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Comcast Blasts The Bay Area With 16Mbps
Takes aim at AT&T U-Verse

The San Francisco Chronicle notes that Comcast has unveiled their 16Mbps/2Mbps Blast! tier in the Bay Area, where the company hopes to derail AT&T U-Verse. The Chronicle states that AT&T's fastest offering in the region is 6Mbps, though AT&T just recently announced a new 10Mbps tier February 1.

Ironically (or not), Comcast acquired the Bay Area network from AT&T Broadband five years ago, and have spent $663 million on the region since, according to the Chronicle. Back in 2006, Comcast's Bay Area network suffered from serious congestion, and we remember the $663 million total was tossed around back then too -- right before Comcast promised another $80 million in investment (that's apparently arrived). The local pricing:
quote:
Blast customers who take cable television from Comcast will receive Internet service for $52.95 a month. It will cost $62.95 a month for those who have Comcast's phone service only. For stand-alone Blast service, customers will pay $66.95 a month. Triple-play customers who have TV, Internet and phone service can upgrade to Blast for $10 a month.
As Comcast stated in interviews with Broadband Reports last fall, the cable provider selectively deploys the 16Mbps tier in areas where they feel competition warrants it (read: FiOS), but don't get specific with launch plans. "We often don't provide specific launch information for new products because of the competitive environment," says Comcast's Senior Director of Corporate Communications, Jennifer Khoury.
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erikthebean
join:2007-06-25
Milford, NH

erikthebean

Member

16 MBps

I know in New England if your in a comcast/verizon fios area, you can allready get 16 mbps comcast service. But like i said you have to be in a location that can get fios to get the 16 mbps comcast service
matrix3D
join:2006-09-27
Middletown, CT

matrix3D

Member

Re: 16 MBps

Nice. And why do I have to pay the same price as these markets for slower service? Oh, that's right... the government gives the cable companies a federally mandated monopoly.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

3 edits

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: 16 MBps

said by matrix3D:

Nice. And why do I have to pay the same price as these markets for slower service? Oh, that's right... the government gives the cable companies a federally mandated monopoly.
There is NO monopoly(mandated or otherwise). And IF THERE WAS, it would be a locally based one where franchises are awarded and not a federal one.

And you don't have to pay it at all. Stop service if you don't like the service you are getting at the price you are paying. You can always go back to dial-up.
Expand your moderator at work

hopeflicker
Capitalism breeds greed
Premium Member
join:2003-04-03
Long Beach, CA

hopeflicker to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5

Re: 16 MBps

said by FFH5:
said by matrix3D:

And you don't have to pay it at all. Stop service if you don't like the service you are getting at the price you are paying. You can always go back to dial-up.
pffft!
typical.

jslik
That just happened
Premium Member
join:2006-03-17

jslik to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
said by FFH5:

There is NO monopoly(mandated or otherwise). And IF THERE WAS, it would be a locally based one where franchises are awarded and not a federal one.
Franchised cable monopolies have been illegal since 1984....
matrix3D
join:2006-09-27
Middletown, CT

matrix3D

Member

Re: 16 MBps

Then what do you call local governments giving a single company exclusive rights to an area?

jslik
That just happened
Premium Member
join:2006-03-17

jslik

Premium Member

Re: 16 MBps

said by matrix3D:

Then what do you call local governments giving a single company exclusive rights to an area?
Federal law is very clear; local governments cannot give 'exclusive rights'.

