Comcast setup & cable modem fees

[nbodley at speakeasy.net (Nicholas Bodley)]

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 13:39:27 -0500, Kent Borg <kentborg at borg.org> wrote:

> Isn't Comcast blocking (some?) Vonage traffic as a marketing technique  
> for their telephone service?  It is as though they see different  
> protocols and address like cable channels they should be able to carry  
> or not, channels to charge extra for or not.

> Verizon has some similar ideas.

> If you can get DSL from Speakeasy, Covad, or some other real internet  
> provider, I would do that.  Phone and cable companies are slimy.

I'll definitely second that. Covad was a third party in my provisioning.

Technically, cable seems to be quite competitive, and as I just said in  
another message, cable was designed for broadband, whereas DSL is a [very  
unusual and fortunate extension of a narrowband design]. ( [ ] indicate  
paraphrasing.) However, business practices are different.

I first subscribed to DirecTV DSL, formerly Telocity. Apparently, DirecTV  
DSL (A class act! Their bridge was made in the USA) apparently felt that  
there was not enough profit in DSL, and killed it. That made me a "Direct  
Switch" customer. Somehow, Verizon Sales got wind that I was, and a sales  
type called part way though my Speakeasy provisioning, trying to get me to  
switch to Verizon. I asked about the Verizon class-action lawsuit some  
years ago, and he probably was under orders not to discuss it. He tried  
hard, and I wouldn't budge. His last few words had a tone, only a tone,  
not actual words, that really clearly implied "You'll be sorry!".

Being naive, I thought the DSLAM* would put its carriers onto my line as  
soon as it was connected; not true. I also expected a loud rushing sound  
(white noise) once DSL was active. I tried listening a few times a day --  
just dial tone. Finally, decided to hook it all up, and give it a try.
*C.O. DSL box, for several subscribers -- think concentrator. "AM" is  
Access Multiplexer.

Saw some fascinating stuff happening on my screen and while watching the  
bridge LEDs, but, no success. I repeatedly tried to start service; no  
luck. After maybe 36 hrs or so I called Speakeasy, and a fellow there,  
beyond any doubts I had, took a personal interest in seeing that my  
service would start. He had logged every attempt I had made to synch. (!)  
I was up and running very nicely within a day, probably less, and it's  
been fine, since.

While I have no way of knowing, that so-clear tone of "You'll be sorry!"  
and inability to synch., taken together, do make we wonder.

As to that class-action lawsuit, I'm reasonably sure that the story was  
that Verizon offered DSL quite early in the game, and had an overwhelming  
amount of interest. Suit apparently was that they couldn't deliver on  
their promises. (Do I detect a more cautious promotion of FIOS? :) )

Nevertheless, I have no hard feelings about Verizon, and would readily  
suggest them to non-technical people more interested in e-mail and casual  
browsing.

-- 
Nicholas Bodley /\ @ /\  Waltham, Mass.
The Current Creed, a basis for much of
what goes on today:
Greed is Sacred,
Hypocrisy Divine.