Interesting development on cable internet

[Smitty77_7]

This maybe old news to some of you, but first I saw of it. Interesting as more and more people are cutting back cable channel selections, and relying gone streaming services, the revenue for the cable companies has been dropping. Forecasts I've read show this trend is expected to accelerate, as more people trim their cable bundled selections down, and rely on streaming entertainment delivery.

 

So, this is a 'trial', where Comcast/Xfinity is hedging their bet to recoup either lost revenue now, or get this in place now, with the expectation of greater lost revenue from channel lineups in the future.

 

IMO, they're cutting their own throats. As other methods, competition, of delivering broad band internet start to come on line in the near years ahead. Many will be very happy to stick it the monopoly of THE CABLE COMPANIES:)! Also IMO, they should get out in front of this, by providing higher broadband speeds at lower costs, to obtain customer base now. Then baby and protect and spoil the heck out of this customer base, in an attempt to hang onto them when this other competition does come into the mix. But what the heck do I know:)!!!

 

Best to all,

Smitty

 

(Note: We have DirecTV in our coach, and we have Time Warner Cable in the Sticks & Bricks, and are paying up to get their 30GB speed rate for our internet broadband. Probably a 65% Cable DVR show vs 35% ROKU streaming over the broadband, is our mix for at home TV viewing.)

 

"An important update about your XFINITY Internet service," the email reads. "We're writing to let you know that we will be trialing a new XFINITY Internet data plan in your area. Starting October 1, 2015, your monthly data plan will include 300 GB. We will also trial a new 'Unlimited Data' option that will give you the choice to purchase unlimited data for $30 per month in addition to your monthly Internet service fee."

[Bill Joyce]

Remember that many cities and counties have given the cable companies monopolies for broadband service, so there is often no real competition.

[skp51443]

Cable companies vary, Cox here in the Phoenix metro area isn't bad and they have decent rates and multiple plans with varying speeds and data caps. I expect to see some interesting changes coming though as Google is looking like they will offer Phoenix (city) their Gigabit Fiber in the near future and that is going to scoop up a lot of internet users if the price isn't painful.

 

I think by offering fiber service Google is bypassing the cable TV monopoly that Cox got here, not sure what that means to Google's ability to deliver network TV though.

[RV_]

Can we say LEO? http://www.engadget.com/2015/01/19/google-spacex-internet-plans/

Musk does what he says he will. And never announces a deal until he has the engineering down pat and ready for R&D. I love the folks repeatedly saying he can't do that! Then he just does it as he said to begin with in every endeavor. EVs, fast and free charging stations, Commercial launch of space vehicles, solar leasing, battery production to support all the new electric storage and vehicle demands, and there are many more. Cue the guys who gave grief and never read the links I provided 12 years ago.

 

How about getting in touch with your state representatives and repeal any laws that prohibit competition. Read this article on it: http://broadbandnow.com/report/municipal-broadband-roadblocks/

 

Want to see the state of municipal broadband? The very successful projects can be found here: http://muninetworks.org/

 

Lots of folks talk about failed muni without citing examples with links to them. Why? because there are only a couple. The link above has several hundred that got around the state laws lobbied by the Cable companies. I have no issue with folks that make the big bold statements and instead of facts use claptrap as if they can be right if enough people just as ignorant as they are agree with them.

 

I support MuniNetworks despite our local Suddenlink going to 50mbps as their slowest speed.

 

And don't let anyone tell you it is a subsidy to allow the poor free Internet, a big turnaround of the subsidy their monopolies in each town insures for them. Cheap fast Internet is good for all. I like cheap and I'm not poor or any other crazy neo-xenophobic label and cheap is good!

 

Bill Gates wanted to do LEO Internet and cell phones, but got frozen out by the launch companies of the time, 1995-2000. Musk has his own privately held launch company in SpaceX.

[budeneighe]

Yeah! Win one for the Gipper! If the 20th century taught us anything it was that the only way to "fix" technology mired in beaurocracy is to do an end run around the whole thing like the Internet did to the Telecommunications industry, laws, regulations and boxed in concepts. I have yet to see where that has been any kind of disadvantage to any social order except maybe the control freaks.

 

Put it up and they will use it. Open it to the masses and we all benefit. Expect challenges from the outlaw community and from the politicians but don't accommodate them. Just fix the problems and move on.

 

The intent of making long distance calling free was not to save money but to enable growth. Making connectivity free enables collaborative growth. Collaborative growth makes for economic and social growth.

[RV_]

Smitty,

Here we are just moved into a new house and are doing the punch out list for the last few items to fix and next is calling the cable company. They are trying to force us basic cable folks into using their digital set top boxes and pay more for all digital TV. We get about 20 channels here over the air (OTA) and they are better digital than cable or satellite as it is not compressed for rebroadcast as the cable and sat offerings must do. Lots of folks like me are discovering the Channel Master OTA DVR that requires no subscription or cost anything after the initial $199 purchase price. Does all that the fancy pay subscription DVRs do. I bought their DVR, long range multidirectional HD OTA antenna, and have the power injection clean 1 in four out distribution amplifier.

