ISPs are scared about the FCC's plan to measure broadband affordability.
  • @foggy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    140•1 year ago

    Make cable internet a utility.

    That’s all you gotta do. Will solve 1000 problems and create 0, unless you’re Comcast.

    • @gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      37•1 year ago

      Unless you’re Comcast… or someone who owns a lot of Comcast stock. And I’m pretty sure a lot of people in Congress own a lot of Comcast stock.

      Wheeeeeeeeee rampant unregulated late-stage capitalism

    • @Brkdncr@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      -22•1 year ago

      Disagree. Utilities are also a shitshow and have defrauded the consumer.

      I’d prefer that a baseline level of internet service be defined (100mbps symmetrical max, 100ms latency or lower ) and allow local governments and communities to provide that level of service to their constituents. If a company wants to compete above those baselines, let them.

      I’d also let the baselines be re-negotiated annually.

      • AnonTwo
        34•1 year ago

        Companies are also a shitshow who defrauds consumers. Especially ISPs. I don’t see how this is remotely an argument.

        Like it isn’t even an argument. ISPs rank highest among the worst companies in the country.

      • @foggy@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2•1 year ago

        Do you have a source on utilities defrauding consumers? I don’t doubt it I’m just not aware of it.

  • @habitualTartare@lemmy.worldEnglish
    25•1 year ago

    I called my ISP after they bumped prices by $5/month (and told me a single time on the fine print at the bottom of the PDF e-bill of their shitty app). I threatened to switch to their competition and they told me flat out “no you won’t they’re not as fast and you’re not going to break even on setup fees for years”.

    • AnonTwo
      18•1 year ago

      I feel like the fact an ISP can just flatout say that should really scream oligopoly issues. Not just the fact the other company is just as bad, but the fact that they (the competitor) is fully aware that the switch is too costly to do.

    • @MahnaMahna@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7•1 year ago

      When we moved into this house, the prior owners had a hookup to AT&T that was max 50 mbps for $50/month. We kept getting told that At&T fiber was coming “soon” to the area, but the truth is that we live in a neighborhood with a lot of old people who don’t need/know about fiber and there was no incentive for them to bring it to our street (the biggest kick in the balls was that it was available a couple blocks away). So we got a Comcast hookup that has served us well for a couple of years, for $75 a month (my only gripe of course being that we never got the speed we paid for). Well, they just upped the price by $5 a month and fiber has finally arrived in the form of Fidium, so we’re saying good riddance to Comcast as well.

      This is probably the first time ever that I’ve had more than 1 viable option available to me, and the competition is probably why Comcast was cheaper for us than for my parents living in a Comcast only area. We have no brand loyalty, we’ll switch service the minute we get a better deal. But these companies are able to maintain their shitty practices because most people don’t have options.

  • @phoneymouse@lemmy.worldEnglish
    21•1 year ago

    Comcast has doubled my bill in 3 years. I was initially interested in AT&T Fiber, but it was pricey. Now they’re the same price and Fiber offers no data cap, 1TB down AND up (important for multiple video calls for multiple occupants simultaneously working from home). With price no longer a factor switching would be a no brainer. However, Comcast also has regular outages during core business hours which is almost catastrophic for the type of work we do, so there is almost no reason to stay even if the price were lower.

  • @rockandsock@lemm.eeEnglish
    17•1 year ago

    They need to do a full in depth examination of their practices, tell them to spread em and cough.