why is internet so goddamn expensive in this country..

[srican69]

I thought of cutting the chord and going internet only ... The lowest price FiOS can give me is 74.99 (plus tax)

That is insane ... My cousin in the suburbs of London pays about a third (you read that right ...1/3 rd) after converting from pounds to dollars for roughly the same speed.

My only other alternative is Comcast and given the terrible customer servive( remember the call that went viral)and that they are really no cheaper ...I am reluctant to switch.

Basically I am screwed.

[dmosh42]

1. We're in 'corporate' USA. No longer "home of the brave", but ass-kissers haven!

Last edited Mon Sep 1, 2014, 11:33 AM - Edit history (1)

[liberalmuse]

4. Land of the corporate-owned slaves...

And home of the imperialist, saber-rattling warmongers.

[dmosh42]

15. or 'saber rattling chicken-hawks'!

[GoneFishin]

2. Virtual monopolies. Thom Hartman talks about how incredibly inexpensive telecom

services are in some other countries. He also mentions that there are boat loads of companies competing for your business. Fewer games and restrictions, contracts, etc.. And dirt cheap process.

All the talk about the "free market" in the U.S. is lip service.

[Spider Jerusalem]

3. I doubt you can get fibre speeds for £15 a month

it's around £30 a month for me (plus telephone line rental, because it's ADSL2+...which is fibre-to-the-cabinet and consistently delivers around 30Mbps down and 6Mbps up). That's about US$50 a month. Speeds are partly determined by distance from the cabinet or whether there's fibre to the premises. In some areas the speeds are up to 300Mbps, but the price is the same. And it's cheaper in the UK than in the USA because of population density, among other things. Higher population density makes high-speed infrastructure more cost-effective than the same infrastructure serving a medium-density US-style suburb.

[srican69]

55. my speed is 25 Mbps . not a big deal really.nt

[mike dub]

5. I've been thinking the same thing, srican

Our internet only service to our house is also about 75 a month. Here in North Carolina, it's Time Warner Cable. I'd love to know how much profit these companies make off of us all, at 75 /month for internet.

[JHB]

9. See my post #6 below, NC is involved n/t

[mike dub]

13. Thanks JHB!

N/t

[JHB]

6. Monopolies, amd they want to keep it that way. See related post...

US cable giants call on FCC to block cities' expansion of high-speed internet
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5463539

The US cable industry called on the Federal Communications Commission on Friday to block two cities’ plans to expand high-speed internet services to their residents.

USTelecom, which represents cable giants Comcast, Time Warner and others, wants the FCC to block expansion of two popular municipally owned high speed internet networks, one in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the other in Wilson, North Carolina.“The success of public broadband is a mixed record, with numerous examples of failures,” USTelecom said in a blog post. “With state taxpayers on the financial hook when a municipal broadband network goes under, it is entirely reasonable for state legislatures to be cautious in limiting or even prohibiting that activity.”

Chattanooga has the largest high-speed internet service in the US, offering customers access to speeds of 1 gigabit per second – about 50 times faster than the US average. The service, provided by municipally owned EPB, has sparked a tech boom in the city and attracted international attention. EPB is now petitioning the FCC to expand its territory. Comcast and others have previously sued unsuccessfully to stop EPB’s fibre optic roll out.

Wilson, a town of a little more than 49,000 people, launched Greenlight, its own service offering high speed internet, after complaints about the cost and quality of Time Warner cable’s service. Time Warner lobbied the North Carolina senate to outlaw the service and similar municipal efforts.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/aug/29/us-telecoms-fcc-block-high-speed-internet-chattanooga

[AllyCat]

23. Since when do they care what taxpayers pay?

Oh yeah, when it might cut into their profit.

[SharonAnn]

33. It's "unregulated" monopolies! By deregulation phone and cable tv service in the 1980's and 1990's

It used to be that they had to go before the utilities regulators to get approval to raise rates. Not any longer! Monoplies are allowed to charge whatever they want.

Deregulation, of course, was "needed to provide competition and decrease costs for consumers". How'd that work out?

