said by fuzydice :

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They're a monopoly,

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said by gharney :

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said by fuzydice :

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They're a monopoly,

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they are far from a monopoly.

unless of course you are using your own definition which differs from the real world definition.

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said by AthlGrond :

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The economic one applies to Comcast providing cable service in most places. (in the vast majority of the places where they provide cable service they are the only available provider) They are not a monopoly for high speed internet access in most areas however, since DSL, wireless, and other services are available those areas that Comcast sells high-speed internet service.

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said by JTRockville :

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I guess things are different in Denver, AthlGrond . In Rockville 20852, between Rock Creek Park and the CSX line, that's simply not true. There is no choice competition for broadband services at my location.

•DSL at 19,300 cable feet? Please provide a link!
•Wireless? Not in Rockville!
•other services? I'm all ears. But I've already ruled out:
•Powerline - I'm iso trials, but there are none in Rockville.
•Satellite - Last time I checked, the only offering was a telco return.

Edit:
I changed "choice" to "competition". In fact, I do have a "choice". I can remain at the mercy of whatever torture Comcast decides to bestow on its customers, or I can regress to technology of the last millennium.

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said by AthlGrond :

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I am aware that there is not competition everywhere. (There isn't everywhere in Denver too) But as I said in most places there is. (in most places where Comcast provides HSI)

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said by AthlGrond :

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BTW I get the same deal in the area with competition that you do without, though I'll be they try harder to keep me as a customer through better service and maintenance. (though I didn't get a bribe package like you did )

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said by JTRockville :

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said by AthlGrond :

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I am aware that there is not competition everywhere. (There isn't everywhere in Denver too) But as I said in most places there is. (in most places where Comcast provides HSI)

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I don't know what kind of coverage CHSI has, but a recent study published by the pinkhamgroup shows that over 60% of folks in Alabama are beyond 18k cable feet from a CO. The study was done for all states, but only Alabama is shown in the free sample. I assume national DSL coverage doesn't vary too wildly from Alabama. Since there aren't that many places where Comcast has a cable competitor (oddly, I think Alabama is one of the exceptions), what leads you to believe there's competition in "most" places? Judging from the data I've found, I'd say there's NO broadband competition in most places.

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quote:

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said by AthlGrond :

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BTW I get the same deal in the area with competition that you do without, though I'll be they try harder to keep me as a customer through better service and maintenance. (though I didn't get a bribe package like you did )

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awwwwww, I'll share. Want the chocolate remote?

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said by AthlGrond :

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My understanding was that AT&T built up in areas where other forms of HSI were already available. (may sound counter-intuitive but they did manage to get bought out by Comcast.) I was assuming that Comcast was the same. (but they may have a better business model.)

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said by gharney :

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said by fuzydice :

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They're a monopoly,

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they are far from a monopoly.

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said by gharney :

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said by fuzydice :

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They're a monopoly,

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they are far from a monopoly.

unless of course you are using your own definition which differs from the real world definition.

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said by »www.investorwords.com/cgi-bin/ge···gi?3112:

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monopoly
A situation in which a single company owns all or nearly all of the market for a given type of product or service. This would happen in the case that there is a barrier to entry into the industry that allows the single company to operate without competition (for example, vast economies of scale, barriers to entry, or governmental regulation). In such an industry structure, the producer will often produce a volume that is less than the amount which would maximize social welfare.

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said by J D McDorce :

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One case would be a frequent poster to this forum who's only option for High Speed Internet is Comcast, as she cannot get DSL, Wi-Fi, or even a T1.

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said by J D McDorce :

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However, even in those cases where Comcast has a localized monopoly on High Speed Internet services, it would be extremely difficult to show that Comcast is using that status to gouge its customers. Why? Comcast's published policy for High Speed Internet is consistent throughout all of the areas that they service throughout the United States.

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said by JTRockville :

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That's true, J D. But some strategies, like bundling burgers with fries and soda, that are acceptable in competitive circumstances, are considered no-no's under monopolistic circumstances.

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said by JTRockville :

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That's true, J D. But some strategies, like bundling burgers with fries and soda, that are acceptable in competitive circumstances, are considered no-no's under monopolistic circumstances. In other words...

It's ok to treat customers like sh!t, but only if they have a choice.

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quote:

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I just hope to God that you people who really want this to land in a court realize what you are doing and the precident it could set should it land in a courtroom; the implications could quite possibly extend far, far beyond Comcast (everything from discounted airline tickets to toothpaste coupons to mcdonalds value meals to preferred credit card rates could be affected).