GNR
@comcast.net

GNR

Anon

Re: 16 MBps

East Bay Comcast Gold-Tier user here- I’ve downloaded well over a terabyte over the last several months and not so much as a peep from comcast. I have no problems maxing out my 8.8meg pipe, even with bittorrent, and look forward to the upgrade. Even during peak hours it easily bursts up to 20+ so that leads be to believe it should be able to handle the upgrade.
jferrante
join:2003-12-06
Glendale, AZ

1 edit

jferrante to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
sorry, wrong thread
matrix3D
join:2006-09-27
Middletown, CT

matrix3D to FFH5

Member

to FFH5
OK, smart guy. You may be right about being at the local level, but it is still a monopoly because of franchise agreements PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT. If cable companies really DON'T have a monopolistic stranglehold on the market, then why is it that ONE CABLE COMPANY services an entire local area across 96% of the country? There's only a handful of markets (Boston being one) where there actually IS some sort of competition between cable companies. I'm comparing cable to cable, not cable to DSL or cable to dial-up.
nasadude
join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD

nasadude to matrix3D

Member

to matrix3D

they can't get any clearer

"As Comcast stated in interviews with Broadband Reports last fall, the cable provider selectively deploys the 16Mbps tier in areas where they feel competition warrants it...

they can't make it any clearer than that - if there is competition or threat of competition, things get improved (faster speeds, whatever, but apparently not lower prices); no competition, no improvements.

Why should they waste money on improvements when they have a captive audience with no other options?
keenan424
join:2003-01-13
Santa Rosa, CA

1 edit

keenan424

Member

Re: they can't get any clearer

Do you have a link to that interview?

Thanks
Nevermind, found it in the header.

djrobx
Premium Member
join:2000-05-31
Reno, NV

1 edit

djrobx to matrix3D

Premium Member

to matrix3D

Re: 16 MBps

quote:
And why do I have to pay the same price as these markets for slower service?
Heh, with Time Warner Los Angeles, you might be paying the same price as someone a block away from you getting way more speed for the same price.

Time Warner doesn't seem to see U-Verse as a threat here, so AT&T areas get 10/1 while Verizon areas get 15/2.

SpaethCo
Digital Plumber
MVM
join:2001-04-21
Minneapolis, MN

SpaethCo to matrix3D

MVM

to matrix3D
said by matrix3D:

Nice. And why do I have to pay the same price as these markets for slower service?
Economics 101: supply and demand.

Comcast markets with more competition get higher levels of service. You want the same deal? Encourage competition in your local market or move someplace that offers what you want.
matrix3D
join:2006-09-27
Middletown, CT

1 edit

matrix3D

Member

Re: 16 MBps

Good solution. People shouldn't have to go through the hassle of moving two towns over in order to get better Internet service. And this has absolutely nothing to do with economics... the demand is there. This has to do with adequate competition and local franchises. Your solution is to cram everybody in the state into a ten square mile area. GOOD IDEA!

SpaethCo
Digital Plumber
MVM
join:2001-04-21
Minneapolis, MN

SpaethCo

MVM

Re: 16 MBps

said by matrix3D:

And this has absolutely nothing to do with economics... the demand is there. This has to do with adequate competition and local franchises.
This has everything to do with economics. I suggest you read a little, maybe start here.

It's unrealistic to expect competition between cable companies in a market for the pricing you are expecting. Being a shared medium means that cable companies can't have many vendors colocate gear at a common head-end to serve the customer base like with telephone service. It's expensive to roll out a cable plant, and the frequency space doesn't exist on a single cable plant to accommodate multiple content providers. The efficiencies of scale just won't be there to support building two technology-identical cable plants in a market.

Competition comes from differing technologies. That's the only thing that will shift the supply curve. Competition from DSL, FiOS, fixed wireless, or mobile wireless. If that competition doesn't exist, then your pricing is going to be higher; it's part of the opportunity cost of where you choose to live.
erikthebean
join:2007-06-25
Milford, NH

erikthebean

Member

yea i work for comcast... we think at times it is overpriced. Look at fios you get it for the same price but 20 mbps down...where i live i can get 1 meg dsl or 6 meg comcast....but then again i get it for free

CableGei
Premium Member
join:2004-05-27
Castle Rock, CO

2 edits

CableGei

Premium Member

Re: 16 MBps

Stated by erikthebean See Profile
"yea i work for comcast... we think at times it is overpriced. Look at fios you get it for the same price but 20 mbps down...where i live i can get 1 meg dsl or 6 meg comcast....but then again i get it for free"
From cable guy to cable guy.......... are you retarded!?

