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AT&T Internet Users Cry Foul Over New Pricing Structure
from the extortion dept
Fresh off their merger with Comcast, it seems that AT&T Broadband is flexing its newly acquired monopoly muscle. We've already had a few stories about their move to immediately raise rates. Customers of their cable modem service who do not also subscribe to AT&T's cable TV service are suddenly discovering that they're expected to pay a 33% rate hike and they are not happy about it at all. Of course, AT&T/Comcast says it's a completely reasonable business practice. That's true, considering that there's not much in the way of competition around to offer more reasonable rates that would force AT&T/Comcast to be competitive. If this isn't evidence of monopoly powers being excercised, I'm not sure what is.
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Sorry but it is typical business practice. I have two separate cable companies in my area that offer high speed internet access via cable. However, you must be a cable subscriber to sign up for the service ... even if it's only the 'basic' service ... which would be about 30% of the price of the internet service.
This is pretty much a 'I got something you want and these are my rules to acquire it ... don't want it then leave.'
I at least have the option of getting a DSL connection, and did at one time, but you haven't dealt with a monopoly until you've dealt with a baby bell. High price + crappy service. Least with my cable connection I'm getting high price + GREAT service.
And I ain't going back to dial up where I'd have several options but slow slow slow slow slow ......
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It's not just the cable companies
I tried to get SBC/Yahoo! DSL and they wouldn't deal with me because I don't use SBC/Ameritech's home phone service. Funny part was that my current (at that time) DSL was routed through SBC/Ameritech to my home, so it's not like they can claim it's impossible...
My local cable company charges $45 per month for non-cable subscribers and $35 per month if you already subscribe to cable TV.
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Re: It's not just the cable companies
How did you get DSL service at all without the Ameritech home phone service?
I was told by all the DSL outfits including Ameritech that nobody could get me DSL unless I had a land-line Ameritech billed me for (the previous owners of my home had 2 land-lines, but we just use mobile phones). Apparently Ameritech's accounting system associates everything with a voice-line and couldn't handle it if I didn't have one they normally billed. I tried to describe to them on the phone that it was insane that their accounting system was keeping them from offering me service, but I gave up after a couple seconds realizing it was pointless.
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