[GRLUG] comcast tiers (tears actually)

[Bob Kline]

On Thu, Aug 20, 2009 at 10:35 AM, Erik Southworth <erik.southworth at gmail.com
> wrote:

>
>
> On Thu, Aug 20, 2009 at 10:21 AM, Bob Kline <bob.kline at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Aug 20, 2009 at 10:15 AM, Erik Southworth <
>> erik.southworth at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 10:24 AM, Steve Romanow <slestak989 at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>
>>>> Bob Kline wrote:
>>>> > On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 8:24 AM, Steve Romanow <slestak989 at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > BTW,  Comcast is now showing two more
>>>> > tiers of service.  "Ultra," which is nominally
>>>> > 22 Mbps down, and 5 mbps up.  Then there
>>>> > is the "Extreme" service with 50 Mbps down,
>>>> > and 10 Mbps.  I've checked for my area,
>>>> > zip code 49508, and it simply says "coming
>>>> > soon."  Anyone find it available in their area?
>>>> >
>>>> > One can only imagine what these will cost.....
>>>> >
>>>> >     -- Bob
>>>> >
>>>
>>>  You can sniff the configs and see what service levels people are using.
>>>  The really fast stuff requires DOCSIS 3 network/hardware which uses a
>>> new channel-bonding technique, but it's just rolling out in major cities.
>>> If
>>> you subscribe to a fast tier make sure your modem is capable, cause they
>>> will take your money and never evaluate your equipment needs. An SB4100
>>> is good
>>> for up to 10Mb DL. An SB5100 should be good up to 30-40Mb I think, but I
>>> have
>>> only tested it to 16Mb DL.
>>>
>>>
>> Comcast is said to have 160 Mbps technology
>> on the shelf using the channel bonding you
>> mention.
>>
>> Alas, FiOS has 25, 50, and 100 Mbps ties
>> available now in some areas, and the lowest
>> tier is about $35 to $50 a month I gather.
>>
>> As someone else here pointed out, I don't
>> think we can look for Comcast to be a leader.
>> i.e., it won't introduce anything until forced to.
>>
>>     -- Bob
>>
>
> It's true the CABLE providers won't pioneer. Their focus is responding to
> market challenges from FIOS, UVERSE and WiMax in the markets where it
> threatens to lose customers. Every time the competition ratchets up, they do
> a DOCSIS 3 roll-out in that market and make competitive pricing plans and
> service levels, just to stay a step ahead. There is a small fiber roll-out
> in North Holland, but they are still using the old marketing scheme of
> bundling TV and limiting the Net bands.
>
>>
>>
>>
>
 And for that I would drop Comcast
in a heartbeat in the unlikely event
FiOS ever came to GR.  Comcast is
losing TV customers to the satellite
companies right and left, and from
what I read, makes a lot of its profits
from data services, where there are
of course no program costs.  It really
would seem that Comcast would try
to get out in front a little, if only to
create good will.  The only reason I'm
still with the cable modem service
is because it's the only game in my
area if I want something reasonably
fast.

If pretty expensive.

   -- Bob
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