Comcast begs Atlanta customers not to switch to Google Fiber

[Guest Kloaked]

Original Article: http://arstechnica.com/business/2016/02/as-google-fiber-hits-atlanta-comcast-says-dont-fall-for-the-hype/

 

 

Quote

"So I got this in the mail today. I think someone is scared of Fiber coming to Atlanta," the user wrote.

 

 

All of a sudden, Netflix, Youtube and so on will start to work properly on Xfinity connections. It's like it would work properly all along!

 

 

Quote

Google Fiber recently went live in apartments and condos in Atlanta, making it the fourth metro area to get Google's gigabit Internet service. Perhaps not coincidentally, Reddit user TheBen91 yesterday posted the above photo of a mailing from Comcast, in which the nation's largest cable company tries to convince customers that it offers a better deal than Google Fiber.

 

 

Yes yes, I know. Another user from le Reddit to tell us about something going on outside. Still, Comcast doing something like this tells me how much self-awareness they have (spoiler alert: none).

 

 

Quote

 

Atlanta, meanwhile, is one of the cities where Comcast is enforcing a monthly data cap on cable Internet with overage charges. The cap is 300GB a month with an option to pay $35 extra for unlimited data.

 

Comcast does provide a 2Gbps fiber service in Atlanta, but the standard price is $300 a month with $1,000 in startup fees (and no data cap). Atlanta is also slated to get Comcast's gigabit cable service, which would provide gigabit download speeds and slower uploads, with prices not yet announced. There's also no word yet on whether the standard data caps will apply to the gigabit cable service.

 

 

So Comcast enforces a 300GB data cap per month with a $35 extra premium for unlimited, and they wonder why they're in trouble. I'm thinking they'll probably waive the premium and up the cap (not eliminating it) to make their service more appealing to people who just don't feel like switching, if they were to do such a thing anyways. I can't imagine someone not wanting to switch to Google Fiber since it's less expensive and you get more for your money.

 

There's more stuff in the article, and I suggest everyone go read it.

 

Comcast is about to get rekt in Atlanta though. Atlanta is a very active city for business, more than people realize. Google getting this amount of business from Comcast is going to force Comcast's hand in offering better service (maybe (doubtfully)) which is what Google has wanted all along. Oh well. It may be too late for Comcast in Atlanta.

[MilkJugg24]

It's sad because people will actually fall for this.

 

We pay 120 dollars a month for cable, phone and 26down/2.5up internet with a 350GB cap every month (Which is NEVER enough for our needs). I wish someone would sue ISPs to get rid of the data caps or drastically lower the prices, it's pretty much a monopoly here in the middle of nowhere.

[Hman1250]

6 minutes ago, MilkJugg24 said:

It's sad because people will actually fall for this.

 

We pay 120 dollars a month for cable, phone and 26down/2.5up internet with a 350GB cap every month (Which is NEVER enough for our needs). I wish someone would sue ISPs to get rid of the data caps or drastically lower the prices, it's pretty much a monopoly here in the middle of nowhere.

Sounds like Rogers right here.

[Starelementpoke]

38 minutes ago, Kloaked said:

-Snip-

Someone beat you to it: 

 

[Guest Kloaked]

Just now, Starelementpoke said:

Someone beat you to it: 

 

Their thread isn't even up to standard. I already reported it.

 

Their thread wasn't even made when I started working on mine -- all they did was post a link.

[Josephdalepi]

40 minutes ago, Kloaked said:

Original Article: http://arstechnica.com/business/2016/02/as-google-fiber-hits-atlanta-comcast-says-dont-fall-for-the-hype/

 

 

 

 

 

All of a sudden, Netflix, Youtube and so on will start to work properly on Xfinity connections. It's like it would work properly all along!

 

 

 

 

Yes yes, I know. Another user from le Reddit to tell us about something going on outside. Still, Comcast doing something like this tells me how much self-awareness they have (spoiler alert: none).

 

 

 

 

So Comcast enforces a 300GB data cap per month with a $35 extra premium for unlimited, and they wonder why they're in trouble. I'm thinking they'll probably waive the premium and up the cap (not eliminating it) to make their service more appealing to people who just don't feel like switching, if they were to do such a thing anyways. I can't imagine someone not wanting to switch to Google Fiber since it's less expensive and you get more for your money.

 

There's more stuff in the article, and I suggest everyone go read it.

 

Comcast is about to get rekt in Atlanta though. Atlanta is a very active city for business, more than people realize. Google getting this amount of business from Comcast is going to force Comcast's hand in offering better service (maybe (doubtfully)) which is what Google has wanted all along. Oh well. It may be too late for Comcast in Atlanta.

this is some straight bullshit

not only is fibre cheapeer

but they have a free one for everyone, with NO LIMITS ON DATA 

its only 5 megs, but seriously

free

[atrash]

This is actually a repost but imo a better written post. 

 

That tagline 'don't fall for the hype' is so cringey.. Here in UK, I'm getting letters from my ISP (BT) from time to time to review my account/subscription and check if other ISPs offer better deals and if I wish to upgrade. Nothing cringey

[Starelementpoke]

5 minutes ago, Kloaked said:

Their thread isn't even up to standard. I already reported it.

 

Their thread wasn't even made when I started working on mine -- all they did was post a link.

Still technically a repost, even if it is better written.

[Guest Kloaked]

Just now, Starelementpoke said:

Still technically a repost, even if it is better written.

I know it's a repost. I'm not arguing that.

