Spectrum Interent Service

[chscag]

Our over the air TV here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area offers around 50 channels depending on your location and type of antenna being used. Most of the stations broadcast side channels digitally which is why so many are available.

However, many of those channels are in Spanish (understandable for this area) and some are the typical "Home Shopping" variety.

I'm a big fan of the National Geo channel, History, Smithsonian, Military History, etc, etc. None of those are local broadcast. Also our ISP provides around 50 music channels with no advertising. That's something else I like. I guess I'm hooked. LOL

 

[krs]

I was offered satellite internet service at a country house years ago, but it was ridiculously expensive.
And one still deals with an ISP.
The latest offer at that country house now is wireless internet at up to 50 Mb/s for $C130.- per month.

 

[rainbowcat]

Dislike Spectrum immensely, but there is no choice in the rural area where I live. We only got high speed internet about 10 years ago, and there are still many areas with no internet. Spectrum doubled our bill at the beginning of the pandemic, so I dropped cable. The internet-only bill creeps up by a dollar or two every month. Plus they were down for 5 days in April and gave me a hard time about a refund for those days. They are down at least once every 2 months, yet they keep advertising reliable cell phone service. They are a joke

 

[Marrk]

there is no choice in the rural area where I live.

This is the problem. It's a monopoly, in practice if not by definition.

 

[rainbowcat]

Exactly. I contacted our town office, and they can not dump Spectrum because they can refuse to remove their equipment and block any other company. They have had many, many complaints about Spectrum, but they have no power to do anything about it.

 

[Marrk]

Capitalism without regulation is going to do one thing: Seek return to shareholders (vide Milton Friedman). If your business is selling chocolate cake, then there is not much harm to the public good. The public can live without chocolate cake. But what if your service or product is essential — to the individual and to the growth and prosperity of society as a whole?

Not trying to be political. Just responding to the idea above that "nothing is free."

 

[chscag]

Dislike Spectrum immensely, but there is no choice in the rural area where I live.

Many years ago, I had Charter communications service (now called Spectrum) in my home. Both internet and cable TV. Service was terrible and we finally disconnected everything and I hooked up to a rooftop antenna and went with another internet company.

Fortunately here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area we have several providers to choose from other than Spectrum. But dealing with any of them is really the same.

They are usually arrogant, and always ready to raise prices. With the pandemic ongoing, providers know that folks are staying at home, need internet, and watching lots of TV.

Hopefully, vaccines will be coming to everyone soon. Some areas here in Texas are already beginning to dispense the vaccine to those folks who are most vulnerable.

 

[michaelakern]

I am in a unique situation as I get my cable tv through Spectrum but it is included in my monthly HOA fee. They offer internet but you had to pay that service yourself, but as previous people have stated they keep jacking up the price so I asked for a better rate and they basically told me to pound sand. I switched to AT&T and have internet service through them. Nothing fast, but enough to surf and work from home. Funny how many calls and letters I get now from Spectrum begging me to come back for a great deal. When AT&T raises their rates, I might think about it.