars. Ryan is in the same boat I was and went through. No matter how hard you push. They will fix it when they are ready. Regardless if you threaten to leave etc. Or keep asking for discounts.
Ryan818
join:2006-12-14
Medford, OR

1 edit

Ryan818

Member

I think KoRnGtL15 got very lucky in terms of them fixing the node issues in Grants Pass. I know of many folks in my large neighborhood who actually called and complained to the City of Medford regarding the poor internet speeds at night. My speeds are now marginally better, but the congestion issues still are there. I never heard back from Charter to see if the node upgrades they promised me are in place. My guess it that they are not and never will be. I was one of many who also wrote letters to the city council complaining about service issues. I am just glad to see that my city is actually listening to its residents and not just blowing us off. It appears the city is only giving them a 6 month extension. Whether they find another company to come in is a whole other issue unto itself. I agree Comcast isn't much better, but I could finally watch the Blazers play again, which would be awesome for me Also I believe Comcast lets you use your own modem too. I could be wrong though. I would also be willing to bet that other cities in my area may decide ditching Charter is a good idea as well. The city I live in has over 80,000 people and the county combined population is over 200,000. It isn't a small service area by any means.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

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said by KoRnGtL15:

Even though its fixed and my speeds are back 100% of the time. Crap is crap and they are still crap imo. Charter Miscommunications and poor pricing yeah. I so wish Verizon Fios would come to town. That is just a dream though.

I find it ironic you complain about Charter's pricing and then wish for FiOS which the cheapest plan is $75 a month for 15/5.
Ryan818
join:2006-12-14
Medford, OR

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BF69 I believe Comcast has the largest coverage area in Oregon, but there are other smaller providers that service Central and Eastern Oregon. The bulk of population in Oregon is on the I-5 corridor. Charter's coverage area is pretty minimal really in Oregon. I personally would be happy with any company other than Charter. I lost what little respect I had for them when they failed to make repairs on our heavily congested node despite serious uproar from residents of our neighborhood and attempts by city officials to make it happen. They also won't push firmware updates on modems these days which is a huge joke too. Charter's customer service ranks the lowest in the industry in most surveys. I hope they lose the ability to service Medford and surrounding cities join in and find a better alternative. I can only hope.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

said by Ryan818:

BF69 I believe Comcast has the largest coverage area in Oregon, but there are other smaller providers that service Central and Eastern Oregon.

Yeah but those smaller companies may not have the ability to service your area. I know there is Bend Broadband but I'm not sure how big they area. As I said I'm not sure how it work when an area doesn't renew the contract. It would seem that Charter owns the infrastructure so whomever moved in would have to buy out Charter in that area.

KoRnGtL15
Premium Member
join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

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$49.99 for the first year. $69.99 after. I don't care about that plan though since I am on 100mb/5mb with Charter. I would want something comparable with Verizon Fios. With Charter I am still in the old folks pricing. Especially since I have phone bundled. Its $84.99 for internet and if I dropped phone. It would jump to $102.99 Option 3 would be best for me it seems with Fios. 75mb/35mb $69.99 first year and $89.99 after. 150mb/65mb is $129.99
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

said by KoRnGtL15:

$49.99 for the first year. $69.99 after. I don't care about that plan though since I am on 100mb/5mb with Charter. I would want something comparable with Verizon Fios. With Charter I am still in the old folks pricing. Especially since I have phone bundled. Its $84.99 for internet and if I dropped phone. It would jump to $102.99 Option 3 would be best for me it seems with Fios. 75mb/35mb $69.99 first year and $89.99 after. 150mb/65mb is $129.99

Sure if one wants something that fast FiOS is better than Charter. Charter pricing on 100 meg is awful. No argument there. People looking for CHEAP internet FiOS is worse than Charter.
Ryan818
join:2006-12-14
Medford, OR

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All the more reason for a large company like Comcast to swoop in and buy out the Medford area. That way they slowly take over the whole state and become a major monopoly. This is not good for the consumer however, but when is ever good for us. I am done with Charter and would love to see this pathetic company go somewhere else. I know it won't happen but I can only dream. The smaller cable companies can't compete in large service areas like our region. Bend, Oregon at one point was larger than Medford in terms of population, so Bend Broadband taking over for Charter could be possibility. I would say it is very low on the list of possible takeover options though.

dks7
join:2004-05-31
Omak, WA

dks7

Member

It really does not matter who the cable provider is, it i still a monopoly. Due to franchise agreements only one cable operator can operate in an area anways. So no matter who the provider is, it is technically still a monopoly.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

said by dks7:

It really does not matter who the cable provider is, it i still a monopoly. Due to franchise agreements only one cable operator can operate in an area anways. So no matter who the provider is, it is technically still a monopoly.

That's is actually false. In most areas more than one cable operator can operate you don't have more than one because it would not be profitable for a second cable company to come in and have to build infrastructure for a small piece of the pie. Comcast could come into my town, they are in the next county to the east, but since we already have Charter and also DirecTv and DishNetwork Comcast is not going to spend millions on infrastructure for maybe a few hundred customers at best. Not to mention no one is going to want their yards dug up and yet more wires being attached to their houses.

dks7
join:2004-05-31
Omak, WA

dks7

Member

Its still a monopoly.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

said by dks7:

Its still a monopoly.

