| reply to Nightfall
Re: Bundled services Comcast has been fairly steadfast that rates would not change for ex-ATTBI customers as a result of Comcast's acquisition of AT&T Broadband. It has become apparent that for a subset of ex-ATTBI customers (specifically non-CATV subscribers) that the rates have, in fact, changed.
Those that have been familiar with Comcast know that that the non-CATV internet rate has been around in specific locations for a while and was incorporated across the board (as well as standardized, as the non-CATV rate varied from system to system) in Comcast's historical systems during 2002. Personally, I would have been surprised if this was not implemented in the newly acquired systems. Whether it is a rate increase or policy implementation that effects rates for specific customers is moot when it comes time for the customer to pay the bill.
While I'll leave the legal discussion to others and agree that, in all likelihood, the consumer will be faced with a get both services or pay extra or cancel decision, it would be simpler for most effected subscribers if Comcast had been a little more up front about the $15 per month increase for non-CATV subscribers in the newly acquired areas. While mathematically it works out to be the same, the rate difference is coming across as a $15 premium for non-CATV subscribers versus a $15 discount for CATV subscribers. |
