Description
Today, the efficiency of the Internet has pushed many services to be available ONLY online. Our ISPs (Internet Service Providers) are the toll booths to the roads of efficient living.
I am increasingly unhappy with the state of the how we get to those roads: the toll booth operators. I don't have much choice in the matter.
I have access to Comcast, Verizon, or a Satellite provider. The Satellite provider is grossly overpriced for what limited service it offers. The low download caps make streaming video or music an impossibly expensive option. Therefore, I really only have Comcast or Verizon to choose from.
In the link below, you can see that Comcast and Verizon both have decreasing speeds when providing Netflix service. I am left with no alternative.
While service is becoming worse, it didn't stop my Verizon FiOS bill from becoming worse. The price was raised by 8 dollars this year.
I have to wonder about Verizon's plans and prices. They seem deliberately set up force me into a corner. I have the slowest plan offered (15Mbps download), but it is expensive and the price keeps increasing. I have felt stuck in a corner since I noticed the changes in their plan in June of 2011. In 2007, the fastest plan (3Mbps download) Verizon offered was available for about 30% less than what I am paying today.
Verizon uses the same price tactics with their wireless service. However, I was able to drop Verizon for a carrier that I’m satisfied with because there many wireless carriers to choose from.
My only real alternative for Internet service is Comcast. But the difference in pricing between Comcast and Verizon isn’t worth switching. Neither offers affordable plans. Comcast offers a more affordable plan than Verizon, but it doesn’t make any sense to reduce my connection bandwidth by 65% for only a 16% reduction in price.
My last concern is that Verizon is not committed to their FiOS customers. In a recent deal with Comcast, Verizon promised not to expand its FiOS service to other markets. If they have that kind of deal, then Verizon may continue to increase prices and Comcast will benefit from any customers Verizon loses as a result.
This is where I am. I’d leave Verizon for Comcast if I didn’t feel manipulated to do so.
If you look at the link again, you can see that Comcast and Verizon are not the only ISPs out there. There are plenty of choices available, just not in Kearny. How can we fix our access to the Internet? How can we improve this essential service and make it more affordable?
11 Comments
Closed IT Guy (Guest)
Reopened Vitor (Registered User)
You missed the whole point of my post. I want a greater number ISPs to choose from. I want competition.
If Kearny has nothing to do with that, do you have a suggestion.
IT Guy (Guest)
Really moving is about your only choice. Once the town signs contracts with ISPs it includes a clause to exclude competition. It has to deal with running cable underground and the company buying rights to the underground tunnels and pipes, no other company can use them once that is done.
For example, the vast majority of Newark is stuck with Charter Cable (Optimum), or they can get slow Verizon DSL or Satellite. That's it. And Charter only chose to wire certain blocks, so many blocks are screwed and have no choice but to do 1.5-5.0mbps DSL. This is all because Charter won the bid for the contract Newark. Once a cable company signs a contract, they lock out all competition cable wise. It's the exact same way in NYC, you either get Timer Warner Cable, satellite, or FiOS. Verizon FiOS is another story, they run their own infrastructure but have limited service areas.
I have FiOS in Kearny and notice absolutely no problems with Netflix, even streaming in HD. Perhaps you have a line problem and it's time to give Verizon a call? Go to speedtest.net and run three tests with no downloads going on. Is it the speed you're supposed to be getting?
Vitor (Registered User)
Back when most signals were analog, it made sense to allow only a few companies into tunnels and pipes, otherwise, it would get too crowded and complex inside them. Today, most signals are digital, and the complexity can be moved outside the tunnels and pipes. There would be no problem introducing more service providers if the town owned the infrastructure. Or any one entity owned the infrastructure (think deregulation of electrical service in NJ).
Yes, Kearny is similar to how other towns do it. We are lucky to even have FiOS. However, the "If you get it, you get it; if you don't, you don't" situation you have described doesn't sound like it gives the resident much of a choice. Choice is about the pursuit of happiness.
My FiOS speed is fine. The problem is that I've never been happy with Verizon. When they offered DSL, I could never get reliable service. Now they offer good service, but the prices are out of control. Should I move to Comcast? They are a frequent nominee in Consumerist's Worst Company in America polls (see link below).
http://consumerist.com/2013/04/09/congrats-comcast-youre-only-the-third-worst-company-in-america-this-year/
Moving away from Kearny is certainly a choice. I have lived here for 20 years; it may be time to see what other cities have to offer. Do you think this is a reasonable choice for changing ISPs?
Why move when we can improve our situation here and make Kearny a better place to live. If we can do this, improve choice, and reduce prices with reasonable initial expense; why not go for it?
I'll close with the following articles:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2014/02/comcast-time-warner-acquisition-competition-cable-internet-monopoly.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-18/let-cities-build-better-internet-access-networks.html
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2009/10/want-50mbps-internet-in-your-town-threaten-to-roll-out-your-own/
http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-if-you-could-own-your-internet.html
Vitor (Registered User)
On Municipal Internet Service:
"Once operational, these networks have generally been embraced by many citizens due to high speed and low costs. For example, Wilson citizens last year paid $35/month to get a 10 Mbps internet connection, while they would have to pay as much as $57/month to get an equivalent connection from Time Warner. Faced with the prospect of paying up to $264 USD less a year, most customers are opting out of Time Warner as fast as possible.
Given that appeal, the services are quickly able to make the transition to positive tax flow. For example after about two years Wilson's Greenlight project is now tax-flow positive, allowing it to pay back the loans it took to lay down the infrastructure. In other words, at the end of the day citizens voted for this system, get lower prices, keep their money local, and don't pay more in taxes."
Taken from the following article:
http://www.dailytech.com/UPDATED+NC+Republicans+Fight+to+Ban+Municipal+Internet+Services/article21161.htm
Vitor (Registered User)
FiOS Speeds drop even further.
http://consumerist.com/2014/03/10/comcasttwc-netflix-speeds-improve-after-payoff-verizon-still-hasnt-bottomed-out/
Vitor (Registered User)
So you are trying to tell me that nothing can be done about this? What do I have to do petition door-to-door?
When ISPs charge for services we subscribe to, it becomes additional hidden cost for internet service.
http://blog.netflix.com/2014/03/internet-tolls-and-case-for-strong-net.html
Vitor (Registered User)
Consumer Reports survey says that people aren't happy with their ISPs... yet we do nothing to change. FiOS scores less than average for Value.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/05/how-to-save-money-on-triple-play-cable-services/index.htm
Vitor (Registered User)
Netflix will be raising prices for streaming services by $2 for new customers; existing customers will be increased at a later time.
A letter to Netflix shareholders (in the link) says, "Comcast is already dominant enough to be able to capture unprecedented fees from transit providers and services such as Netflix."
http://consumerist.com/2014/04/21/netflix-increasing-prices-thinks-comcast-time-warner-merger-is-a-terrible-idea/
Vitor (Registered User)
Tell the FCC how you feel about Net Neutrality.
http://consumerist.com/2014/05/15/how-to-tell-the-fcc-exactly-what-you-think-about-the-proposed-net-neutrality-rule/
Closed Michael J Martello (Registered User)