I have 350Mbps here @ $80.00/month after modem rental. (speeds are generally between 30-40MB/sec. Sometimes faster.
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How Much Do You Pay For Cable/Internet?
- Thread starter Juicy Box
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There are only 3 or 4 major providers (Comcast, Charter, Cox, maybe one other), and they can charge whatever they wish (and do so). It's insane how much internet costs here in comparison to other parts of the world.
It really comes down to a lack of competition. With the US being so large, it is pretty hard for any smaller company to compete with the big ISPs.
You are right.
In addition to only a few major ISPs in the US, many places only have one choice. So if someone with only 1 choice of ISP doesn't like how much their ISP is charging, they have no other option.
I have been pretty lucky, and I have had 2 choices of ISP in my area. I switch between them often to get the best rate.
Actually, I just switched back to Comcast about 3 hours ago, the $29, 60Mbps plan I mentioned on a earlier post. So, I currently have two ISPs providing internet to my home. Once I make sure everything is fine with my new Comcast service, I will terminate my service with Verizon.
I will probably switch back to Verizon before my rates increase after a year.
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Another reason prices are so high is that people won't switch their service even if they have more than one choice of ISP. They don't know how, or don't feel like going through the hassle of switching. So, the ISPs just charge them crazy high prices.
Here is the latest results of the poll I put in a local community forum for my neighbors, over 23% pay over $200. Keep in mind that most of my neighbors have two or more choices of ISPs. So, they could switch and save hundreds of dollars, but many of they won't:
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eyoungren
macrumors Nehalem
Here is my latest Cox experience…
My bill was standing at $209 for all services. Went up to $242 this month. This is when I usually call Cox because if I can get on another promo before the actual bill due date they can change the price for the month.
Promo I got this time around demanded that I have a home VOIP phone installed. Only way to get the price. Oh well, what the hell. It's the last item Cox has been trying to upsell me on for years now.
Promo is locked in for two years. As the competitors commercial says, "Price won't change". Here's the thing. I thought the price would go back down to $209.
Nope. It rolled back to $178, which is what I was paying about two years ago.
The promo I got increased my internet speed 3x. So now, I have 300mbps down (was 100mbps before) and 30mbps up. This is great since I run a server at home and that will let me run my offsite Time Machine backups faster.
The Cox tech had to replace the modem, but that's another thing. Apparently this modem is being rolled out to customers next week. The tech got authorization to give it to us THIS week. AND, we were told that Cox will not charge us rent for this modem.
I still have to see that for myself and I need to see it's performance, but if both check out I won't replace it with my own.
Finally, my wife tells me that the tech was approving of my network topology and was impressed with the quality of the modem I already had.
Little bit of horn blowing there, but nice to know that someone who does this kind of thing for a living puts a stamp of approval on my home network setup.
My bill was standing at $209 for all services. Went up to $242 this month. This is when I usually call Cox because if I can get on another promo before the actual bill due date they can change the price for the month.
Promo I got this time around demanded that I have a home VOIP phone installed. Only way to get the price. Oh well, what the hell. It's the last item Cox has been trying to upsell me on for years now.
Promo is locked in for two years. As the competitors commercial says, "Price won't change". Here's the thing. I thought the price would go back down to $209.
Nope. It rolled back to $178, which is what I was paying about two years ago.
The promo I got increased my internet speed 3x. So now, I have 300mbps down (was 100mbps before) and 30mbps up. This is great since I run a server at home and that will let me run my offsite Time Machine backups faster.
The Cox tech had to replace the modem, but that's another thing. Apparently this modem is being rolled out to customers next week. The tech got authorization to give it to us THIS week. AND, we were told that Cox will not charge us rent for this modem.
I still have to see that for myself and I need to see it's performance, but if both check out I won't replace it with my own.
Finally, my wife tells me that the tech was approving of my network topology and was impressed with the quality of the modem I already had.
Little bit of horn blowing there, but nice to know that someone who does this kind of thing for a living puts a stamp of approval on my home network setup.
gtg465x
macrumors 6502a
Currently have Comcast 150 Mbps for $59.99, but my new house that is being built will have AT&T Fiber 1000 Mbps for $89.99.
Just internet. Those are not promotional prices. Won't get sucked into bundles and promotional prices and those silly games. Fine with Netflix and Hulu for TV, and would consider a streaming live TV service before giving more money to Comcast or AT&T for cable or satellite TV.
Just internet. Those are not promotional prices. Won't get sucked into bundles and promotional prices and those silly games. Fine with Netflix and Hulu for TV, and would consider a streaming live TV service before giving more money to Comcast or AT&T for cable or satellite TV.