I haven't posted on here forever, but I felt it necessary to point out that you just made a statement as an employee for your company as if you were a spokesperson.

First you identified your employer, then you made a "we" statement. Not that anyone would take your post seriously, but you better hope your PR department doesn't find this post.
erikthebean
join:2007-06-25
Milford, NH

erikthebean

Member

Re: 16 MBps

well someone lost it for no reason...i was making a statement about my fellow employees but take it as you will

Guestin94087
@comcast.net

Guestin94087

Anon

But not in Sunnyvale

The SFGate article says (at the very bottom) not available in Sunnyvale (among a series of other Bay Area municipalities, admittedly a few of which are a bit of a stretch under the "Bay Area" moniker). Bah humbug.
b10010011
Whats a Posting tag?
join:2004-09-07
united state

1 edit

b10010011

Member

Why not everywhere?

"the cable provider selectively deploys the 16Mbps tier in areas where they feel competition warrants it"

Oh, yeah, because they do not have to in areas where they have no competition.

ironweasel
Weezy
Premium Member
join:2000-09-13
Belen, NM

ironweasel

Premium Member

Re: Why not everywhere?

said by b10010011:

"the cable provider selectively deploys the 16Mbps tier in areas where they feel competition warrants it"

Oh, yeah, because they do not have to in areas where they have no competition.
Precisely.

Here in Albuquerque, you get a choice of satellite, Comcast, or DSL.

Satellite - Slow & expensive. Good LOS to south pretty much anywhere in the city.

DSL - Albuquerque has a land area of almost 200sq. mi. and is served by 7 CO's. Each CO serves an area of almost 29 sq. mi. So the chances of you being close enough to a CO to get anything higher than dialup are slim. DSL is cheap though.

Comcast - 8/768 plan pretty much anywhere. Personally, out bill, with the "triple play" is $149 / month, but that's with a bunch of extra features.

I have a feeling that a lot of markets are in the same type of situation where Comcast has a strangle-hold on the consumers who wish to do more than light browsing and emails to grandma. There is competition in the definition of the word, but in practice, there really isn't.

dmconwa1
@qwest.net

dmconwa1

Anon

Re: Why not everywhere?

Qwest is deploying 200 FTTN sites in the Albuquerque metro area in 2008. The first seven have been deployed already. Mainly in the NE heights, but the list I've seen show it going in all over town. We're only offering 7 meg right now, but word is that a new tier will be released soon. Probably 10 meg.

ironweasel
Weezy
Premium Member
join:2000-09-13
Belen, NM

ironweasel

Premium Member

Re: Why not everywhere?

said by dmconwa1 :

Qwest is deploying 200 FTTN sites in the Albuquerque metro area in 2008. The first seven have been deployed already. Mainly in the NE heights, but the list I've seen show it going in all over town. We're only offering 7 meg right now, but word is that a new tier will be released soon. Probably 10 meg.
If it's able to support 10/2 or even 10/1 and is cheaper than what I pay for Comcast..I might just switch.

fatmanskinny
Premium Member
join:2004-01-04
Wandering

fatmanskinny

Premium Member

Why get excited?

I have faster downloads only to approach my invisible caps faster.

Robert
Premium Member
join:2001-08-25
Miami, FL

Robert

Premium Member

Re: Why get excited?

said by fatmanskinny:

I have faster downloads only to approach my invisible caps faster.
No, not really.

fatmanskinny
Premium Member
join:2004-01-04
Wandering

fatmanskinny

Premium Member

Re: Why get excited?

Why do you not believe that? Curious.

PaulHikeS2
join:2003-03-06
Fitchburg, MA

PaulHikeS2

Member

Re: Why get excited?