[Boreal]

49. All utilities should be delivered as part of what we get for taxes

And they should be publicly owned. Hire private contractors to build and maintain the infrastructure but the utilities need to belong to the people. Water, sewer, gas & electric and internet and TV. I read somewhere about an area, around St Louis, I think, that had provide free internet and either Sprint or Verizon sued to end it and they won. Fuck, fuck the courts, Why should some court be the arbiter of what we the people decide we ant for ourselves! Seriously, fuck the courts. The towns and cities should just say we don't recognize their jurisdiction over this and now, try to come and shut down our internet and see what happens! Ugh, this pisses me off.

I also read an interview with Lynn Rothschild, wife of Evelyn Rothschild, London bankster. She was talking about making her first 40 million and how she made a killing on selling wireless licenses for Puerto Rico. Asked what she paid for the, she said they were give to her for free. Then she sold them and made a fortune. Tell me, how does that work? Who had the right to give her that and how did she get the right to sell it?

[JaneyVee]

7. I just fought with my cable company yesterday.

They raised my monthly payments for tv, phone, internet from $175/month to $205/month. I'm looking around now. Unacceptable.

[dixiegrrrrl]

28. You are in ....Manhattan?

They must think everyone is a banker there.
That is an incredibly high price.

What would they charge for just internet?

[SomethingFishy]

37. Are you with Comcast?

If so call and ask for the "customer loyalty" dept... Comcast has a habit of raising the bill constantly, in hopes you won't notice. Last time this happened I called and they told me there was nothing they could do for me. So I said fine, disconnect me. Well, 5 minutes later I was speaking to a very friendly person who managed to get me more services for $50 less a month and locked in the price for 3 years.

Just bitch up a storm, it really does help..

[RKP5637]

8. In USA, Inc., you are just a lowly disgruntled employee with no right to grievance

against the company stores.

[madokie]

10. It cost me 50 bucks a month plus the 20 the land line cost me for a total of 70 bucks

at&t entered into an agreement with the government that they'd provide us with affordable internet service because of a lawsuit (sorry can't remember the particulars of that lawsuit). I know people who live 10 miles from me who reside in a different town who pay 20 dollars a month for the same speed I get for that 70 dollar outlay, nor a land line requirement btw. Some how the town I live in won't allow AT&T to provide us internet service here. I've asked and am always told the same thing that they do not provide internet service here in chouteau oklahoma and thats that.
The purported speed I pay for is 7 mbps but when tested with speedtest.net it always checked out to be slightly above or below 5. If I'm up early on a saturday morning I might see something a little closer to that 7 I pay for otherwise i get what I get and, again, thats that. I'm reminded that nothing says they have to actually provide me with the speed I pay for that its only a figure they strive to give me.
I can get hughes net for a shitpot more money or cable which is not as reliable plus when a lot of people are on it at the same time is slower than smoke off you know what.

I feel cheated and violated but it seem I have no recourse.

who do I complain too

[indie9197]

52. Mine is supposed to be $35 phone + $35 internet = $70, but plus taxes = $85

And I am paying for "high speed up to 5 Mbps" which is true, I get 3-4 Mbps usually. Not good enough to watch Netflix without freezing. CenturyLink at its finest. I have cut the tv, am ready to cut the internet. I will have to make due with free wireless and my smartphone, but I hate being a sucker.

[woo me with science]

11. The first honest cable company

[adirondacker]

14. +1000. Good One that I musta missed. Thanks for posting!

[Tuesday Afternoon]

17. omg. its funny cos its true!

thanks for that. I needed the giggle

[valerief]

24. Boom! So true!!! nt

[pa28]

47. Hahahahaha!

With the coming Comcast merger and the end of net neutrality these will look like the good old days.

[madville]

12. I have 3MB DSL because that's all that's available out here

It's $44 a month after taxes are added, I'm thinking of dropping it though, rarely game online or watch Netflix these days.

[phylny]

16. We live in the sticks. Satellite, cell or dial-up (haha!) are our only options.

We're currently trying to see if we can get secondary coverage from Verizon Home Fusion, but it's expensive, too. This country needs to do what was done with Rural Electrification Act and get services into rural and urban areas alike.

I'm not holding my breath.