HughesNet Satellite $79.99 month for 475 MB daily allowance. I don't know the speed but sometimes on a good day a 2 GB file comes down in about 4 hours. No cable included.
hallux
macrumors 68040
Charter and Time Warner merged and created Spectrum (while also increasing the price so other than increased internet speeds that we were going to get anyway I don't see how this was GOOD for the consumers).
This is the big thing. Many municipalities are regulating construction of additional infrastructure. FiOS could be HUGE in my area, but Verizon wants to bury the lines (understandably) and many local towns won't let them dig to do it (older sections such as where my parents live have above-ground cable, power and phone service). This results in whatever is there being all that's allowed. In my case - I'm too far from the CO to get DSL from the phone company and my apartment complex won't let me put up a satellite dish so my ONLY option for internet service is Spectrum
some times there are municipal laws on the books that favor existing internet providers. For example; in Denver it would take a general referendum by city election to "approve" a new company. Google skipped over Denver for more accepting towns.
centuryLink (an existing phone company) came through our area about 2years ago with fiber. They used some sort of horizontal drilling. didnt disturb anything. Dont think they did the whole area tho.
centuryLink (an existing phone company) came through our area about 2years ago with fiber. They used some sort of horizontal drilling. didnt disturb anything. Dont think they did the whole area tho.
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AllergyDoc
macrumors 68020
We get Xfinity digital cable with DVR and 150 (but typically 175) mbps internet for $117. Xfinity is the only option for speeds that high here. Hopefully Google Fiber will expand south from Provo to where we live to give Xfinity some competition and lower prices.
vbctv
macrumors 6502a
I'm down the street in Lakewood and we have Cox Cable. Be lucky Spectrum doesn't have internet caps yet, were capped at 1TB a month. I have a buddy who lives in Tremont who has just inherent with Spectrum and pays $60.
I'm not sure what happened to the person you were replying to, but their posts were deleted.
Do you other options besides Cox?
The data caps are bull, but I understand why the cable companies have them. I am sure if there was a map of the US with areas showing where data caps are enforced and where ISP options are limited, they would probably match up.
vbctv
macrumors 6502a
No in Lakewood we only have Cox. There is AT&T but speeds cap out at 18mbps. Not fast enough and they also have a 1Tb cap per month. Out here in the Cleveland suburbs, cities like to sign contracts with the Cable companies and limit it to just one available in the city.
I heard of HOAs doing this in the suburbs, I think this is monopolistic business dealings, and should be illegal.
flyinmac
macrumors 68040
Internet only plan. No equipment rental. Just paying for the line. Cheapest price available is $80 for the minimum slowest connection. My cellular connection is faster than my home internet.
This is not unlimited internet. 10 Mbps download, 4 Mbps upload. Maximum bandwidth 100 GB a month.
If I want faster, or more data allowance, the prices increase.
I do not have cable television. I use an antenna mounted on the porch.
Cable television starts at $100 a month. That gets me the 13 standard channels that I can already get with my antenna. And adds 5 news channels and a TV guide.
That doesn’t include the converter box and required remote. Which adds $50 a month
You cannot use their scrambled service without the converter box. And you need one for every television. They’ve redesigned them so I can’t run multiple TVs from one box anymore. So for my home that would be $250 a month for converter boxes.
Add that together and to get the 13 channels I get from my antenna on 5 televisions in the house, and I’m up to $350 a month to get what I have now for free.
If I actually want cable channels that provide access to broadcast stations that are local to other towns. That adds another $100 a month.
If I want channels like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, etc... those add $30 a month per channel.
I am fine with my free antenna
This is not unlimited internet. 10 Mbps download, 4 Mbps upload. Maximum bandwidth 100 GB a month.
If I want faster, or more data allowance, the prices increase.
I do not have cable television. I use an antenna mounted on the porch.
Cable television starts at $100 a month. That gets me the 13 standard channels that I can already get with my antenna. And adds 5 news channels and a TV guide.
That doesn’t include the converter box and required remote. Which adds $50 a month
You cannot use their scrambled service without the converter box. And you need one for every television. They’ve redesigned them so I can’t run multiple TVs from one box anymore. So for my home that would be $250 a month for converter boxes.
Add that together and to get the 13 channels I get from my antenna on 5 televisions in the house, and I’m up to $350 a month to get what I have now for free.
If I actually want cable channels that provide access to broadcast stations that are local to other towns. That adds another $100 a month.
If I want channels like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, etc... those add $30 a month per channel.
I am fine with my free antenna
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Man, that's not good, I assume that you only have that option?
Where are you located?
flyinmac
macrumors 68040
I was paying $80.00/mo. US for 300/10, but tomorrow Comcast is coming to install the new xFI Advanced Gateway and Gig service for $89.00/mo. I couldn't really pass it up. That said, the most I'll get over AC WiFi is what... 540?