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Comcast & RCN fail to play nice
(old news - 03:05PM Wednesday Apr 16 2003)
tags: competition · cable
Feuding between Comcast and RCN in several markets has become quite heated; with some RCN customers now complaining Comcast is interrupting their service. In March, many customers in the Boston area received notices incorrectly informing them they were now Comcast customers and offering them special pricing deals. The mistake ultimately cost RCN a pretty penny, since they had to inform 85,000 residents they still were served by RCN. Now some RCN customers in the area are claiming that Comcast is intentionally disrupting their service. Robert Sheehan, RCN's vice president in the region says that company has seen "enough incidents that we're taking this very seriously." A Comcast spokesman calls the accusations "unwarranted and completely false."

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lazarus_

join:2002-08-31
Resolute, NU


?

Man.... After reading those articles it sounds like Comcast is on an intimidation rampage mafia style.... 'Accidently' putting blockers on cable boxes that are clearly marked RCN isin't possible... Even someone that can't read can make out the 3 letters of RCN... lol
[text was edited by author 2003-04-16 15:23:08]

bistro777
Donuts-Is There Anything They Can't Do?
Premium
join:2002-02-07
Englewood, CO

Re: ?

Wonder if this has anything to do with the bad blood between these two companies? Ya think?

For example, in the Philadelphia area (and HQ of Comcast) RCN may be best known for having withdrawn a bid to enter the market after a much publicized regulatory battle and after having accused Comcast Corp. of holding up Philadelphia City Council approvals. RCN was a very vocal opponent of Comcast's acquisition of AT&T Broadband, and had filed documents with the FCC accusing Comcast of anti-competitive behavior. And there are many more instances of Comcast and RCN butting heads…

"Those who think they know everything, are very annoying to those of us who do." - - Mark Twain

lazarus_

join:2002-08-31
Resolute, NU

Re: ?

I think purposely messing up RCN customers is a little over the line.. It's one thing to be "enemies" in the business world, but getting the customers involved is just wrong and emoral...

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest

This reminds me of the over-zealous Bell employees who "Accidently" screw up CLEC lines and equipment. Similar deal. As a customer, it's pathetic, and Comcast should be forced to pay massive punitive damages to RCN AND THE CUSTOMER.
--
"When the day comes that anyone can bend our country’s laws and lawmakers to serve selfish, competitive ends, that day democratic government dies" -- Preston Tucker, 1948 (Yep, it's dead.)

sledger

@comcast.n

How many are we talking about. 10, 100 what? If it is ten out of like 60,000 sub area, then it can be a mistake. And if they were doing this on purpose, why would they drive up in a Comcast van. They should just have a RCN van made up and use that to mess your cable up. There are idiots in every company. I know you all believe that Comcast is evil, but you have to realize they didnt get there by being stupid.
vic102482
Premium
join:2002-04-30
Upper Marlboro, MD

Comcast needs to be spit up

I wouldnt put it past COMCAST to do something as LOW as that. They need to be put out of business and their assests turned to Municiple Broadband:D.
--
I tie a rope around my penis and jump from a tree, don't you wanna grow up to be just like me!!!!
XknightHawkX

join:2003-02-13
Morton, IL
clubs:

Re: Comcast needs to be spit up

Uh I don't think municiple broadband would want that cruddy network that hasn't been upgrading in so long. I would think the municiple broadband bunch would want to build their own so they knew that the service worked right and not have to chase around one problem to find another problem. Maybe I'm wrong, Maybe they have a better network than I think but all the crud I have read about comcast I can't see them having a quality network. Heck I don't see any of these broadband providers having a good network. sure it was good when they started but you know they aren't spending the money to fix problems until they are so bad that everyone complains and they aren't upgrading it either. Cost them money to do it, FORGET IT. Ok I'll shut up now.
ATTGUY2

join:2002-06-02
Fremont, CA

Beast from the east

You know I have said it before and I'll say it again here. The bible talks about the "beast" rising out of the sea from the east. Well, it's here folks.

djrobx

join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA

Re: Beast from the east

It probably should have read, "Rising out of the 'C' from the east", but there was a slight translation error...

drewsclue72

join:2001-03-25
Carmel, NY

Re: Beast from the east

Come Join us is sleepy OOL land
--
But I cant find the "Any" key
vic102482
Premium
join:2002-04-30
Upper Marlboro, MD

Re: Beast from the east

said by drewsclue72 See Profile:
Come Join us is sleepy OOL land

OOL is a fairytale that we cannot take part of.