What is your usage? Do you take special care to limit your bandwidth usage?

fatmanskinny
Premium Member
join:2004-01-04
Wandering
·AT&T FTTP

1 edit

fatmanskinny

Premium Member

Re: Why get excited?

said by PaulHikeS2:

What is your usage? Do you take special care to limit your bandwidth usage?
I am sure I download less than 5 GBs a month. I mainly surf and post. I don't do file sharing unless it is a personal file.

I know I don't even remotely get close to those caps. I am just concerned as I begin to view more web-related content that either streams or I may download, Comcast will come a-knockin. At that point, time to bail.

koitsu
MVM
join:2002-07-16
Mountain View, CA
Humax BGW320-500

3 edits

koitsu

MVM

Pricing vs. plan confusion

I'm a Comcast customer who pays US$69.95/month (US$70.20/month after taxes) for the highest tier/plan available -- that's 8mbit down, 768kbit up. No TV, no phone -- just Internet.

So, um, does this mean I'll be bumped to the 16/2 plan for US$3.00/month less, or what? *shakes head* Confusing.

EDIT: Called 800-COMCAST. Existing 8mbit/768kbit customers will be upgraded to the 16/2 plan sometime within the next 24 hours. It will require a power-cycle of the modem (makes sense). The CSR I spoke to could not "upgrade" my existing plan; I was told it would happen automatically.

As for the US$3.00 difference -- that's yet to be determined...

jimbo48
join:2000-11-17
Asheville, NC

jimbo48

Member

Re: Pricing vs. plan confusion

I'm impressed that you were even able to have your call answered by Comcast.Hope that you actually get the Blast that they alluded to.
MRCUR
join:2007-03-09
Lancaster, PA

MRCUR to koitsu

Member

to koitsu
The price given in the article is the with TV/CDV price. You're not going to get a discount unless you bundle basic TV.

Dekereon
@bigtelecom.ru

Dekereon

Anon

FiOS competitor? I think not.

If given a choice between FiOS and Blast!, I don't see any educated consumer picking Comcast's offerings. Last I checked Verizon's 20/5 tier was ~ $55 with no bundling, no bandwidth caps, and no throttling/packet imitation. The kind of people looking for fatter upstream pipes are also typically the kind who don't enjoy their usage being capped/throttled.
mglunt
join:2001-09-10
Fredericksburg, VA

mglunt

Member

Re: FiOS competitor? I think not.

Not to mention that saying 16Mbps on the Comcast network means absolutely nothing other than the caps went up. When I had Comcast, or any other cable modem company, during the times I used the web often (evenings), I never saw the full speed... maybe 50-75% of it.

When Verizon says 15Mbps or 20 or whatever, you get that speed.
Rick5
Premium Member
join:2001-02-06

1 recommendation

Rick5

Premium Member

I see the telco PR machine

is in full bloom in this thread already.

It must be that the minute that anything about comcast gets posted..alarms sound and lights flash in some secret AT&T room (we all know they have THOSE..don't we?)

and here they come to post away.

Well, let me help you with the facts.

The reason that Comcast is doing so well is that they decided years ago to start to do this right.
Meaning..to roll out the fiber and upgrade their networks they way they should have been upgraded.

And now..they're reaping the rewards for it.

I'm SORRY that your companies decided to squander THEIR money away on shareholder dividends instead.

Really..I am.

But please..don't go blaming comcast for that now ..ok?

As we all know..Verizon is FINALLY starting to do it right.
Whether they'll succeed remains to be seen..but at least they're trying. It sure won't be easy though..trying to become a cable company. Goodness knows they don't have anywhere near the experience that the cable co's already do..and certainly they don't have the network yet for it..
but..at least they're trying.

AT&T.on the other hand. Goodness knows what THEY'RE trying to become. A HDTV,HSI, and Voice company via some old telephone lines strung up to your home apparently.

They might want to try orange juice cans and string too while they're at it. I bet that would be even cheaper..and they can get that up even quicker.

Ya know..I really do feel for some folks though. Like many of the GOOD AT&T folks around this website who work for them..and otherwise earn a living from them. It's not your fault that your company is such a disaster. That comes from the decision makers at the top..not from you.
And, your devotion and dedication is also admirable as well.

