F...My Cable Company!

[joecrisp]

Originally Posted by cpayne5

Joe -
You keep reiterating that Verizon is only building their FIOS network in affluant neighborhoods, but I have read where there is FIOS going into poorer neighborhoods as well. The tidewater area comes to mind.

Also, the new VA franchising law that was enacted a few months ago places strict and broad buildout requirements on telcos that use the law to get around current franchising red tape, wouldn't you agree?

In areas where FIOS has been released, cable prices have been slashed. This kind of makes me wonder how much the cable companies were making before if they could afford to cut their prices so dramatically.

Is there any specific area of the tidewater region you're thinking of, cpayne5? I wasn't aware that they were building out there, but I'd be interested in any documentation you have.

In regards to the new VA franchising law, it's actually pretty Verizon-friendly, allowing them a very generous time-table to reach those supposedly "strict and broad buildout requirements". For instance, in the franchise agreement Verizon just signed with Henrico County, Virginia to begin offering its FiOS services, Verizon has three years to offer services to its initial target area (which Verizon is free to choose), eight years to reach 65% of Henrico, and a whopping 12 years to reach just 80% of Henrico's 112,000 residents. Henrico, mind you, is per capita one of Virginia's wealthiest counties, as are the other areas in which Verizon has chosen to offer its FiOs services: Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William counties; the cities of Falls Church and Fairfax; the towns of Herndon and Dumfries. You can't blame Verizon for cherry-picking, but you can certainly blame the legislators who have so generously accommodated their demands.

As far as "price-slashing", again, I'd like to see your documentation. In most cases, you're going to find that the competitors will offer very competitive rates to new customers, for a limited time-- usually the first six to twelve months of service. But after those first six to twelve months, prices go right back to the numbers folks are screaming about-- the numbers which also happen to be what the companies need to maintain and grow their expensive infrastructure. This will inevitably lead to consumer flip-flopping to avoid paying the standard rates with any of the companies, but does that really benefit anyone?