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Area Internet provider files for Chap. 11, says it will keep operating
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Got the email this afternoon.
Got the email this afternoon. Whenever an email from a company starts with "we aren't going anywhere" It's a bad sign
This stinks
I've been on their waiting list for a while. Probably why I still am. They couldn't afford to expand to my area. (Something about the Tobin Bridge blocking my view to their transmitter)
It stinks because the only provider I can get is Crapcast, for residential. Chelsea is too poor for the folks over at Verizon to care about giving us FiOS. So who else?
But their service was cheap, and I couldn't figure out how they were making any sort of profit. Running that microwave equipment isn't cheap, nor is doing residential installs of it.
Makes me wonder who would buy them. I know a few Biz2Biz Microwave companies but they mostly sell LoS P2P services (i.e connecting two nearby office buildings together that have line of site of each other). And those companies, like any B2B company, won't touch residential service.
Someone might be interested if they want the biz customers, but they would have to find a buyer for the residential ones.
I'm certain you have looked
You've probably already but is RCN an option?
Not in Chelsea
RCN only offers service in specific towns.
Watertown, Cambridge, (part) Medford, Everett and parts of the City of Boston.
RCN hasn't expanded in years. I think it took Everett at least 10 to get to their town.
RCN is broke and has little interest in expanding their coverage
Full Disclosure: I sat on my town's telecommuninications board for a hot minute
RCN is also in Somerville
and they are supposed to serve every address in the city. Mayor Mike Capuano insisted on having two competitive cable companies throughout Somerville.
They also serve at least part, maybe all, of Arlington.
Thanks Ron
I forgot the missing link between Cambridge and Medford for RCN is Somerville.
I don't think they ever
I don't think they ever finished it 100% in Somerville- wasn't an option for me in Spring Hill area when I moved here- friend of mine has it down the hill on other side of Medford Street- weird Comcast/ RCN thing for me was RCN used to be provider where I lived in NJ- before they were eventually bought out there by Comcast
Longtime RCN customer
I believe RCN follows the rent the lines model - many buildings has as one set of cable drops. When I lived in Beacon Hill, RCn said they could only give me one phone jack in the whole place per Verizon agreement.
I’ve had them for 22 years at 2 did addressee - they just don’t quite have consistent speeds that they promise, but that is how broadband coax works
Netblazr might be another
Netblazr might be another option. They're another local company using the same technology as Starry, although Netblazr speeds are even faster
But
I don't think even they are doing that great financially either.
There's low overhead in residential service, and to meet a price point that is compariable to cable offerings, they are making only a few bucks off every connection.
I really think they (Starry) will sell the business customers to Lightower or similar and tell the residential customers "Comcast is for you, ciao!"
Verizon and T-Mobile offer 5G
Verizon and T-Mobile offer 5G home wireless Internet in the Boston area. A Google search will provide articles about the services.
I have T-mobile
I have T-Mobile mobile service. I can't get more than 100k down most days. Their tower in Chelsea (downtown) is over sold and over sauturated.
I don't want them as my ISP.
Verizon? At this point I might as well stay with crapcast. You know pick your poison...
5G home Internet is the real threat to the Starry business model
The plan makes sense in that delivering internet service over high-speed fixed wireless links from a central antenna is a heck of a lot cheaper than trying to pass every building in your service area with fiber or coax. With 5G now deployed in most of the markets Starry would want to serve now, the mobile carriers want to get some extra revenue by selling home service, and that makes it tough to enter new markets and also stay competitive in their existing markets, since T-Mobile and Verizon are hitting similar price points.
With the Fed tightening credit and there likely being less VC money out there due to the availability of higher guaranteed returns, it's going to be tough for startups for a bit.
It's not just Chelsea that
It's not just Chelsea that has no Fios. Cambridge doesn't have it either, despite the two major universities and tech industry.
I will be very sad if they disappear.
It's a reliable, reasonably priced option with FANTASTIC customer service. If you live in a big building, demand they invite Starry in!
Agree. I love Starry Internet
I had Netblazr when I first moved into my apartment and switched to Starry when it was introduced. The company is extremely professional and a pleasure to do business with-including the installation technicians who impressed me with their intelligence, excellent manners, and skill at performing job. My favorite is the Starry router which is so attractive you don’t feel the need to hide it somewhere—it looks like an Apple product. I’ve experienced very few outages with Starry over the years and recommend the company all the time.
Agree. I love Starry Internet
I had Netblazr when I first moved into my apartment and switched to Starry when it was introduced. The company is extremely professional and a pleasure to do business with-including the installation technicians who impressed me with their intelligence, excellent manners, and skill at performing job. My favorite is the Starry router which is so attractive you don’t feel the need to hide it somewhere—it looks like an Apple product. I’ve experienced very few outages with Starry over the years and recommend the company all the time.
Maybe the company that bought
Maybe the company that bought Rcn can buy them
All I know is...
Competition is good and monopolies are bad. I hope they can keep the lights on.
Starry is Awesome!
So much better than any of the alternatives. Signed up the first day in my Boston building and so reliable, consistent, and professional. Mininmal outages, usualy only for a few minutes once or twice a year.
Hope they can survive.