shimonmor Premium Member join:2000-12-30 Sedro Woolley, WA |
You don't say!No new news here for those of us who follow BBR and those who actually care (probably about 2% of Americans...number generated unscientifically while sitting at my computer eating Doritos).
The real question is what can we do? Not much. Voting with our wallets isn't a choice for many people who have no choice (don't bring up satellite). Large corporations have large amounts of money and many lobbyists and many loyal congressmen in their pockets who do their bidding. They rest of us just need to bend over.
Sorry, feeling a little bitter...or is it indigestion from too many Doritos? | |
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| chip89 Premium Member join:2012-07-05 Columbia Station, OH |
chip89
Premium Member
2013-Feb-20 5:28 pm
Re: You don't say!You said it no new news here! | |
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to shimonmor
Doritos are bad for you! bad bad bad. they are engineered to tell your tastebuds they are needed! the sodium, the fat = awesome taste.
But they are bad. Just like Cellphone plans. Unlimited Doritos! But at what price.
Elsewhere in the news: no mention we are still in a recession and everyone got a -2% hit on their pay stub. But all the services we need have gone up by 4% or more.
"Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States -- decreased at an annual rate of 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012" | |
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| Rekrul join:2007-04-21 Milford, CT |
to shimonmor
Gee, it's amazing how you managed to reply to this story a full 21 hours before it was supposedly posted! | |
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FFH5 Premium Member join:2002-03-03 Tavistock NJ |
FFH5
Premium Member
2013-Feb-20 4:22 pm
Cable wants MAX profits - what a shockCable pricing strategies are designed to maximize profits. That is called capitalism. If they charge too much, competitors WILL find a way to move in. | |
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| jjeffeoryjjeffeory join:2002-12-04 Bloomington, IN |
Re: Cable wants MAX profits - what a shockHow when there are monopolies and duopolies in the entire country? ( Oh you mean Dish or DirecTV). There's a fine line between market forces and collusion... | |
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| SunnyD join:2009-03-20 Madison, AL
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to FFH5
Hard to find a way to move in when the incumbents are paying for laws to be passed to prevent any competition from being able to move in and/or quickly "buying out" any potential competition that manages to spring forth. | |
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Re: Cable wants MAX profits - what a shockAll of that is reversible. It starts and ends with the consumer. We are in this position because we were ignorant. Were not so ignorant anymore. The facts are there for everyone to see. Now its time to put on the pressure. Pressure you ISPs for better service at a better price. Pressure you local politicians to listen to their communities. Our problem is not the lobbyists. They are irrelevant if we are doing our job as citizens. | |
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Re: Cable wants MAX profits - what a shocksaid by FLATLINE: It starts and ends with the consumer. We are in this position because we were ignorant. 100% agree. I will never ever pay for television. Ever. But with Internet, it gets a bit tricky because it is essentially a utility now. | |
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| jagged join:2003-07-01 Boynton Beach, FL |
to FFH5
what capitalism when cable is your only choice in town for many people? | |
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1 recommendation |
to FFH5
Monopolies don't get competition. Free market doesn't work when corruption controls the marketplace. That is the WHOLE point. Competitors can't move in because monopolies control the backhauls and can charge ANYTHING their mood feels like to raise rates (per company) on anyone who would dare try and compete with them pricing them into bankruptcy. Their lobbyists create constant legal red tape for monopolies to bankrupt mom and pop startups. Then throw in monopolies sign non competing agreements with other big carriers to gouge their areas for constant unescapeable rate hikes unless you want to live cut off from the world.
This is WHAT has been happening for the last ten+ years and for the same time there is ALWAYS someone saying "The free market will very soon fix the bad things happening right now!" "So everyone stop worrying already!" News flash it's been 10+ years and we still have the same monopolies grinding startups into dust. Nothing is changing.