 

I will soon be one of those who drop cable TV in favor of streaming and downloads. We never got into HBO and the other premium movie and original programming cable channels. I despise some of the cable channels and am not interested in most of the rest. we can stream all the good cable content, albeit after they aired originally. I really just will be subscribing to Amazon Prime and Netflix. We are old fashioned and really like the extra definition we get from BluRay disks.I used to copy my movies but with streaming making instant access to my favorite movies fast and easy there's no longer any need for me to keep them. I'll keep the originals I already own, but I'm not buying any more. Rent from Netflix OK. Watch on Amazon Prime sure. I even bought a used but new as they never used their Fire HDX 7" tablet. I got it for $50.00. The thing about the Fire HDX is that I can download movies to watch later offline! They can only let me download to a fire tablet not any other. Not stream but download to the device storage then I can watch it in the middle of the woods or out to sea with no Internet. One at a time, then I can just remove it once I'm done with it. I don't like or use Android tablets nor will I even do emails on this one. No banking or email or identifying myself to Google or their store. Just Amazon who already has all my data and sells to me already as a prime member. I doubt they will be sharing my name with other sellers. I trust MS and Amazon, not Google and Android.

 

My point is that only Amazon, AFAIK, will legally download a loan of a recent movie with no additional charge other than my Prime membership annual fee.

 

So there are numerous options to get rid of the cable TV programming. And many of us stationaries are.

[Big5er]

I must be missing something. This thread is about cable "internet", not HBO and television. $30 a month for unlimited internet is a DEAL. Have you priced an air card and data plan lately? None of the major cellular carriers even offer an unlimited plan on anything but a cell phone, not a hotspot, not an aircard. Cable is way faster than 4G and much more reliable. I WISH I could get cable in my house (which is the RV).

 

Smitty, what sort of "internet" are you going to use if you drop your Xfinity service?

[Smitty77_7]

I must be missing something. This thread is about cable "internet", not HBO and television. $30 a month for unlimited internet is a DEAL. Have you priced an air card and data plan lately? None of the major cellular carriers even offer an unlimited plan on anything but a cell phone, not a hotspot, not an aircard. Cable is way faster than 4G and much more reliable. I WISH I could get cable in my house (which is the RV).

 

Smitty, what sort of "internet" are you going to use if you drop your Xfinity service?

 

 

 

I don't have Xfinity, I have Time Warner Cable, and pay extra to get 'faster' download speeds. But, I have 'no cap', as in 'unlimited' on this TWC Roadrunner cabled internet access.

 

The point of the news release, was that Xfinity, was now going to start charging an additional $30 a month (on top of what they customers had already been paying for internet), to allow 'unlimited data'.

 

And my main point, was that as more and more online streaming sites are available, the traditional cable company cash cow of show content, and bundling of many channels, is being dropped by more and more customers. To recoup this loss revenue from lower number of channels or bundles, they're going after those customers that are streaming high content of Hula, Netflix, Amazon, etc.

 

Sorry if my intent was not clear. And, I still feel with the changes coming down the pipeline to expand broadband access to the internet in other ways - that the cable companies are making a bad business move. Maximizing profits today, at the risk of losing customers in the future. Vs using their existing infrastructure to provide higher broadband at reasonable rates, and making it up with loyal and higher volumes of customers.

 

In California, a rational reason exists to portray the DMV and Cable Companies - as being less then human:)! And, talk about a monopoly, where cable companies have carved out areas that only the can serve = no competition. Well, broadband access to the internet is coming in multiple flavors, and technologies then ever before. So, I again repeat, I feel the cable companies are cashing in now while they can, vs building loyal customer good will, and volume of customers, at a reasonable price... Those cables, at least the ones on my block, have been up on those poles for going over 40+ years now - they've more then been paid for infrastructure wise:)! (And yes, other expenses that are ongoing to the cable companies, above and beyond 'just the wire'.)

 

Opinions will vary:)!

 

Best,

Smitty

[Lou Schneider]

300 GB is 15 times larger than the typical 20 GB per month cell phone or mobile hotspot data plan.

 

An HD video stream uses about 1 GB per hour, so with a 300 GB data cap you'd have to watch over 9 hours of HD video every day to exceed the 300 GB per month limit.

 

SD video uses about 1/5th as much bandwidth, so you could stream SD video 24/7 and only use about half of the monthly allotment.

 

Streaming audio and web browsing won't even budge the needle on usage.

 

If someone's streaming more video than that (i.e. leaving multiple computers on all the time) it's only right they pay extra for the resources they're using.

[Bill Joyce]

300 GB is 15 times larger than the typical 20 GB per month cell phone or mobile hotspot data plan.

 

An HD video stream uses about 1 GB per hour, so with a 300 GB data cap you'd have to watch over 9 hours of HD video every day to exceed the 300 GB per month limit.

 

SD video uses about 1/5th as much bandwidth, so you could stream SD video 24/7 and only use about half of the monthly allotment.