But, what you REALLY should be fighting against isn't the company that is making the great strides and who..in many respects..has already arrived..but your own companies management and decision makers..

who simply refuse to do this job right.

Because the fact of the matter is..all your fud and trolling isn't going to change the fact that Comcast has now become the nations # 4 phone company..as well as one of the best ISP's in America.

They got there because they planned for this.

And spent the money on it.

And that's a lesson that AT&T really needs to start learning for themselves.

Comcast..way to GO.

16Mb is only the beginning. Docsis 3.0 is next.

And I suspect it's going to change the world of broadband as we know it here in America.

I can hardly wait.

~Rick

••••••••••••••

dadkins
Can you do Blu?
MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA

1 edit

dadkins

MVM

Blast?

Where? Aint here...
Powercycled my modem(yanked battery and power cord) and even hit the reset button afterwards.

Upload is at 1.81mbps
Download(PowerBoost) hits ~32 to 34mbps and fizzles back to the normal 8.6mbps.

SFGate says:
"New customers and current users wishing to upgrade can sign up for the service beginning today. Existing Performance Plus customers will be automatically upgraded at no cost starting the week of Feb. 22."

Meh.

TDNickell
Premium Member
join:2006-09-26
Federal Way, WA

1 recommendation

TDNickell

Premium Member

Re: Blast?

It looks like you will be able to get it soon,Dave!
We have a very small area of FIOS up here near Seattle,but not a real threat to Comcast.
I would say we will get the upgrade when pigs fly!

ftthz
If love can kill hate can also save
join:2005-10-17

ftthz

Member

blast tier

guess my friends will stop complaining soon about comcast

Doctor Four
My other vehicle is a TARDIS
Premium Member
join:2000-09-05
Dallas, TX

1 edit

Doctor Four

Premium Member

Blast? It's more like a Misfire

At least to those who use their connection for more than
just casual web surfing or email.

What good are higher speeds with such limitations as
usage caps, packet shaping and RST packet forging?

Admittedly, most use of the BitTorrent protocol is for
copyright infringement, but there are a growing number
of legal, legitimate uses of it.

Speed isn't everything, you know.

jimbo48
join:2000-11-17
Asheville, NC

jimbo48

Member

Give me a break-16Mbps?

Once again Comcast trumpets a product that they can't/won't deliver to the East Bay. I guess they figure us poor folks down in the South end are too stupid or poor to buy cable OR they know thay have us by the "you know what" and are free to ream at will. Does Comcast explain "WHY" the lack of their services in these neglected cities? Do they explain why they increased rates to these same towns to provide these new services? Bah its like pizzin' into the wind talking about Comcast-they don't listen or care.

dadkins
Can you do Blu?
MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA

dadkins

MVM

Re: Give me a break-16Mbps?

Raised rates?
HSI hasn't had a rate hike... for 4 years that I am aware of.

TV is a different story, but since this news article is about HSI... there has been no rate hike!

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536

Premium Member

Re: Give me a break-16Mbps?

said by dadkins:

Raised rates?
HSI hasn't had a rate hike... for 4 years that I am aware of.

TV is a different story, but since this news article is about HSI... there has been no rate hike!
They just stuff the HSI rate hike onto TV subs[kind of like how cablevision does it]

jimbo48
join:2000-11-17
Asheville, NC

jimbo48

Member

Comcast bought from AT&T?

Well I guess that explains it all Comcast bought their infrastructure from AT&T. Proves that two wrongs don't make a right. We're still waiting for all the promises form Comcast(formerly known as AT&T Broadband) that were promised. Digital TV et al! I did hear that U-verse "might" come to my neighborhood this decade. Lets see if magically Comcast can deliver Digital TV. Digital phone and true High Speed DSL connectivity. Ha I think not- not with the out-dated copper hanging off these poles around here.

•••••
pappy97
join:2007-03-12
El Paso, TX

pappy97

Member

This is great!

