TheGhost
Premium
join:2003-01-03
Lake Forest, IL
clubs:
 ·AT&T U-Verse
 ·Comcast
| reply to GhostDoggy
Re: How many find this info useful?
said by GhostDoggy  :{... snip snip snip ...} Of course I just looked at the headlines. Its the headlines that is spoose form the basis for the news bit, which is what I was responding to. Price didn't sell for me, because the lower price was overly limited in terms of return for that price. $42 vs. $35, 4-meg vs. 1.5 meg. Yeah, I happily paid $7 more for almost three times the bandwidth. Prices for DSL are much better up here. Comcast charges $43 for their 6MB/384K package (if you have cable) while at&t charges $28 ($40 after 1st yr) for their 3-6MB/384-608K package (need phone line). Higher upload speed is important to some, also part of the reason I may be switching. As a note, cable prices have historically been going up while DSL prices have been going down. In a year for DSL prices may be even lower, or they could be higher, you don't know. |
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oliphant
I Have 8 Boobies
Premium
join:2004-11-26
Corona, CA
| And again, while every market is different...you'll find overpriced or substandard services all over the place, the providers setting the trends are the handful of big ones...SBC/ATT, Verizon, Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, TW etc. Changes in subscriber numbers for small companies like Speed Factory have no impact, but if Comcast or Verizon makes sudden drastic strategy changes, like $15 DSL...they're large enough to have a significant impact in subscriber numbers which is the case of SBC and Verizon certainly did.
That makes this story relevant as I would guess the vast majority of current or potential broadband subscribers are serviced or would be serviced by one of the giants rather than a local ISP like DSL Extreme or Cablelynx. |
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Titus Pullo
I came, I saw, I slept
join:2004-06-26
 ·Embarq
| The income data is also important to the story. Higher family incomes, where cable is king according to this data, would more than likely translate to those 3000+ sq. ft. boxes in suburbia where DSL doesn't have nearly the market presence.
6000 cable speed tiers paired w/HBO packages fits well with 75k and up incomes. Conversely, singles and couples living within city limits -- and on lower incomes -- have choices and therefore might choose a lighter speed service to cut costs.
Just a thought.
--
"I am not young enough to know everything."
Oscar Wilde |
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oliphant
I Have 8 Boobies
Premium
join:2004-11-26
Corona, CA
| True, there are many variables that aren't included in these statistics which could explain such a small difference like 12% (in this latest study). It could be price, availability, wealth or something else we haven't thought of. A 12% difference with a +-2.5% error isn't really hugely significant, in that I think affluence is playing a smaller role in people's decision to buy broadband rather than the price itself.
By this I mean that I think people rich or poor are logically less likely to have a "need" for broadband at $45+ while "rich" and "poor" will jump on $15 DSL if it meets their needs...even if they could afford more they choose not to afford more. |
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