 

Mods have merged threads like this before, when there's two threads like this and one is a one-liner copypasta; all the other OP did was post a link and a one-liner. Up to the mods.

[The Benjamins]

5 minutes ago, DEcobra11 said:

Wait what?

You've data caps in US?

I though it was a myth...

It is technically their but I don't know anyone who has had issue using more then it.

[Trik'Stari]

Did they legitimately claim to have better customer service than Google?

 

They did. Someone go make one of these videos

 

About this article. I don't know if Google has good customer service or not, but I know that the idea of Comcast claiming to have better customer service than ANYONE is a complete joke.

[Crazy Ginger]

I love how one of their defenses is OH BUT IF YOU GO TO GOOGLE FIBRE, YOU WONT GET TO USE OUR FANCY COOL AWESOME X1 REMOTE! That is a very important feature of Comcast service and obviously the first thing people think about when they have the choice between Comcast and someone else.  I mean, from their perspective, not being able to use a voice activated x1 controller is obviously a huge dealbreaker.  Not the internet or cable service, the remote.  

[EmeraldKiwi]

Gonna make sure my uncle switches to Google fiber.  He has Comcast in Atlanta,  and it sucks. Alot. 

[CommandMan7]

1 hour ago, Trik'Stari said:

Did they legitimately claim to have better customer service than Google?

 

They did. Someone go make one of these videos

SNIP

About this article. I don't know if Google has good customer service or not, but I know that the idea of Comcast claiming to have better customer service than ANYONE is a complete joke.

Ask, and ye shall receive.

 

 

 

[NateGSR117]

I don't understand how they have the fastest in home wifi? It fiber connection, just hook that up to the modem and then to the router and I have gigabit wifi and wired. Even then it not like you are going to download things at those speeds unless you are transferring files between machines with raided ssd's. Sure they have 2gig fiber but that hell expensive compared to Google asking price. 

[Trik'Stari]

30 minutes ago, CommandMan7 said:

Ask, and ye shall receive.

 

 

 

Thank you for this. Thank you a thousand times over.

[TriviaBeast]

Wait what?

You've data caps in US?

I though it was a myth...

I have Cox in the US. We get 100 down and 50 up for 70 bucks a month. Our data cap in 750gb but in the contract it says there is no penalty for going over. Weird, but when the cap was 350 I routinely went over and nothing ever happened. In fact, after several months they increased my cap to 750. Again, no penalty for going over the random limit.

[Trik'Stari]

1 minute ago, TriviaBeast said:

I have Cox in the US. We get 100 down and 50 up for 70 bucks a month. Our data cap in 750gb but in the contract it says there is no penalty for going over. Weird, but when the cap was 350 I routinely went over and nothing ever happened. In fact, after several months they increased my cap to 750. Again, no penalty for going over the random limit.

I have no cap, and we routinely get throttled. No charges though.

 

ISP is Century Link

[TriviaBeast]

But what's the point ?

Possibly in the future they could amend it or something. But again, my punishment for going over was being allowed another 400gb so IDK.

ETA: we have never been throttled, even when way over the original 350 cap. Speeds normally stay 85-100 all day long. They offer a 150 up service but it's not cost effective for my uses.

[Yog]

34 minutes ago, NateGSR117 said:

I don't understand how they have the fastest in home wifi? It fiber connection, just hook that up to the modem and then to the router and I have gigabit wifi and wired. Even then it not like you are going to download things at those speeds unless you are transferring files between machines with raided ssd's. Sure they have 2gig fiber but that hell expensive compared to Google asking price. 

I actually looked into that. The flyer says it's referencing an Allion test labs study done in Nov 2014 when it claims to have "fastest in-home wifi". That study was a comparison of gateways (modem/router combos) provided by ISPs where Comcast's gateway offers a higher throughput. The problem with Comcast using this study to make its wifi claim against google is A) the study only mentions gateways provided by the ISPs and doesn't address the fact that people can use routers from third party provides and B) the study doesn't mention Google at all or whatever wifi router they might provide their customers.

 

Source: http://allionusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Allion-ISP-Gateway-White-Paper-11-04-2014.pdf

[Trik'Stari]

40 minutes ago, Yog said:

I actually looked into that. The flyer says it's referencing an Allion test labs study done in Nov 2014 when it claims to have "fastest in-home wifi". That study was a comparison of gateways (modem/router combos) provided by ISPs where Comcast's gateway offers a higher throughput. The problem with Comcast using this study to make its wifi claim against google is A) the study only mentions gateways provided by the ISPs and doesn't address the fact that people can use routers from third party provides and B) the study doesn't mention Google at all or whatever wifi router they might provide their customers.

 

Source: http://allionusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Allion-ISP-Gateway-White-Paper-11-04-2014.pdf

And C) The router/modem you get from Comcast will probably be shit, and probably not be the one that the study used.

[Suika]

"We're afraid of competition, it costs money, there's no reason to have it!" ~ Comcast

[MoonSpot]

GG Atlanta!  and....WTH does in home Wi-Fi have to do with anything here anyways?  Doesn't everyone get their own router to put behind their ISPs modem anyway?

[Fgtfv567]

All the ISPs should be scared of google fiber. 1Gbit a sec for a flat 70 a month?! Free internet if you're super poor?! Thank god there's some competition now! I wish they'd come to Oakland CA!

[bobhays]

I only wish that google would have a solid middle ground. Like Instead of 1Gb maybe 100Mb for like 30 a month. That would be the best solution for 90% of people.