This is great news! I've been dying for faster internet in the Bay Area and have come here to complain that we don't have FTTP or docsis 3.0 or whatever here.

I've also complained that we don't have blast since we don't have FTTP, but now the Bay Area has given us BLAST even though there is no fiber competition here!
russotto
join:2000-10-05
West Orange, NJ

russotto

Member

16Mbps for how long?

So how long can you use that 16Mbps before the Comcast secret cap kicks in?

mustang50
Premium Member
join:2005-05-06
Roseville, MI

1 edit

mustang50

Premium Member

Re: 16Mbps for how long?

said by russotto:

So how long can you use that 16Mbps before the Comcast secret cap kicks in?

Maybe Comcast could throttle you down to 3Mbps..that way it would take you longer to hit the "cap"
fiberguy2
My views are my own.
Premium Member
join:2005-05-20

1 recommendation

fiberguy2 to russotto

Premium Member

to russotto
said by russotto:

So how long can you use that 16Mbps before the Comcast secret cap kicks in?

.. a very original statement. Haven't heard that one before.

ztmike
Mark for moderation
Premium Member
join:2001-08-02
La Porte, IN

ztmike

Premium Member

The Bill.

And yet Chicago users get stuck with a 69-84 dollar bill for 16/2 from Comcast.

WAY TO GO!

••••

icfreely
@pacbell.net

icfreely

Anon

Ordered Blast

I got off the phone with Comcast and after 45 minutes with the reps I was able to make the $10 upgrade to Blast (I have tv, voice, and internet through them.) Supposedly I was the second person to request the service and customer service had problems . All I need to do is to reboot my modem and the upgrade should take in effect. Can't wait when I leave work to test it out!

•••••••

KeyLS
@comcast.net

KeyLS

Anon

16/2 *IS* Available in Sunnyvale

Heard about Blast! on the radio this morning on the way to the office, picked up the phone when I got in and called Comcast to see if it was available. They said yes, said they'd charge me $10 more and I'd get 16/2, and most surprising of all- no contract renewal. After I said sign me up! They said it would take place in 24 hrs, check tomorrow morning, and I'd have to reboot the modem.

Surprisingly, I got home tonite and checked my internet:

»www.speedtest.net/result ··· 6495.png

Not exactly 16/2, but much better than I was getting before, so I'm considerably happy. Will try it again tomorrow to see if it changes at all.

I read the SF article just a bit ago (the one that cited Sunnyvale was not an eligible area), don't know what to tell you, looks like Blast! is working in my area.

RR Conductor
Ridin' the rails
Premium Member
join:2002-04-02
Redwood Valley, CA
ARRIS SB6183
Netgear R7000

2 edits

RR Conductor

Premium Member

Not up here in Northwestern California

No BLAST up here in Mendocino County, we're on Comcast's North Bay Network, and were switched over from Adelphia to Comcast early in 2007. We have no fiber competition, and DSL is only available in Ukiah, Willits and Fort Bragg, so I doubt we'll ever see BLAST.

We have the 8000/768 Performance Plus Tier, and that's currently the fastest available to Comcast users here. We see an average of 25000/2500 on it, except in the evening when speeds go way down

Oscar142
@comcast.net

Oscar142

Anon

Upgrade or Not? if available

I'm on Comcast Castro Valley in the east bay and this what I've been averaging for some time now, and I'm on the 6.0/384 tier. I don't know if it would be worth it to me to upgrade, I'm already faster than most servers can send it to me, so what advantage would I gain, you can only get it as fast as they send it.

Oscar140
join:2007-08-13

2 edits

Oscar140

Member

I'm on Comcast Castro Valley in the east bay and this what I've been averaging for some time now, and I'm on the 6.0/384 tier. I don't know if it would be worth it to me to upgrade, I'm already faster than most servers can send it to me, so what advantage would I gain, you can only get it as fast as they send it.



edit; Sorry for the double post, I was to lazy to log in and tried to post anonymous,when it didn't show I logged in and reposted it.
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