Save Access

Note: It's worth remembering that in 2000 AT&T was the largest cable operator in the country (having bought TCI and MediaOne). In 2001 AT&T sold their broadband division to Comcast.

from: Yahoo Finance

SeekingAlpha
AT&T, Comcast: How Much Bandwidth is Enough?

Monday May 14, 5:43 am ET

This week word came that the Grand Rapids Media Center (GRMC) is being forced to reduce operating hours, a casualty of the Michigan State Video Franchise passed last year.

from: Eldo Telecom

Saturday, May 12, 2007
Colorado video franchise fight reveals true goal of provider "competition," Comcast's hypocrisy

Here's an interesting story from the Rocky Mountain News that illustrates what the real competition between cable companies and telcos is all about. It's not about which can capture the most customers in a given market -- the traditional measure of market competition -- but rather who can force the other guy to provide service to everyone in a given local government jurisdiction.

from: Nashville City Paper

Comcast miffed as Chamber takes cable stance
By Bill Harless, bharless@nashvillecitypaper.com
April 27, 2007

The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce board endorsed state legislation yesterday that would allow telecommunications giant AT&T — which recently merged with BellSouth — to obtain a statewide franchise to provide television service.

from: NY Times

February 25, 2007
Digital Deprivation in a Land of Affluence

By WOODY HOCHSWENDER
Sharon, Conn.

MANY Americans take high-speed Internet service for granted. But in Connecticut, the state with the highest per-capita income in the country, there are still pockets of people without broadband, perhaps the keystone utility of the digital age.

Note: The telco mantra for obtaining state and national franchises has been that "competition" = "lower prices". This line is reflected in astroturf campaigns and free market think tank studies. The reality is areas where telcos have entered the market is turning out to be quite different - both telcos and cable companies are raising rates.

from: Washington Post

from: Isen Blog

Benefits of Competition My Ass
Monday, February 19, 2007

Here's a little nugget from today's Washington Post. The headline from the story should be, "Verizon Competes, Rates Climb."

Bills for thousands of Montgomery County cable viewers will increase by 4 percent starting March 1, when Comcast Corp., suburban Maryland's largest cable television provider, raises rates throughout the Washington region.

from: Riedel Communications

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Happiness Is A Warm, Fuzzy Rate Increase

I have the unique pleasure of having not one, but two cable providers, Comcast and Charter. The first is for my home and the second if for this little old beach house we have in Chincoteague Virginia.

Note: In state after state this has been the same story. Telcos promise 'competition' and 'lower cable rates' in exchange for deregulatory legislation - yet prices continue to rise . . .

from: Washington Post

Cable War Fails to Offer Rate Relief in Montgomery

from: Towson Times

Towson, Cockeysville up first for Verizon cable?

02/09/07
by Bryan P. Sears

Cable competition is coming to Baltimore County.

The County Council is expected to vote March 5 on a 15-year cable franchise contract negotiated with Verizon.