Thursday, February 13, 2014

Cable ties

Time Warner Cable has been the cable and internet provider around these parts for years. We love to rag on them (and I've had my share of less than stellar customer service from them, though in fairness, I've had a few great experiences as well), but they are our company to rag on, you know?

Word has come down that Comcast is planning to buy out TWC, adding TWC to the largest media company in the world.

This is not good news for subscribers.

Everyone I know who has Comcast as a provider has at least one horror story to tell that far outstrips any a TWC customer has to offer. Aside from the lousy customer service, the larger company will be able to force customers to accept new bundles, most likely carrying services/channels they neither want nor use, and most definitely carrying a higher price tag.

My own internet service is through TWC, on an extension of the contract the university has with TWC for the internet service in the dorms and other campus buildings. I can easily see this buyout costing the university a bundle (no pun intended). I won't whine (much) if the cost of my internet goes up; I've been paying only $32 a month for the last five years or more, versus the $60+ (and that's a lowball) for the same type of service were I to buy it individually.

Our one hope here is that the combined company will trigger anti-trust laws, but I'm not holding out much hope. Big brother wants to control all the information, and this is one step in that direction.

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