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said by RONADYCKS:

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THE POINT IS,

YOU CAN CHOOSE BETWEEN A BIG MAC OR A WHOPPER.

I CAN ONLY GET THE BIG MAC AND THEY F*CK ME KNOWING THAT.

SO YOU SEE, AT LEAST YOU GET TO CHOOSE WHICH HAMBURGER YOU WANT..

COMPRENDE'?

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said by odog :

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want DSL? you have to get a dial-tone capable copper pair... while it is completely possible and is done in some circumstances. try calling up the phone company for DSL without a dial-tone line, and they will tell you it's a requirement.

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said by J D McDorce :

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said by odog :

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want DSL? you have to get a dial-tone capable copper pair... while it is completely possible and is done in some circumstances. try calling up the phone company for DSL without a dial-tone line, and they will tell you it's a requirement.

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One difference (which may not be directly relevant to the monopoly discussion) is that having a dial-tone capable copper pair for currently common ADSL has always been a requirement. Much of the current churn (at least with what we are currently seeing in this forum) is that the additional cost for non-CATV subscribers is directly related to the change of ownership from AT&T to Comcast for an existing cable internet connection.

Things would be much cleaner if Comcast were to state that the standard rate for their internet service is $57.95 with a $15 discount for CATV subscribers.

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said by J D McDorce :

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Things would be much cleaner if Comcast were to state that the standard rate for their internet service is $57.95 with a $15 discount for CATV subscribers.

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said by IH8TCOMCAST:

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While Comcast may not be a monopoly in the purest sense of the word, face it, they have a monopoly on the coax to your house. Other utilities MUST provide outside access to their phone or power lines to your house, not cable.

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quote:

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Prove me wrong gharney......

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said by gharney :

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internet access is not a utility.

there is nothing stopping another cable company from coming in and overbuilding.

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said by billybagoil :

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if you think it costs too much go back to dial up. you people make me sick. if you dont have cable you are not gonna die. you remind me of the people complaining about drug prices being to high. its not your right to have affordable high speed internet service. please stop asking your babysitter, the government, to help you get cheap internet service.

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said by billybagoil :

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hsi is not a right, it is a luxury(Something inessential but conducive to pleasure and comfort).

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said by FCC Commissioner Kevin J. Martin:

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Encouraging the deployment of broadband services to all Americans should be a national priority. Such services are essential to the economy of the 21st century, dramatically reducing the costs of exchanging information and allowing previously local businesses to serve the world. Broadband services are especially important to rural America, providing business, educational, and healthcare opportunities to remote parts of the country. I am hopeful that, just as rapid developments in telecommunications and technology have driven much of this nation’s economic growth in recent years, broadband deployment will lead to a new period of growth. I thus believe that all levels of government should work to eliminate barriers to infrastructure investment and to accelerate broadband deployment.

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said by MCMD Bill 28-02 FAQ:

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Q: Why are cable-modem service requirements so important?
A: The Internet has become an essential tool in business and in many individual’s lives. Cable modems are by far the most common way of getting high-speed, broadband Internet access. Reliable broadband access will encourage telecommuting to reduce traffic and improve workers’ quality of life. It will help promote education, commerce, and employment. Montgomery County has one of the highest levels of computer use anywhere in the world. As the home of many high-tech employers, such as the National Institutes of Health, a thriving biotech industry, and several key media and communications companies, our community is more dependent than most on the wide availability of reliable broadband Internet access.

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said by JTRockville :

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As a telecommuter, I find residential broadband to be an essential tool.

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said by gharney :

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said by JTRockville :

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As a telecommuter, I find residential broadband to be an essential tool.

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if it is that essential, you would want something with SLA's.

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quote:

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The Consumer Federation of America and the Consumers Union asked the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether the steep discounts offered when customers purchased both services constituted anticompetitive tying or predatory pricing.

"If there were ever a candidate for an investigation of predatory pricing under the antitrust laws, this would be it," said Mark Cooper, research director for the Consumer Federation of America. "Even if the government concludes that the price is not predatory in the classic sense, it must be deeply concerned about anticompetitive tying."

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said by Zorglub :

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Comcast is the only residential broadband provider in most areas, like a monopoly.

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quote:

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Comcast increases prices like a monopoly.

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quote:

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It looks like one,

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quote:

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it behaves like one,

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quote:

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hmmm... it might be one!

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said by gharney :

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said by Zorglub :

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Comcast is the only residential broadband provider in most areas, like a monopoly.

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not a monopoly. comcast does not have exclusive control.

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