[TexasProgresive]

25. That would be the solution

It has always amazed me that 95% of Brits can get high speed internet service if they desire. Where's that Merican exceptionalism I keep hearing about?

[dickthegrouch]

18. What my monthly bill looks like :(

XFINITY Bundled Services

Premier Bundle 1 Outlet
$153.99
08/25 - 09/24

Triple Play Rewards
($20.00)

Total XFINITY Bundled Services $133.99

Additional XFINITY TV Services

Service Protection Plan
$3.99
08/25 - 09/24

Sports Entertainment Pkg
$9.99
08/25 - 09/24

HD/DVR Service (Includes
$17.95
08/25 - 09/24

TFC/Filipino
$12.99
08/25 - 09/24

Filipino VOD
$5.99
08/25 - 09/24

Here TV Monthly
$7.99
08/25 - 09/24

Streampix
$4.99
08/25 - 09/24

Movie HD
$7.99
08/01

Movie HD
$5.99
08/08

Movie HD
$5.99
08/09

Total Additional XFINITY TV Services $83.86

XFINITY Internet

D3 Modem Rental
$8.00
08/25 - 09/24

High Speed Internet
$55.95
08/25 - 09/24

Blast! Internet Svc
$11.00
08/25 - 09/24

Total XFINITY Internet $74.95

XFINITY Voice

Comcast Unlimited Pkg
$39.95
08/25 - 09/24

TN Package
$0.00
08/25 - 09/24

Caller ID TV
$0.00
08/25 - 09/24

International Calls
$2.48

Total XFINITY Voice $42.43



I have no idea how they added the sports package, no-one in this house is the slightest bit interested. Or streampix, the last time I know I ordered a streampix show was a very long time ago and I didn't realize I was signing up for monthly. I thought I had to re-order streampix every month if I wanted it. Any guesses how long that phone call will last?

[PoliticAverse]

20. "Service Protection Plan $3.99" ?? n/t

[Voice for Peace]

22. makes me want to cry.

or scream. :screamyellandcry:

[dickthegrouch]

35. I think that's protection from the mob

So I don't need to use antivirus

[Recursion]

19. Have you checked the indie ISPs? There are a lot of them on the east coast

(I'm assuming from your avatar you're in Jersey)

[PoliticAverse]

21. Because governmental units granted so many companies area monopolies. n/t

[elleng]

26. Government sanctioned monopoly.

[1monster]

27. I recently let a glib salesperson talk me out of my AT&T DSL and land line phone to

change to AT&T Uverse. It would save me about $70 per month.

Big Mistake. I had better download times with dial up and the phone service is static filled with delayed connections.

The cable television is better than Comcast, but I don't watch television... sigh. My husband does, though. We get somethign between 300 and 400 channels and he watches about four or five of them. sigh.

[pansypoo53219]

29. crapitalism.

[DirkGently]

30. And slow, too. n/t

[whereisjustice]

31. Don't worry, Obama's got this - Tom Wheeler is FCC Chairman he is very, very, very

sympathetic with consumers... his qualifications?

Wheeler is a Wall Street banker and former head of the National Cable Television Association (NCTA) and Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA).

I guess he beat out Monsanto, GE and Goldman Sachs.

Enjoy it now, they are planning to cut costs by offering nothing but Bollywood channels to go along with their customer support.

[Holly_Hobby]

32. Our internet is $47 for 26MB/4MB, 250MB usage cap

from the local cable co. We have tv antennas, no tv cable. We have Ooma telephone for $4/month after buying the box for $100. We were paying $160 for tv, internet and phone. It was unaffordable for us. We have a Roku box too, was $100 with no monthly charge. Cutting the cord was the best thing for us.

If it were just me, I wouldn't even have tvs. But my husband doesn't use computers, and he can't live without tv.

[TransitJohn]

36. Wow! What a miniscule cap. No streaming of anything, huh? eom

n/t

[Holly_Hobby]

41. We stream Roku, but only use about 100MB per month...

I'm continually on line too and still only use 100MB.

[TransitJohn]

42. I use over 250Mb / month just on my phone using Outlook, only

My job is email intensive, but that's a really low cap.

