Hey, there! Log in / Register
Menino wants control over cable rates
By adamg on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 8:31am
WBUR reports the mayor will ask the FCC for the right to tell Comcast what they can do with their rates. He says Comcast has a monopoly in Boston because RCN is an also ran and Verizon refuses to light up Boston for FiOS (and why would that be?).
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
When will we be rid of this oaf?
Hmmmm, suppress the competition and then complain when the rates go up.
Comcast has channel 22, the "Municipal Channel" where the coverage of the mayor is like the coverage of Dear Leader Kim Jong Il on North Korean TV.
Probably another shakedown. Comcast already seems to sponsor a lot of events with Menino's name on them.
Well Said
Ditto
Only problem is who's the devil we don't know. Can't think of a soul on or running for City Council that would be any better and nobody of local Bloombergian stature seems interested.
Not sure where to begin
Mumbles makes it so painful to do business in town that Comcast winds up with a monopoly, and then he starts beating on them for lower rates?
I thought capatalism WON the cold war...
I don't completely disagree but
Verizon wants special tax breaks. Shouldn't we be encouraging our city officials to stand up against these companies? We hand out too many breaks to companies who go ahead and screw us anyway. Gaming the political system for special favors isn't capitalism either, but it is quite common, sadly.
Do you have a citation for that tax break request?
I thought the reason Verizon wasn't allowed in the city was because they wanted to cherry-pick availability - and the mayor told them if you don't offer it to everyone - including public housing where you can't make money - you can't come in?
citation
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles...
Interesting
There was an article about a year or so ago that this was all about Verizon not running service to poorer areas of the city. Guess it's really about not paying proper tribute - as usual - follow the money.
thanks.
It's all of the above
Basically while the Menino administration claims to be "standing on its head" in that article to bring FiOS in, it's at the same time making demands on where it goes and how much it pays in taxes on the equipment.
At the same time, Verizon is trying to leverage the fact that it's the only other competition to bring to town to try and get a statewide licensing deal (instead of town-by-town) and tax breaks on equipment to deal with the fact that their own conduit will have to be upgraded in many places in order to add the fiber optic cables to the underground system.
BOTH parties want to have their cake and eat it too...but in this case, I'm gonna have to side with the guys who most likely have my better interests involved...and a private company doesn't care about me unless doing so meant they could get another few bucks from me somehow.
Not Sure How This is Capitalism
Capitalism implies there is competition that would (presumably) keep rates from spiraling out of control.
With Comcast having a virtual monopoly it needs regulation.
Let's look at the competition:
There is RCN, I think that maybe two or three buildings in the city MIGHT have access to this alternative. And it does not have any worthy internet/phone options for bundled service.
There is Verizon Fios, oh wait there isn't.
There is a satellite Dish (DirectTV/Dish Network) but:
a-most buildings do not have the necessary view to get a signal
b-most buildings don't allow mounting any sort of dish
c-(again) no worthy internet/phone options for bundled service
I just saw a new bunch of
I just saw a new bunch of those dishes in Hyde Park yesterday - they're all over the place.
Personally, I get by just fine without cable.
And I am sure I get by just
And I am sure I get by just fine without many things that YOU enjoy and would not want to do without. So what?
"There is RCN, I think that
"There is RCN, I think that maybe two or three buildings in the city MIGHT have access to this alternative. And it does not have any worthy internet/phone options for bundled service."
No worthy bundles for phone/internet? Do you mean price-wise, or service-wise? Because when you are dealing with RCN or Comcast, you can just call up and negotiate what you want/need, sort of like buying a car. Also like buying a car, it will take longer than it should, but you will get a much better deal.
RCN alive in Boston
We've used RCN for net/digital-tv/tel for 10+ years, and pay a lot less than the best deal Comcast ever offers us (although I must admit I negotiated it quite a while ago and don't know if new customers could get the same). They are by no means a perfect company - but judging from the occasional horror stories I hear from friends and family who use comcast et al, I am guessing they are not particularly worse than the other cable providers.
Admittedly, RCN's coverage in Boston is strangely spotty. I think they cover all of the west part of the city (Hyde Park, Rosi, West Rox), but only parts of JP and the Back Bay, and apparently not at all in many other neighborhoods (which is crazy since they have a local CO in the Fort Point neighborhood).
They're in Brighton too.
They're in Brighton too. Thank goodness. (I've had both Comcast and RCN, and Comcast couldn't pay me to go back to them.)
RCN in Allston
RCN is in Allston, too - they plaster my neighborhood with bus-shelter posters & mailbox handbills for student-oriented service packages. I'd give them a try, but they only cover part of my street, and don't seem to be interested in extending their coverage.
Also-ran?
So RCN is an also-ran? They've been also-running the phone, tv, and internet in my house for quite a few years now. Do they not offer coverage in most of the Boston area or something?
We bought an indoor antenna
We bought an indoor antenna for $9 on amazon that gets all the local channels. Less than the cost of 1 month of Comcast basic.
I assume you got a digital
I assume you got a digital box as well.
Don't need a box for a newer
Don't need a box for a newer TV.
Plenty of stations with good reception.
Honestly the only thing I miss watching is Celts games but with the dough I save I can watch those at the pub.
Ah... I'm old school, and
Ah... I'm old school, and needed the box. I did make a DIY antenna with coat hangers - works great.
Love it.
Love it.