 

Streaming audio and web browsing won't even budge the needle on usage.

 

If someone's streaming more video than that (i.e. leaving multiple computers on all the time) it's only right they pay extra for the resources they're using.

This is household internet, where there might be multiple people watching different TVs and DVRs. Plus, you can set up a torrent site and your internet will be running 24/7 with files being uploaded and downloaded to that site.

 

T-Mobile has customers using "unapproved" tethering apps (FoxFi) on their unlimited phones that have used 2TB in a month.

 

These are not typical RV users.

 

Edit: I also wanted to say "do not underestimate the amount of internet bandwidth a nerdy 15 year old can use".

[filthy-beast]

I've got extreme 105 service. 4 notebooks, 4 cell phones, 2 tablets, 2 DVR, Play station, x-box,, NetFlix and Roku and don't forget the 4k content. I also work from home. Since the first of the month we have consumed 700 gig.

[G&K]

Bill, I'm paying 35 CDN for 250 gigs a month at 27 down, 12 up.

 

Rocel's and I are connected full time and use the Internet exclusively for music and video.

 

We fit very comfortably into that 250 gig.

 

Can't tell you how little I want to subsidize a 15 year old nerd, let alone someone that chooses to break the "no servers" and host torrents.

 

It's 2015. Who still uses torrents.

 

Geo

 

This is household internet, where there might be multiple people watching different TVs and DVRs. Plus, you can set up a torrent site and your internet will be running 24/7 with files being uploaded and downloaded to that site.

 

T-Mobile has customers using "unapproved" tethering apps (FoxFi) on their unlimited phones that have used 2TB in a month.

 

These are not typical RV users.

 

Edit: I also wanted to say "do not underestimate the amount of internet bandwidth a nerdy 15 year old can use".

[HamRad]

Bill, I'm paying 35 CDN for 250 gigs a month at 27 down, 12 up.

 

Rocel's and I are connected full time and use the Internet exclusively for music and video.

 

We fit very comfortably into that 250 gig.

 

Can't tell you how little I want to subsidize a 15 year old nerd, let alone someone that chooses to break the "no servers" and host torrents.

 

It's 2015. Who still uses torrents.

 

Geo

 

Wow! Only $35CDN! That is fantastic.

[G&K]

Yup. That's. About a buck-fifty in real money the way things are going!

[Darryl&Rita]

What's your secret, George? Who's the carrier?

[G&K]

Telus DSL. I've become pretty good at gaming introductory deals.

 

We have two fast carriers plus some other resellers, and have two adults here the service could be registered under.

 

Geo

[G&K]

I should add that if you want genuine residential unlimited, it's costs another $30 added to whatever speed package you're subscribed to.

 

I don't need it, but it's there.

 

Our phones move to wifi seamlessly at home so we get away with the Koodoo plan that only gives us one gig of data. Stole my lunch and ate it for me while we were on the road for six weeks, but if you do the math it wasn't that bad as we are fairly heavy users and really value our internet.

 

Geo

[Lou Schneider]

Comcast said unlimited is $30 on top of what you are presently paying for 350 GB service, not just $30 per month.

[RV_]

We did it, cut the cable for TV and now are using our HD digital OTA channels with a temporary Winegard amplified flat leaf see through antenna. Awesome picture! Much better than cable. I hooked up our Channel Master DVR ($199.99) That legally records and pauses the same as any DVR. I chose the one with minimal HD space because I have multiple Hard Drives several of which are 2TB many 1TB and Drive docks for it as well as our desktops.

 

Our ISP, Suddenlink just sold out to a Dutch firm (Altice) last May and we now get 50mb service as the lowest tier. Our limit is 250 GB and we have never used more than 20-30 GB a month on average with one month over 70. Altice is now trying to buy Time Warner!

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-19/altice-said-to-seek-purchase-of-suddenlink-in-u-s-expansion

 

That would put them fourth largest in the US.

 

OK I was paying $92 for basic cable and 50mb Internet. Now my bill is $50.00 a month. I tried the new set top basic digital box and all it did was knock out the HD local channels I used to receive. I told the tech to take back his boxes and cancel out TV service. They were scamming.

 

I agree that the monopoly needs to be broken. But as long as folks drink the Cable company Kool Aid they will fight the FCC and not insist that their local states throw out any legislation making Municipal Fiber and other Internet systems illegal to keep getting Cable campaign monies.

 

Municipal systems work and put those monies back in the community lowering taxes and eliminating bundling cons and monopolies. See they allow the cable companies to compete, but the cable companies have lobbied and dictated to the word the laws they have enacted in many states, strongest in Louisiana and Texas. Despite that, Lafayette Louisiana has a GB speed system for their citizens.

 

I'd love to try that here.

[powderman426]

Zidoo makes a nice Android smart box that has lots of features including the ability to record HDMI for later viewing.

 

http://www.zidoo.tv/Product/index/model/X9/target/rdOqbsJTP8k%3D.html