[Holly_Hobby]

45. I don't have a smart phone...

They do have bigger caps, but it's $105/month. We don't need it. My husband is happy with the 17 channels we get with antennas, and I'm the only one that uses a computer.

My BIL has Netflix and uses up every bit of his 250MB, each 10MB used beyond that is $5. He's a movie watcher, we don't normally watch movies.

[TransitJohn]

46. That's not really germane to the point I was making, though

I'm talking about the ridiculously low 250Mb/month cap. One HD movie from Netflix is 4.2 Gb, add another 400 Mb if you want surround sound. 250 Mb is insufficient for video entertainment.

Plus 250 MB is the typical smart phone cap, which is not bigger.

[Holly_Hobby]

51. All true, but we don't watch movies

This plan works for us. We can't afford a higher cap.

[TransitJohn]

54. Then why dare you paying for Netflix?

Take care.

[marle35]

50. Sounds a lot like me

Just cut cable TV and phone. Old bill was $185 and now it is about $45 for 27MB/5MB internet (not sure if there is a cap). I also purchased an Ooma for $100 after the rebate and paying just $3.70 in fees and taxes for phone service.

Don't have a Roku or other streaming device though. I actually use my HD TV as my computer monitor and will watch a few downloaded shows here and there. I'm not much into watching TV anymore. I miss MSNBC but can live with downloading their lower-res shows a day later. VERY happy with my bill now.

[daredtowork]

34. Infrastructure fight

I don't have any sort of deep understanding of this problem, but here are two elements I see:

1) Telephone companies had too much of an advantage with land line infrastructure from the start, and AT&T was able to establish a monopoly because the FCC decided wireless and cable were its competitors.

2) Start-up DSL companies didn't last very long because they had to sub-contract the physical lines from their rival - the telephone companies, mainly AT&T. And AT&T found sneaky ways to undercut them until they went out of business, and then hiked their prices. AT&T always claims they are charging the "real" cost of something (the cost of their bloated bureaucracy) or they are passing along imposed government fees.

3) For some reason the "competitor" wireless plans continued to stay high priced, using what AT&T charges as a floor instead of passing on to the consumer what it really costs to send a signal through the air. Just like cable TV prices or airline prices "stay in line with each other". d'oh!

Frankly, I think it's idiotic that municipalities don't just set up their own communications infrastructures and tell these big leech corporations to go to hell. Oh yeah - "employment". *checks whether I or the people around me are employed*.

[whereisjustice]

48. you raise an excellent and important point

We CAN build out our own infrastructure. The problem is the millionaires who occupy Congress will outlaw us from pulling ourselves by our own bootstraps.

[daredtowork]

56. I thought San Francisco was about to do something like this

But I guess someone got bribed on the way to the forum, lol.

[DJ13]

53. I think it's idiotic that municipalities don't just set up their own communications infrastructure

I was getting my car serviced in the town next to ours and got bored so I pulled out my old Droid phone to play some solitaire and discovered a Wi-Fi connrction, so I looked at the network option and it said it was a city provided free municipal network.

It was pretty fast too.

If I lived there I'm not sure I would spend on Comcast's internet.

[daredtowork]

57. I saw in another thread

that Wilson, NC was one place experimenting with municipal Internet.

I have relatives there, and I remember that as a small city, just another pit stop on the Bible Belt.

Freaks me out to think of that place as a Leader in Technology Innovation now! Especially since it's apparently one step ahead of San Francisco! Wowzers! :O

[markpkessinger]

38. Why, don't you know it's the free market faerie at work? n/t

[JCMach1]

39. A few companies with virtual monopolies price fixing... or at least agreeing to not have a price war

[Doctor_J]

40. same reason our healthcare is so expensive. It's been sold to psychopaths

by "our" government. Education is next BTW

[L0oniX]

43. GREED! Profit over people.

[Shankapotomus]

44. I know NetZero

has lower priced internet but you have to be in their coverage area.

There plans are here:

http://store.netzero.net/account/viewWirelessOffers.do?wls_poc=usb-mifi-sp&wls_pid=2

The problem with them is they are capped data plans.