ISPs to start adding fees for VoIP users?

Posts: 40 · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 10:23 pm Post subject:

Mr. Sorento,

I agree 100% if you cannot compete make your product better! The problem is that for years these cable and tel cos, have been the only major player for services in a given area. Even with Satellite Vs. Cable the subscriber base of both major satellite companies cannot compare to cable's numbers.

These huge conglomerates are used being able to strongarm people in doing business their way or the highway. So 2 or 3 maybe even 3 or 4 people cancel their cable TV today, there are twenty people more signing up tomorrow.

The companies have to wake up and realize not everyone is going to conform to their standards forever! Now with verizon installing fiber lines into home in a few parts of the country. People have the choice to get video services from a telco.

Sooner or later everyone is going to have multiple ways to get all these services and then the these "big dogs" will actually have to compete and maybe even have decent customer service. Eek

Posts: 233 · Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 7:54 am Post subject:

Quote:

Sooner or later everyone is going to have multiple ways to get all these services and then the these "big dogs" will actually have to compete and maybe even have decent customer service.

How true. IMHO some of them need to go to the dog pound now.

Capitalism will prevail and if not, the government will put in its 2 cents for a charge. You are already seeing that happen when the old monopolies have to carry everybody elses telco service to your house. I forget where it is on the Internet, but there is a database where you put in the area code and exchange; in return it tells you the owner, the type of equipment, and where it is located. So I started poking around. When I looked at larger towns where, for example, BellSouth was dominant you would be surprised to see who had their equipment located in BellSouth's building. Of course it is to get access to the lines. But we all know the old boys did not do this willingly. So, by capitalism or taxes we'll get there. Eek

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: Oct 21, 2005 Posts: 5

I suspect most of the forum members don't remember when cable TV was brand new.

I also suspect few folks here have ever had to lay cable under a public road. In most localities, if you dig a trench across the road, you now own maintenence responsibilities on that road for a set period of time. It's hugely expensive. The various cable companies took on that expense years ago.

Investments are a combination of forward thinking and wild assed gamble. Depending on how much credit you give them, the cable companies either were prescient, or damned lucky. Either way, it was their capital that was gambled - they should reap the rewards.

I think the cable companies should either be allowed to charge all the market will bear, which may stimulate competiion - or we reclassify them as a common carrier - with their exisitng connections grandfathered under exisiting regulations - but no new connections allowed.