We DON'T have a free market anymore. All we have for communications in America is monopolies who have vast control in who can be elected and own said elected. Then by proxy they get to staff their own regulatory agencies! | |
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| | djrobx Premium Member join:2000-05-31 Reno, NV
1 recommendation |
djrobx
Premium Member
2013-Feb-20 9:08 pm
Re: Cable wants MAX profits - what a shockNews flash it's been 10+ years and we still have the same monopolies grinding startups into dust. Nothing is changing. I think things are far worse from a competitive viewpoint than they were 10 years ago. 10 years ago, telephone companies were phone companies that also provided data services. Within DSL, there were lots of competitive sub-choices (third party CLECs, third party ISPs). There was a healthy rivalry between cable and DSL. Today, the two biggest telcos are now providing video service (U-Verse and FiOS). That puts them in the same position as the cable companies - Netflix and satellite VOD competes with them, so limiting internet consumption gives their own service a competitive advantage. Their next gen networks are faster, but they're also closed to competitors. The higher speeds are great, but they put a nail in the coffin to old, unlimited third party ADSL services and all of the competitors that don't own their own infrastructure. The telcos are now looking at heavily capped wireless services as their new cash cow. Innovation from them has pretty much stopped. New U-verse and FiOS deployments have ceased. Without competition, what incentive do cable providers have to do anything other than offer sub-par service? They don't even do that well with TV service, where there is at least SOME competition. I don't have a lot of hope for Google Fiber coming to my neighborhood, but I sure hope it or something like it takes off in the US. If it doesn't, I'm very concerned about the future of US broadband. | |
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| KrKHeavy Artillery For The Little Guy Premium Member join:2000-01-17 Tulsa, OK Netgear WNDR3700v2 Zoom 5341J
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KrK to FFH5
Premium Member
2013-Feb-20 11:09 pm
to FFH5
Maximizing profits in an anti-competitive landscape means only one thing. Regulate.
Either 1) We must have open last mile and many options or 2) The providers should be regulated to prevent abuse.
Take your pick.
Option 3) None of the above is what we have now, and the abuse is just getting started.
Competitors? You mean Muni-Fiber? Of course not. That would be "unfair" now wouldn't it? | |
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Rob_ Premium Member join:2008-07-16 Mary Esther, FL |
Rob_
Premium Member
2013-Feb-20 4:27 pm
DUHHHLet's not forget telcos and their data crap. Boost Mobile only gives me 2.3 gigs of 4G data per month. Their service is horrible. I might be switching to CSpire which looking by their coverage maps, uses AT&T and TMobile.
-Rob | |
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Re: DUHHHYou can thank Sprint for that 2.3gig cap since they're the true owners of Boost Mobile. | |
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| ilikeme Premium Member join:2002-08-27 Stafford, TX |
to Rob_
said by Rob_:Let's not forget telcos and their data crap. Boost Mobile only gives me 2.3 gigs of 4G data per month. Their service is horrible. I might be switching to CSpire which looking by their coverage maps, uses AT&T and TMobile.
-Rob C-Spire actually has their own network in the southeast (MS, AL, FL, and I think a few others). Elsewhere, they roam on Sprint and Verizon. | |
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| cork1958Cork Premium Member join:2000-02-26 |
to Rob_
said by Rob_:Let's not forget telcos and their data crap. Boost Mobile only gives me 2.3 gigs of 4G data per month. Their service is horrible. I might be switching to CSpire which looking by their coverage maps, uses AT&T and TMobile.
-Rob FWIW, My Boost service is the best of any other carrier I've used and I've gone through most of them. Regulation is the ONLY way there will ever be any competition for cable, plain and simple and I hope it starts soon. Unfortunately, we will have to get rid of all the pockets that have been lined in congress first! | |
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DuhhhhBetter technology decreases the cost for data transmission. Why then do prices keep going up and data caps keep getting lower? $$$$$$$$ | |
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| elray join:2000-12-16 Santa Monica, CA |
elray
Member
2013-Feb-20 5:50 pm
Re: Duhhhhsaid by motoracer:Better technology decreases the cost for data transmission. Why then do prices keep going up and data caps keep getting lower? $$$$$$$$ The prices don't "keep going up", and data caps are non-existent or not enforced. Our rates today are less than half what they were at the turn of the century, for 60x the speed. | |
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| | axus join:2001-06-18 Washington, DC |
axus
Member
2013-Feb-20 6:12 pm
Re: DuhhhhIn 2000, I was on Earthlink DSL for less than I'm paying now, at 25% of the speed. Adjusted for inflation, probably about the same. Meanwhile, their cost to provide the service has gone down much faster.
