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Charter Buys Optimum West For $1.625 Billion
300,000 Customers Now Used to Feeling Like a Pinball
Charter has announced that the company will be buying Cablevision's "Optimum West" territories for $1.625 billion in cash. The 300,000 customers in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and Utah have only just seen the paint dry on their last sale, from Bresnan Communications to Cablevision for $1.37 billion just two years ago. Charter beat back companies like Suddenlink and Time Warner Cable who were also interested. "Optimum West is an ideal fit for Charter and we anticipate an efficient integration process," said Charter CEO Tom Rutledge.
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tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

upgrades!!

Now upgrade entry level to 50 megabits and bump the other tiers!!! Wind down docsis 2 in the cablevision footprint and convert to docsis 3

SimbaSeven
I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT

SimbaSeven

Member

Re: upgrades!!

Thanks..

Because who gives a sh*t about us as long as you have cheap super fast internet, right?
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

Re: upgrades!!

said by SimbaSeven:

Thanks..

Because who gives a sh*t about us as long as you have cheap super fast internet, right?

Basically several parts of this country have been geographically written off for telecom upgrades (for at least most people's natural lifetimes) and if you happen to live in one of them your options are to get screwed or move. Guess which one Montana is in..?

Don't worry, you're in good company, from Michigan and Illinois to the deep south.. lots of AT&T geography is in the same sinking boat.
meowmeow
join:2003-07-26
Helena, MT

meowmeow

Member

Oh cr*p

Just what we needed, a company that has recently shown they believe the best way to deal with customers is to quit even attempting to listen to them...
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: Oh cr*p

Just because a company doesn't want to support social media/provide support via DSLR, doesn't mean that they aren't listening. You can bet that they have a group of people that still watch what's going on. That is what PR is all about. I know of several companies that have a team of about 5 people that just surf the Internet, message boards and anything else for references to their brand/products. You'd be surprised that all the ones that do.

The_ANoN
@bellsouth.net

The_ANoN

Anon

Re: Oh cr*p

AFAIK they DO provide support on social media (Facebook) and on DSLR, but its just not on the level of other companies, I guess.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: Oh cr*p

The announcement was and was official that official support was going away on DSLR. And why should they at the level of other companies? Maybe all companies should be the same???
meowmeow
join:2003-07-26
Helena, MT

meowmeow to The_ANoN

Member

to The_ANoN
Nope, they got rid of it.
big_e
join:2011-03-05

big_e

Member

$5416 dollars per customer acquisition cost

That's interesting. Here we have a telecom paying $5,416 dollars per customer for a merger, yet the typical attitude in this industry is that spending the same amount of money or less per customer for building out FTTH, or extending service to rural customers is deemed too expensive and not a good enough ROI. It's only money well spent when it goes straight into another a cable company's pocket.
TBBroadband
join:2012-10-26
Fremont, OH

TBBroadband

Member

Re: $5416 dollars per customer acquisition cost

cable companies are not telcoms. they're MSOs. Totally different industry/term.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray to big_e

Member

to big_e
Don't confuse acquisition cost per paying customer with build cost per address passed.

FTTH yields take rates of 30 percent - at $4K/address, thats around $13K per customer.

Charter bought on the cheap.
big_e
join:2011-03-05

big_e

Member

Re: $5416 dollars per customer acquisition cost

Are you sure you don't have the numbers reversed? Most estimates I've seen put the cost to pass for FIOS at $700 per home with a cost of 4K per paying customer.

»www.nytimes.com/2008/08/ ··· nted=all

In 2006 in NJ the cost to pass is $846 per household with an additional cost to connect of $900.

»www.state.nj.us/rpa/docs ··· aper.pdf
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Re: $5416 dollars per customer acquisition cost

said by big_e:

Are you sure you don't have the numbers reversed? Most estimates I've seen put the cost to pass for FIOS at $700 per home with a cost of 4K per paying customer.

»www.nytimes.com/2008/08/ ··· nted=all

My nose is wrinkling. If its $4K/sub, not per address, VZ would be foolish to quit; rents on the 30% take rate (premium buyers, immune to price), minus the union overhead, should be sufficiently attractive to continue expansion. While LTE will be a competitive threat, it won't affect the Fios set.
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080 to elray

Member

to elray
said by elray:

Don't confuse acquisition cost per paying customer with build cost per address passed.

FTTH yields take rates of 30 percent - at $4K/address, thats around $13K per customer.

Charter bought on the cheap.

And yet ANOTHER reason why Verizon jacked up rates.. now $94.95 for entry-level triple play and climbing (Price is right yodeler continues climb up mount Verizon) Sure, price is right for shareholders and profiteers... PFFT!!

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· eyAV85UM
tanzam75
join:2012-07-19

1 edit

tanzam75 to big_e

Member

to big_e
said by big_e:

That's interesting. Here we have a telecom paying $5,416 dollars per customer for a merger, yet the typical attitude in this industry is that spending the same amount of money or less per customer for building out FTTH, or extending service to rural customers is deemed too expensive and not a good enough ROI.

It costs less than $5,416 per customer to build out FTTH.

