Comcast and the case of the Package that didn't exist

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In the year 1982 my family got Telescripts cable.  Ever since they sold to Comcast I have been a customer.  That is until next week.  I will be moving over to EPB next week and I really didn't want to.

My tale begins in October when comcast decided to drop the plan I had been using for eight years and force me to take a digital plan for $60 more a month.  Its all part of the Switch to digital they said, we cant just give you a limited channel selection they said.  I said I want a limited channel selection I was happy with my limited channel selection.  Now I'm not happy any more.

Eight years ago I had the very basic LifLine Comcast package for $11 a month.  It had Channels 2 - 13.  Then I decided to add what was called the "b" teir  of programs.   It added Channels 19-20-21-22-23, 48-49-50-51-52-53-54-55, 69,98, 99, or as they were better know as AMC, Discovery, Animal Planet, HGTV, Style, Comedy central, Turner Classic, Golf, Scifi, Court TV, History, and Outdoor, then Halmark, and cspan 1 &2.  I was paying $20 And I was happy.

I didn't have any of the expensive (for comcast) channel like ESPN, CNN, USA, TNT, TNN, Nickelodeon, or any of the HBO, Showtimes or anything like that.

Then they started the whole lets take away your channels thing and give you Digital.  They had a HD box SO I ordered that and they "GAVE" me free HD channels (which is the exact same thing on the standard deff channel)  then along comes October of this year and poof bill jumps from $47 a month to $71 plus tax and equipment.  So my normal $90 a month with Internet went to nearly $200.   I call and they had a 19.99 a month deal for Digital starter so I ask for that and they said yes, and Then we asked about The Family tier and they said yes.  So we get a plan we like Digital Starter and Family plan together for 19.99 + 28.08 and it gives us the channels we need and want for a price we wanted to pay.  Then some days later the bill went up again to $71.  And they tell me they can't give me the 19.99 because that ended last month.  But they will give us another deal so its a little higher but we can live with it.  Until this month when it's back up to $71 again plus they want us to pay a back amount from the last month of $30.

So today I call them and they refused to even try and help us work out a cheaper plan.  I think ,and this is just me, they don't want to keep our business.  I bet they are trying to weed off the poor, the cheap, and the unwashed.(ok so I didn't take a bath this morning I'll take one tonight)   I bet they are looking to get rid of the low profit grandfathered in plans and keep the High profit ones instead.

So next week I will be moving from Comcast to EPB where I don't need hardware on each tv, my old DVR will work and i'll take my HD over the air like I did before with comcast.  Still instead of giving my 90 a month to Comcast starting Next week I will give it to EPB instead.

Bye Bye Comcast it was nice but now i'm off to see the Wizard of Fiber optics.

EPB VS Comcast Part Two

Today I am going to look at prices for internet between EPB and Comcat.

EPB's cheapest price is for 15 megs which Comcast says they will be providing in the near future.  Comcasts website is already saying you can get 15/3 but my test make it more like 4/.128 in the Brainerd area.

EPB  charges $57.99 for it's cheapest.  While Comcast's cheapest is only 24.95 for a snail like 1meg down andto 384 Kbps for up stream.  EPB's is 15 megs bi directional.  Comcast's 15m/3m plan costs $42.95 or $15 dollars less then Epb's 15 meg line.

Comcasts 20meg down/4meg up goes for 52.95.  Epb's goes  for 69.99 for a bidirectional 20 meg line.   If your playing along at home you see a 17 dollar difference again in Comcast's favor.

Now in round three EPB offers 50 megs for a ridicules $174.99.  Comcast just looks on and weeps.

Now for some comparisons AT&T, you know those guys trying to squeeze every penny out of those old copper lines,  is offering internet at $7.158 a meg for 6 megs or DSL Xtreme 6.0 for $42.95 a month.

At that price mark comcast and EPB should be selling it's 15 meg per lines for $107.38.  But as I said earlier i'm only getting about 4 megs a second so it should really cost me $28.63.

The real question is does EPB mean to really bring some price compatition to the market place, or are they just trying to get a little of Comcasts pie.  When I lobbied for EPB to be allowed in our market I thought it would bring some real compatition to the area.  Looking at what we are seeing its seem we are really just getting higher prices and no real compatition.

If EBP wanted to compete it would offer some 6, 8 or 10 meg lines for 29, 35, and 45 dollar price points. This would put it in real compatition with Comcast, At&t and give people a real choice in the market place.   I can't afford to spend 100 dollars for Internet and Cable TV and not many other people can either.

Price per meg

Comcast (15 meg) $2.86
AT&T (6 meg)  $7.15
EPB (15 meg) $4

Comcast  (50 meg) $2
EPB (50 meg) 3.48