Before that, I had a symmetrical 10Mbit university connection which cost us about $30 in fees for 6 months. I will be satisfied with the market when I can have that same deal again. | |
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| | | badtrip Premium Member join:2004-03-20 |
badtrip
Premium Member
2013-Feb-20 8:38 pm
Re: Duhhhhsaid by axus:... I had a symmetrical 10Mbit university connection which cost us about $30 in fees for 6 months. I will be satisfied with the market when I can have that same deal again. I pay Sonic $80 a month for 30Mb/2Mb DSL. I am not happy with that price, I think it's too much, but I stay because I can't stand Comcast. I would be happy to pay $80 for symmetrical 100Mb. Actually, I'd be so thrilled, I'm getting excited just thinking about it. | |
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| | | elray join:2000-12-16 Santa Monica, CA |
to axus
said by axus:In 2000, I was on Earthlink DSL for less than I'm paying now, at 25% of the speed. Adjusted for inflation, probably about the same. Meanwhile, their cost to provide the service has gone down much faster.
Before that, I had a symmetrical 10Mbit university connection which cost us about $30 in fees for 6 months. I will be satisfied with the market when I can have that same deal again. Earthlink still sells DSL and cable service, and it is reasonably priced, if not downright cheap, depending on the offer. We have it at several sites. When you return to the university and pay tuition, you can have cross-subsidized 10Mbit broadband again. I'd rather we all pay the market price for service, so as to encourage as many sellers as possible to compete for our business and evolve their products. | |
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| | 34764170 (banned) join:2007-09-06 Etobicoke, ON |
to elray
said by elray:The prices don't "keep going up", and data caps are non-existent or not enforced.
Our rates today are less than half what they were at the turn of the century, for 60x the speed. You're so clueless it is ridiculous. | |
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| | | El QuintronCancel Culture Ambassador Premium Member join:2008-04-28 Tronna |
Re: Duhhhhsaid by 34764170:said by elray:The prices don't "keep going up", and data caps are non-existent or not enforced.
Our rates today are less than half what they were at the turn of the century, for 60x the speed. You're so clueless it is ridiculous. Not so much clueless, but an unabashed industry mouthpiece, he works for AT&T or one of the CableCos... (edit: wrong guy about cord cutter bit) | |
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| | | | 34764170 (banned) join:2007-09-06 Etobicoke, ON |
34764170 (banned)
Member
2013-Feb-20 10:06 pm
Re: Duhhhhsaid by El Quintron:Not so much clueless, but an unabashed industry mouthpiece, he works for AT&T or one of the CableCos...
(edit: wrong guy about cord cutter bit) Hard to tell who is a corporate shill and who is just plain clueless but it is the same handful of people that post pretty much all nonsense around here, especially about certain topics (.e.g. Google, cable, caps, FTTH, wireless, etc.) and the clueless actually believe the stuff they spew. | |
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| | | | elray join:2000-12-16 Santa Monica, CA |
to El Quintron
said by El Quintron:Not so much clueless, but an unabashed industry mouthpiece, he works for AT&T or one of the CableCos... I am but a consumer of industry product, but unlike 90% of the partisans here, I give credit where and when it is due, even to terrible companies like AT&T. My opposition to the daily shrill cries for "more, faster, cheaper", are philosophical - not in support of industry, but in opposition to collectivist action and government oppression through unlawful takings, taxation and monopoly power. I'm not against cooperatives and local tax districts used for last-mile and middle-mile efforts, so long as they're approved by a supermajority vote of the taxpayers. But we get into trouble when we invite the likes of City Hall to run the show. | |
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| | | | | El QuintronCancel Culture Ambassador Premium Member join:2008-04-28 Tronna |
Re: Duhhhhsaid by elray:I am but a consumer of industry product, but unlike 90% of the partisans here, I give credit where and when it is due, even to terrible companies like AT&T.
My opposition to the daily shrill cries for "more, faster, cheaper", are philosophical - not in support of industry, but in opposition to collectivist action and government oppression through unlawful takings, taxation and monopoly power.
