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[gcubed]

Well yeah if you put it that way, they don't compete with each other but that doesn't mean they couldn't compete with each other in the future. By being bought out that takes out a potential competitor. I don't know anti-monopoly laws so I'm just throwing around ideas here.

they never would compete with each other. All major cable companies are generally the same thing and won't enter other markets. 1) its VERY expense 2) its VERY slow. Its the same reason why FiOS is dead and Google Fiber takes 5 years to cover .00000000001% of the US

Almost all overbuilders in the US went bankrupt quickly after they completed their build. The infrastructure was bought out and you have pockets where you have two companies, but its rarer then having google fiber in your city

 

[Icefire1424]

Suddenly I'm that much happier that Brighthouse is Large enough in the SouthEast to cover most areas and is my current ISP.

No contracts are a plus x.x even if the prices are higher than conventionally so.

For the record, Brighthouse is a sister company of TWC. They lease a significant portion of TWC's network / infrastructure.

 

[ConradCervantes]

Oh yay. Girlfriend and I are moving in next month and I was just telling her Tuesday even though TWC sucks, at least we don't have garbage-ass Comcast to deal with.

And then I read this.

 

[muu]

How the hell is this not a monopoly?

 

[PAULINK]

NO THANK YOU

 

[entremet]

I don't see the huge problem here. In either scenario, you're dealing with TWC or Comcast.

Well, both being equally shitty, I'd take the one without archaic caps.

 

[Deadstar]

Google.....please save us......

 

[Neo Samus]

As much as I don't mind Comcast (I've never really had a problem with their service in my area) I don't want to see this deal go through. There needs to competition.

 

[Escape Goat]

As much as I don't mind Comcast (I've never really had a problem with their service in my area) I don't want to see this deal go through. There needs to competition.

I don't think they compete in the same regions. The whole reason they want to buy TWC is for their markets.

 

[Icefire1424]

As much as I don't mind Comcast (I've never really had a problem with their service in my area) I don't want to see this deal go through. There needs to competition.

Been said a few times already, but TWC and Comcast don't compete directly (as is the case with any "wired" cable provider, for that matter). Could probably be argued that Dish / Direct TV are in a position of being more capable of competing with traditional cable providers as they can compete in the same markets.

Thinking outside the box, a merger might even have the effect of promoting further competition between satellite and cable providers, as "TWCCast" would likely adopt the best tech / process / initiatives from each company across the board. Fire off the opening shots in a telecom arms race, for lack of a better term.

Either way, still really early on. Too soon to say how any of this will progress.

 

[Violater]

Prepare for horrible customer service and long wait times... ohh wait we have that already.

 

[Dominican Power]

These companies are great at taking your money but when it comes to providing you service....

 

[AstroNut325]

How the hell is this not a monopoly?

Because you can still get dial up or 1-3Mbps DSL as an alternative from one other company.

 

[gcubed]

Been said a few times already, but TWC and Comcast don't compete directly (as is the case with any "wired" cable provider, for that matter). Could probably be argued that Dish / Direct TV are in a position of being more capable of competing with traditional cable providers as they can compete in the same markets.

Thinking outside the box, a merger might even have the effect of promoting further competition between satellite and cable providers, as "TWCCast" would likely adopt the best tech / process / initiatives from each company across the board. Fire off the opening shots in a telecom arms race, for lack of a better term.

Either way, still really early on. Too soon to say how any of this will progress.

its not quite a consumer nightmare, but it would definitely be a nightmare for content providers. They would have an insane amount of leverage.

 

[Icefire1424]

its not quite a consumer nightmare, but it would definitely be a nightmare for content providers. They would have an insane amount of leverage.

Well said, but might work both ways. Contract negotiations would certainly be interesting, anyways. When a dispute occurs now, a channel provider might face a blackout in a few select markets, but with a larger cable company in place, it could very well impact the entire country. Would put a LOT more pressure on both the provider and the carrier to reach an agreement with such a significant impact possible.

 

[gcubed]

Well said, but might work both ways. Contract negotiations would certainly be interesting, anyways. When a dispute occurs now, a channel provider might face a blackout in a few select markets, but with a larger cable company in place, it could very well impact the entire country. Would put a LOT more pressure on both the provider and the carrier to reach an agreement with such a significant impact possible.