Starpower is offering service here, and comcast is FIGHTING them to stay out.

Its sad.
--
I tie a rope around my penis and jump from a tree, don't you wanna grow up to be just like me!!!!

JPuppy
Java Heathen
Premium
join:2002-11-24
Honesdale, PA
clubs:

I dunno...

Every tech I've ever met doesn't particularly care enough about Comcast to do any more than they have to do, which means doing their calls for the day, and going home. This seems like paranoia to me.
--
-In a bad mood since 1824
vic102482
Premium
join:2002-04-30
Upper Marlboro, MD

Re: I dunno...

said by JPuppy See Profile:
Every tech I've ever met doesn't particularly care enough about Comcast to do any more than they have to do, which means doing their calls for the day, and going home. This seems like paranoia to me.

Comcast Service Ticket:

Disconnect all cables on H st. on the south side.

(cable man thinks to self, last time I checked we didnt offer service there.........oh well)
--
I tie a rope around my penis and jump from a tree, don't you wanna grow up to be just like me!!!!
rody_40

join:2002-04-14
Quakertown, PA
i agree no tech is going to go out of his way to do this. and im also sure its a 2 way street. just part of the reason cable companys tend to shy away from overbuilds.
IAmTheEvilest
There Is Nothing Like A Restart

join:2001-01-03
Santa Barbara, CA
clubs:

Not the first!

It reminds me about a story that a SBC phone tech once told me when he was at my place.

He said that the day before, he had to fix a broken phone line. The culprit was that a Comcast employee had "accidently" planted a ground stake right through the phone cable...

I'll give them a benefit of a doubt the first time, but this is getting ridiculuous!
--
The two biggest things: the universe & human stupidity --Albert Einstein

UnKown
The Underground Network

join:2002-09-08
Orlando, FL

Re: Not the first!

god thats fricking hilarious. im still thinking that bellsouth hired some guys to accidentally cut the fiber lines that ran the whole state of florida. imagine that only bell south works. haha good idea guys

insomniac84

join:2002-01-03
Schererville, IN

Who cares?

So comcast is using some quasilegal tactics to try to get customers. Why isn't comcast going down for offering cheaper prices and more channels in areas with competition, when areas without competition get screwed.

J D McDorce
Premium
join:2001-12-29
Westland, MI

Re: Who cares?

Picture this: an intersection with a gas station on each corner versus a single gas station located in the middle of nowhere. At which station would you expect the gasoline to be cheaper: one of the stations with direct competition or the one in the middle of nowhere?

While Cable has little to do with gasoline, the concept of higher value (the ratio of goods or services received versus price paid) in areas with competition is certainly not limited to Comcast and Cable.

natter

join:2000-12-18
Littleton, CO


Re: Who cares?

But you are driving a car that doesn't really need gas to keep going. People forget that we don't 'need' cable modems and cable tv, we 'want' them.

The only way to show Comcast they are doing wrong is to disconnect their lines.

Did you know that cable actually increases its customer base whenever there is a market downturn? It's because our stupid society is so based around the TV, that they would rather have cable than heat.

Pretty sad. Comcast gets away with raising prices and doing stuff because they can, people put up with it. Pretty sad.

Oh yea, I work for them...you all pay my paycheck every 2 weeks. Thanks!
[text was edited by author 2003-04-17 13:04:03]

DSLTech

join:2000-12-30
San Jose, CA

Never underestimate common stupidity.

Just remember there are alot of imbeciles in high places these days.

A simple mistake can easily be observed as either an oversight or an evil plan to take over the world. The real problem is when oversights become standard procedure.

ILECs have historically been used by scientists as breeding grounds for a virus called ineptitude.
alancats

join:2000-09-20
New York, NY

Use the lawyers

RCN should have responded with an immediate threat of legal action against COmcast once they saw that these incidents were the deliberate result of sabotage.

Jeez, if you have the lawyers, use them.
thabboy

join:2004-06-10
San Mateo, CA

The streets are crazy

I work for RCN in the Sf Bay Area and I see Comcast disconnecting our customers in error almost on a daily basis. We've even gone as far as labelling our lines with bright RCN stickers and even use white coaxial with RCN written all over it. Believe it or not, They still cut us off. The streets are crazy!
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