The point is you only have one cable company because it's not profitable for others to move in not because your cable company is trying to shut put the competition. Do you want the government to force businesses to serve areas that are not profitable?

dks7
join:2004-05-31
Omak, WA

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If another cable co tried to muscle in, they would pull the same shit they do when municipalities try to fiber up a town. They hold all the cards, have the franchise deal, if another cable company tried to come in there would be 50K lawsuits filed.

Not to mention theres no cable sharing systemin place like the telco's have, I don't see a dsl provider having to run their own lines, they can just use the existing telco's, my point is cable does not have to share its lines. Thus it is a MONOPOLY.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

Tired of arguing with you. "sharing" wouldn't work anyway. If there were say 3 cable companies "sharing" the lines and me and my 2 neighbors each had a different cable company the 3 cable companies TV and internet signals can all travel on the same cable? Yeah ok I like an explanation how that is possible.

dks7
join:2004-05-31
Omak, WA

dks7

Member

The technology is monopolistic as well as their business practices.
njt462
join:2006-11-28
Troy, MO

njt462

Member

If Charter is removed a new company will not have to pay for the work Charter did.

HOWEVER Charter will probably make their life a living hell during the change.

In my state a small town to my east 10 miles changed from Charter to Cable America after Charter promised for years they would upgrade and give them internet and phone to never come to light.

When it was announced Cable America took the town over. Charter flipped the switch off and cut service without even giving notice. Gutted the main terminal or whatever it is called that serves a city so it was just a shell no guts then sent their work trucks out to cut every line leading out of the nodes. And walked away.

It was actually very shocking the people said the city meeting it was announced at 730pm by 9pm service was out and there were trucks all around town with lights on digging and what not and cutting and going to the next one.

dks7
join:2004-05-31
Omak, WA

dks7

Member

Prime example of what a childish monopolistic company would do.

cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

cork1958

Premium Member

Man, I'd call that WAY MORE than childish, but sounds exactly like Charter!

Edited:
Not going to reply to some of the hard headed quotes here!
wingrider01
join:2006-07-25
Saint Louis, MO

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said by njt462:

If Charter is removed a new company will not have to pay for the work Charter did.

HOWEVER Charter will probably make their life a living hell during the change.

In my state a small town to my east 10 miles changed from Charter to Cable America after Charter promised for years they would upgrade and give them internet and phone to never come to light.

When it was announced Cable America took the town over. Charter flipped the switch off and cut service without even giving notice. Gutted the main terminal or whatever it is called that serves a city so it was just a shell no guts then sent their work trucks out to cut every line leading out of the nodes. And walked away.

It was actually very shocking the people said the city meeting it was announced at 730pm by 9pm service was out and there were trucks all around town with lights on digging and what not and cutting and going to the next one.

.And this is a problem? See no issues with a company that has been kicked out to gut the millions of dollars of infrastructure that they paid for instead of just walking away quietly and handing it over to a competitor, sems like poor planning on your town council
armed
join:2000-10-20

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What city? When did this happen?

I'm calling BS until more proof is given.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

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said by dks7:

Prime example of what a childish monopolistic company would do.

The timing maybe. WHAT they did it not childish. Charter PAID for all that stuff it's their right to take it back. Why should the new company get all that stuff for free? Where else in the real world does that happen? That would be like renting an house and after you finished your lease the owner decides to not give you another one( which is his right ) but then demand you leave all your belonging in the house( which is NOT in his right )
Ryan818
join:2006-12-14
Medford, OR

Ryan818 to njt462

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I guess I better be looking for a backup internet provider should they do the same thing here. I have about six months to see where this is going. If I have DSL as a backup at least when the plug is pulled I will have internet. Hopefully it won't come to that, but you never know with Charter.

engineer
@cisco.com

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Anon

to 88615298
said by 88615298:

Tired of arguing with you. "sharing" wouldn't work anyway. If there were say 3 cable companies "sharing" the lines and me and my 2 neighbors each had a different cable company the 3 cable companies TV and internet signals can all travel on the same cable? Yeah ok I like an explanation how that is possible.

Sharing could work if implemented properly. Any newly designed network would probably be FTTH, and they could use IPTV to send the TV channels... in this way they could ALL share a network.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

said by engineer :

said by 88615298:

Tired of arguing with you. "sharing" wouldn't work anyway. If there were say 3 cable companies "sharing" the lines and me and my 2 neighbors each had a different cable company the 3 cable companies TV and internet signals can all travel on the same cable? Yeah ok I like an explanation how that is possible.

Sharing could work if implemented properly. Any newly designed network would probably be FTTH, and they could use IPTV to send the TV channels... in this way they could ALL share a network.

Who is going to pay for that? And how is a "sharing" law going to pass congress? This is all fantasy talk that will go nowhere. I'd rather focus on the current realities and see how things can be done within the situation as it actually exists.
Jazzemt
join:2009-02-12
USA

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Do you have any idea how long the backorder is on 8 qam rf gateways are?

Killa200
Premium Member
join:2005-12-02
TN

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Also keep in mind that your typical franchise agreement only applies to cable tv service, and not cable voip and internet. Charter is too monolithic to think the way our small system does, but tbh I'd be thrilled to not have to provide video service, as it is soon going to be a loss leader due to how much content providers are jacking up the cost.