It would, but I'm not sure if any benefits would ever be realized by the consumer with that leverage. Honestly, seeing how embarrassingly bad some of twc speeds were in some of their big markets, comcast will be a big improvement. Plus now you have a very large ISP that has to follow net neutrality rules (even if they don't exist right now) and whatever other rules get layered on them.

The only actual answer is municipal fiber

 

[RoboGeorgeForeman]

Thank god I still have WOW cable as an option. I'm leaving the minute they try to introduce a cap for TWC subscribers.

 

[pgtl_10]

My only option is 18Mb U-Verse.

It makes no sense Houston already has a good size fiber optic network. Why doesn't Google just but a local company and start the network?

 

[Hex]

As someone who works at Brighthouse, it will be interesting to see what impact this has on us.

 

[rc6886]

My only option is 18Mb U-Verse.

It makes no sense Houston already has a good size fiber optic network. Why doesn't Google just but a local company and start the network?

I hear you, mine isn't much better at 24 mb.

I read on the internet that UVerse had a rollout of 45 mb back in September/October of last year for Houston.

So called UVerse, a customer service rep confirmed that they did the rollout, but of course, they didn't roll the shit out to my area.

I don't really understand the technology behind why they can't do it, but it really pissed me off considering I can login to the management portal for my router and there is a "Max User Rate" for my download speeds of 60mb, while my "User Rate" is currently sitting at 32 mb.

I have a feeling they can give me the extra bandwidth.

 

[HarryDemeanor]

I hope this doesn't fuck up negotiations in getting cable providers to carry SportsNet LA.

 

[Phoenix]

If anybody should know that "all stock" deals suck ass - its Time Warner Cable, a division of the former AOL Time Warner.

 

[Phoenix]

they never would compete with each other. All major cable companies are generally the same thing and won't enter other markets. 1) its VERY expense 2) its VERY slow. Its the same reason why FiOS is dead and Google Fiber takes 5 years to cover .00000000001% of the US

Almost all overbuilders in the US went bankrupt quickly after they completed their build. The infrastructure was bought out and you have pockets where you have two companies, but its rarer then having google fiber in your city

It is why a project like LOON makes soooo much sense for a company like Google. If they can leapfrog, literally, the infrastructure build stage - they can do a more rapid deployment in more markets.

 

[CrAzY FiNgErS]

I skimmed through this thread but didn't see this posted. There is a petition for the government to step in and stop this monopoly from happening. It needs 100,000 signatures to even get a response from the White House. Signatures now stand at 3000+. We have till March 15 to get 100,000 signatures. I am a Jr. Member here, but maybe this is worthy of a new thread in all of the various GAF communities. Spread the word people. This monopoly will not be good for us.

Link to petition: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/stop-comcasttimewarner-cable-merger-and-require-more-competition-cable-industry/ym52vbd4

 

[gcubed]

It is why a project like LOON makes soooo much sense for a company like Google. If they can leapfrog, literally, the infrastructure build stage - they can do a more rapid deployment in more markets.

It's why Verizon quit FiOS. It's easier to build an advanced wireless network and offer services through that than it is to build out infrastructure.

 

[The Blue Jihad]

I skimmed through this thread but didn't see this posted. There is a petition for the government to step in and stop this monopoly from happening. It needs 100,000 signatures to even get a response from the White House. Signatures now stand at 3000+. We have till March 15 to get 100,000 signatures. I am a Jr. Member here, but maybe this is worthy of a new thread in all of the various GAF communities. Spread the word people. This monopoly will not be good for us.

Link to petition: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/stop-comcasttimewarner-cable-merger-and-require-more-competition-cable-industry/ym52vbd4

Signed. Also blasted it out via Facebook and Twitter.

 

[kehs]

Start your public bitching (officially)!

The FCC is starting its 180-day review of the deal today, and as part of the process, the agency is taking public comments. The window to submit comments opens today and closes August 25th. Comments can be made through the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System.

http://www.fcc.gov/transaction/comcast-twc

http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/proceeding/view?name=14-57

http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2014/db0710/DA-14-986A1.pdf

http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/10/5888401/comcast-time-warner-fcc-comments

 

[~Kinggi~]

Need to get the internets on this stat. 4chan pls

 

[Prezhulio]

and the unstoppable behemoth that is sheinhardt wig company grows even stronger

 

[tlstls]

Haha, this remember me how a really good service I had here in my town got bought by a competitor (telefónica) and become a shitty service in a couple months...

 

[The Last Wizard]

Need to get the internets on this stat. 4chan pls

Send it their way