Qwest, Comcast Duel Over DSL Ads
from the what-can-you-say? dept
The latest fight in the internet connection space may become more important as the FCC moves to deregulate media ownership even further. Qwest is apparently quite angry at Comcast because the dominant cable provider in the US refuses to air Qwest television advertisements pitching DSL service - since it competes with their own cable modem service. Comcast says that Qwest has the right to advertise however they want, but Comcast shouldn't be forced into airing those ads. Also, if the FCC continues to relax media ownership rules then, conceivably, companies like Comcast could end up owning all different kinds of media - all of which would then block competing DSL ads. Of course, in the end, I think this is silly. If the cable companies provide a better service, then they shouldn't be afraid of some television advertising. If they really think that by denying Qwest airtime no one will figure out that Qwest offers DSL, then they're just being shortsighted.
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Service is great.
Don't know what they're afriad of.
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Revolutionizing the Cable-Broadband Industry
Comcast has been accumulating a bad reputation for silliness just like what Mike describes, a recent example of which being their move into the Seattle (.wa.us) area: according to first-hand reports, the only thing comcast did when they took over for AT&T's cable-tv and cable-broadband biz units in the area was to raise the price.
Oh, that's maybe not all. They also enforced their standard AUP, which outlaws the use of NAT boxes. This is especially hilarious because, according to the same first-hand reports, AT&T has been continually advertising a special for the last year: get a new broadband connection and get a deal on a LinkSys NAT box! Do you have any idea how many recent AT&T broadband subscribers are now violating their Comcast terms of service withough even knowing it?
I'm curious if Comcast users will get cease-and-desist letters, now that the TTL values can sometimes sniff out Natters - explain that to Joe Sixpack, who finally scraped together a second computer for the wife (I know just such a guy) and is now an outlaw in the eyes of comcast.
At least AT&T picked up the phone when customers complained. I'm told that, in some areas, it's worse than when a Bell ran the TV signal. That's a new standard in support.
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Internet, eh?
(OK, this eye-for-an-eye requires a significant suspension of many disbeliefs, but just take it as my way of saying the folks at Comcast are behaving like losers on this one-- if it is indeed true.)
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