The problem is that once you've finished building it, you start with no subscribers. It might take several years to get to your anticipated take rate. Meanwhile, you're paying interest on the bonds, lighting up the equipment, etc.

In contrast, Charter bought a fully-functioning cable system, with subscribers already in place. The day the merger closes, Charter starts collecting revenues from all of those subscribers. That's why they're willing to pay more per cable customer than for a new FTTH build.
gutch
join:2003-01-16
USA

gutch

Member

sectv

can someone come buy service electric in pennsylvania and make it suck less?

cypherstream
MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA

cypherstream

MVM

Re: sectv

They are private. Last I heard they had no interest in selling.
gutch
join:2003-01-16
USA

gutch

Member

Re: sectv

I don't blame them I guess. No competition in most of these areas. It's either satellite or sectv. I go with sectv so I am not paying bucket loads of cash just to get internet from them, and the verizon dsl here is horrible.
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

rody_44

Premium Member

Re: sectv

Actually service electric has more competition than about any of the cable companies across their footprint. More than 70 percent of the area has rcn and now they also have fios to contend with. When 70 percent of your area has a overbuilder you can only do so much.
gutch
join:2003-01-16
USA

gutch

Member

Re: sectv

Up here in Tamaqua it is just sectv. No FIOS, no RCN. Notta, zilch

and dsl isn't even a concern, it's junk
kruser
Premium Member
join:2002-06-01
Eastern MO

kruser

Premium Member

Reason for 37.5% Ultra rate increase maybe?

Maybe this is the reason for the 37.5% rate increase for Ultra 100.

Charter's support sucks since getting rid of the team here.
I developed a slowly declining signal level over the past month and a half.
Calls to Charter support have resulted in three techs coming to my residence. They all agree the problem is not in my residence but outside on the lines. It's an ingress issue where a bad connection lets in interference on a random basis.
My neighbors are all affected as well.
Each of the three techs said they would report their findings and get a line tech in the area and find and fix the problem.
I've been patiently waiting and no line tech.
Calls back into Charter support always result in the wanting to again send a tech to my apartment even though the first tech's notes clearly say it is an outside problem.

I used to have very reliable service with signal levels right near the middle of the acceptable range. Now they are near the top or almost +12 dB. Then a burst of noise will hit and the Ubee will show uncorrectable errors in the millions all within a few seconds.
The signal levels between the four downstream channels will vary by as much as 6 dB from one another when it is getting ready to go out. Normally they are within 0.5 dB of each other.
Call Charter and they claim they have no record of a line tech being needed. So they want to send another inside tech out.
Then to top that, I get my latest bill and they are charging me for a service call on the 1st tech visit. I called and asked about that as he clearly said the problem was outdoors on their lines.
The billing rep told me the charge was to replace the overhead drop! First, that is Charter's problem so they do not charge for that and second, I don't have an overhead drop!
All Charter is buried here and my run is a very short run from my apartment to the tap box mounted on the wall. And my little amount of cable was not replaced. The tech did check the levels at the tap box and again inside and they were the same so that proved the cable is good. The 2nd tech said he was calling in a line tech to actually install a new run from my apartment to a tap box that only feeds one apartment below me. I've told them all that all the customers here in the complex are having the same exact issue at the same exact instant but that does not seem to click in their heads.
I've since encouraged some of the others to call it in. Many refuse as they hate dealing with the phone support people and I don't blame them.
My modem reboots several times per day from T4 timeouts and then it sees many more T3 timeouts which do not cause a reboot. Non of the techs seemed to care about that fact and one would not even look at the modem logs.
The first tech was an actual Charter tech and he was the most knowledgeable. The other two were both contractors hired by Charter. One even tried to blame my problems on the first tech. I tried telling him there would never have been a first tech if I was not having issues! He could not figure that one out!.
The first tech did at least try a brand new Motorola modem but he put my Ubee back online after I showed him I also own the same Motorola modem and showed him the logs I'd printed out from it before I ever called. It had the same problem of course.

Now I hear this news that they are spending 1.625 billion and also raising my rates by 37.5% but they can't fix my line or my neighbors. This just burns me to no end.

YYYyyeeepp
@charter.com

YYYyyeeepp

Anon

Re: Reason for 37.5% Ultra rate increase maybe?

you have bad electrical at your house or apartment, thats why you are dropping off. thats your fault not Charters

SimbaSeven
I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT

SimbaSeven

Member

One word sums it up..

F******************************************************************************CK!!!!

What the F*CK!! Thanks for F*CKING Bresnan up.. Now you're letting Charter finish? Thanks a F*CKING LOT!
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

....

I'm used to the pinball effect. Between 1998 and 2004, we went from TCI to Cablecomm (Fanch) to Charter to Atlantic Broadband. It happens for smaller markets.

megarock
join:2001-06-28
Fenton, MO

megarock

Member

...

You poor people. Welcome to the company that don't give a f**k about you. You will have two overpriced speed options, months of malfunctioning equipment as Charter tries to upgrade but ignores any and all issues and the worst billing department on the planet.

If you have an alternative, take it now.