I'm not against cooperatives and local tax districts used for last-mile and middle-mile efforts, so long as they're approved by a supermajority vote of the taxpayers. But we get into trouble when we invite the likes of City Hall to run the show. Sorry buddy I didn't get anything out of that except for some incumbent provider noise... must be something wrong with my monitor. | |
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| | jjeffeoryjjeffeory join:2002-12-04 Bloomington, IN |
to elray
Then why is the bill two or three times what it was at the turn of the century while most people's pay isn't? | |
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newviewEx .. Ex .. Exactly Premium Member join:2001-10-01 Parsonsburg, MD |
newview
Premium Member
2013-Feb-20 4:42 pm
Just another lie ...... perpetuated by the cable companies in order to screw their subscribers out of their hard-earned cash. The only thing that will solve this continuing problem is government regulation. Government regulation of the cabletv/phone/internet/wireless companies CAN"T be as bad as the screwing subscribers are getting now. | |
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| FFH5 Premium Member join:2002-03-03 Tavistock NJ |
FFH5
Premium Member
2013-Feb-20 4:44 pm
Re: Just another lie ...said by newview: Government regulation of the cabletv/phone/internet/wireless companies CAN"T be as bad as the screwing subscribers are getting now. Wanna bet? | |
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| | shimonmor Premium Member join:2000-12-30 Sedro Woolley, WA
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Re: Just another lie ...said by FFH5:said by newview: Government regulation of the cabletv/phone/internet/wireless companies CAN"T be as bad as the screwing subscribers are getting now. Wanna bet? Pick your poison. | |
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| | KrKHeavy Artillery For The Little Guy Premium Member join:2000-01-17 Tulsa, OK |
KrK to FFH5
Premium Member
2013-Feb-20 11:14 pm
to FFH5
It wouldn't be EXCEPT said regulation WOULD BE CONTROLLED BY THE INDUSTRY.
That's where the crap has to end. Regulators need to regulate and lobbyists need to be removed. | |
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| openbox9 Premium Member join:2004-01-26 71144 |
to newview
said by newview:perpetuated by the cable companies in order to screw their subscribers out of their hard-earned cash. Wow. So you're being forced into giving up your money? | |
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| | jjeffeoryjjeffeory join:2002-12-04 Bloomington, IN |
Re: Just another lie ...IF you want to participate in modern society, uh yea... This is like saying Oh so you're being forced to pay for rent or a mortgage. Good luck with that argument really... | |
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| | | openbox9 Premium Member join:2004-01-26 71144 |
openbox9
Premium Member
2013-Feb-21 6:22 am
Re: Just another lie ...I'm not arguing anything. I'm simply taking issue with the use of "screwing". That implies these 'poor consumers' don't know whats happening to them or that they aren't receiving the services they pay for. | |
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to newview
said by newview:Government regulation of the cabletv/phone/internet/wireless companies CAN"T be as bad as the screwing subscribers are getting now. I've found that those who believe government control/intervention can't possibly make things worse in a particular situation are usually proven wrong. After all, inefficiency and laziness are hardly choice weapons to use in a battle against ruthlessness and greed. | |
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15444104 (banned)
Member
2013-Feb-20 4:52 pm
LOL!said by FFH5:Cable pricing strategies are designed to maximize profits. That is called capitalism.
If they charge too much, competitors WILL find a way to move in. LOL. Not with the current system they won't. There are simply not enough different providers to make this a reality in the USA. As a result the FCC needs to impose more harsh regulations to make the companies behave in a more reasonable manner while still making a decent profit. | |
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now theynow they will have to come up with another idea to keep the CAPS in place like for the people the pirate movies and music and things so the caps will stay.... | |
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| whoyourdaddy |
Re: now theyPAY MORE GET LESS that's how this country works now congress cant do their job gas prices so high food prices going up and company's making record profets | |
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EricthornIt only hurts when I laugh Premium Member join:2001-08-10 Paragould, AR |
Nothing will change...The behemoth providers will continue to jack up prices and cap usage because it's how they "provide a better customer experience".
Until some federal agency or government mandates competition, it'll be business as usual, no matter what the facts show. | |
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BiggA Premium Member join:2005-11-23 Central CT ·Frontier FiberOp.. Asus RT-AC68
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BiggA
Premium Member
2013-Feb-20 6:36 pm
Depends on the marketThis is a HUGE issue in many markets where cable effectively has no competition. However, for others, like in suburban Boston, this isn't an issue, as they have fierce competition from FIOS.