SimbaSeven
I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT
·StarLink

SimbaSeven

Member

Re: ...

said by megarock:

If you have an alternative, take it now.

Heh.. You mean CenturyLink? (passes out due to laughing)
15444104 (banned)
join:2012-06-11

15444104 (banned) to megarock

Member

to megarock

Executive MANGLEMENT indeed.

Anyone notice how things at Charter have started to get really UGLY for the customer soon after Tom "chopper" Rutledge took the helm as CEO at the company?

Not only are they raising the heck out of rates (in various ways) but Tom and his executive hatchet team are showing their apparent loathing for customers that want choices and quality service.....(killing social media eg.)

The worst part is that those extra rates will help the uncaring and hard nosed CEO get more chopper rides between his home and office each day....

Now I have to say that Tommy Boy Rutledge isn't the only CEO lately that seems to think telling customers that "you'll eat it AND LIKE IT TOO!" will suffice as an answer to their needs.

I hope the shareholders are reading this because even if Charter had one profitable qtr with this new "manglement" executive at the helm it most likely was due to the work of the previous CEO, Mike Lovett.

Sure members here are more vocal and proactive about their services BUT I CAN ASSURE them that plenty of other ordinary customers won't post complaints they will just WALK away quietly from the now arrogant character that Mr. Rutledge seems intent on giving Charter.

Wow, it seemed just over a year ago I was singing the praises of how Charter was finally starting to get their act together. Well one year with Mr. Rutledge has apparently been able to destroy all that progress.

I wouldn't buy Charter stock or the company because Tom is going to help put it right back into bankruptcy court, perhaps this time for good.

I feel for the rank and file employees because you're going to have to start looking for a new job in the next couple of years at this rate.
15444104

15444104 (banned) to megarock

Member

to megarock

Re: ...

Yep, it will only get worse for them with Mr. Chopper at the helm.
15444104

15444104 (banned)

Member

Re: ...

quote:


"Optimum West is an ideal fit for Charter and we anticipate an efficient integration process," said Charter CEO Tom Rutledge.



Reminds me of "The Borg" in the Star Trek Next Generation series...

they said it this way, "You will be assimilated."

Dire concequences for current Optimum West customers. LOL

anon anon
@charter.com

anon anon to megarock

Anon

to megarock
said by megarock:

You poor people. Welcome to the company that don't give a f**k about you. You will have two overpriced speed options, months of malfunctioning equipment as Charter tries to upgrade but ignores any and all issues and the worst billing department on the planet.

If you have an alternative, take it now.

$50 for 30 meg is hardly overpriced. I suggest you take a look at pricing elsewhere. The supposedly awesome FiOS wants $75 for 15 meg. At&t U-verse wants $51 for 12 meg.

The_ANoN
@bellsouth.net

The_ANoN

Anon

HMMMMM....

I thought Charter was headed towards bankruptcy... :/
15444104 (banned)
join:2012-06-11

15444104 (banned)

Member

...me too.

I think the current executive manglement team is just feeding off the carcass until they can sell Charter off for a song to another competitor.

motorola870
join:2008-12-07
Arlington, TX

motorola870

Member

hmm most of these systems are upgraded to 750MHz or 860MHz

Also they have been upgraded to digital only above limited basic or equivalent tier and I am betting that charter is wanting them as they don't have to do very much work on these systems.
meowmeow
join:2003-07-26
Helena, MT

meowmeow

Member

Re: hmm most of these systems are upgraded to 750MHz or 860MHz

Yup, Bresnan upgraded everything, the old TCI/AT&T/Comcast (for a few weeks Comcast LOL) system was only 330 MHz in Kalispell for example.

Metatron2008
You're it
Premium Member
join:2008-09-02
united state

Metatron2008

Premium Member

I TOLD you guys.

»If anything charter might be BUYING

I predicted it! OWNED

cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

cork1958

Premium Member

Re: I TOLD you guys.

Good for you. Now predict when they go bankrupt again, or out of business!
said by The_ANoN :

I thought Charter was headed towards bankruptcy... :/

Already been there and did that a few years ago! Now let's hope they do it again!
tasmithe
join:2002-09-16
Graham, NC

tasmithe

Member

Terrible!

Terrible news! I was planning on moving to Leadville in a couple of years and now rethinking that. I lived in a Charter area and they were HORRIBLE...just HORRIBLE. Where do they find all this money to buy systems when they can't even adequately maintain the systems they have and are losing money??!!

Bill Neilson
Premium Member
join:2009-07-08
Alexandria, VA

Bill Neilson

Premium Member

Translation

"Optimum West is an ideal fit for Charter and we anticipate an efficient integration process," said Charter CEO Tom Rutledge.

=

"We will be using this as a reason to raise rates in the near future and will not be upgrading any services in the newly acquired areas unless someone offers us a significantly good deal to offload the new areas for a few billion."
Jazzemt
join:2009-02-12
USA

Jazzemt

Member

Re: Translation

Actually Charter has a history of being pretty aggressive in upgrading newly aquired properties.

morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000

morbo

Member

Charter preparing for yet another bankruptcy

Charter is rapidly preparing for their next bankruptcy.