It will be interesting to see what Comcast does. It would look rather hypocritical to give certain markets unlimited, i.e. FIOS markets, while capping others, so maybe they will be forced to keep the caps off? They currently have a theoretical cap, but they even say they aren't enforcing it. | |
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Caps are....nothing but a big pile of hot, steaming poop!!! | |
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IowaCowboyLost in the Supermarket Premium Member join:2010-10-16 Springfield, MA 1 edit |
Protecting revenueCaps are the industry's answer to net neutrality as they cannot throttle Netflix or charge Netflix (or other Internet video services) for access to their cable plants. Comcast, Time Warner, and other cable companies are TV providers as their core business. Being an ISP and phone company are like a side business to them. It's like a tavern that makes most of its money from drink sales but has a food offering to compliment their drinks. In Biddeford, ME there is a place called Mulligans that is mostly a bar but they have food as well and the reason they sell a whole plate of food for under $5 is they burn you on the drinks like nearly $3 for a soda with no free refills. I compare that to a cable ISP is they offer broadband at reasonable prices but they burn you on the TV so if you don't buy TV they charge more. I see using Internet video on a cable ISP like bringing your own drink to Mulligans where the drinks subsidize the food.
I am pretty sure eventually the cable ISPs will refuse to sell standalone Internet and require a minimum TV purchase although I will remain neutral on that issue. Verizon did the same by requiring a phone line to get DSL.
If you subscribe to basic cable ($5.76 in my area), it puts you on the books as a video subscriber and you get the cheaper Internet prices.
Like I've said before, they have the same infrastructure costs regardless of the products a subscriber subscribes to.
I just don't understand what is behind all the cord cutting. When I was young, many people gladly subscribed to cable. I was excited when I first got cable and I never looked back.
It would be nice if I could watch TV on my iPad, it will be nice when Comcast launches AnyPlay in my area. | |
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umUm, yeah no kidding folks... Any actual new news? lol | |
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atuarreHere come the drums Premium Member join:2004-02-14 EC/SETX SWLA |
atuarre
Premium Member
2013-Feb-20 11:26 pm
REWe already knew this. Just like we knew when the carriers were thinking about bringing LTE into the home for Internet access, it was just another attempt to screw the consumer over with ridiculously low caps and ridiculous overages. | |
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newsworthy?in other news, seasonal rises in gasoline prices are all about ripping you off and not due to supply/demand factors. why should gasoline prices rise in January to March (the "off" season for travel) only to jack even higher in the summer driving season (May - October)? Yes, you got it right, it's about ripping you off, then ripping you off some more!
welcome to the new economy your re-elected president & congress won't to a damn thing about it either. expect a lower quality of life than before 2003 due to all the corruption and wealth disparity around the world. this is the new "NORMAL". is it newsworthy that it's been infecting telecom for the last decade or more? why not report water is wet too. | |
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Split the cable and telephone companies.Split the cable and telephone industry into regulated wired connection providers and service providers. The wired connection providers would deliver the signal to the consumer. Each voice, internet and entertainment service provider would lease bandwidth on the wired connection providers network. That is the way dial up internet service worked. The cost of telephone service was regulated. The ISP subscribed to the number of lines required to provide adequate service to their customers. During the era of dial up internet there were many independent ISP's. Failure. In 1995 my employer charged $25.00 per month for a 14.4 Kbps dial up connection. By 2002 one could subscribe to a 53Kbps dial up connection for $9.95 per month. All of the subsidies to the telephone and cable industry should be transferred to the wired service providers requiring the wired service providers to use the money to enhance their networks. | |
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Where's the FairnessI live in Oklahoma and we have Cableone for our Internet Service. The service is fast 50MB down & 5MB up, the Big Problem is there's a 50 GB Cap. Oklahoma City and Tulsa both have Cox Cable for their Internet Service their Cap is 400 GB's Our City is Getting Ripped off Big Time. I called to complain and a nice lady said they are thinking about Raising the Cap a Little Bit but she didnt know when. What our City Needs is Cox Cable!!!! | |
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anon in tex
Anon
2013-Feb-21 10:10 pm
thisyou can get verizon DSL witout a phone service, it's called dryloop DSL, askfor it. and cableone sux. they typically only deal with places they can invoke franchise contracts like tey did in sherman/denison area. the only other way to get internet in sherman/denison is, if in denison you may have at&t DSL as an alternative or in sherman you may have verizon DSL as alternative, this isby the franchise rules so there can be NO other competition. | |
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