[TriLUG] TWC "Existing Customer Promotion"

[Brian McCullough]

On Wed, Mar 12, 2014 at 06:27:56AM -0400, Sean Alexandre wrote:
> I pay $78/month for Time Warner Cable's "Extreme" Internet service: 30 down and
> 5 up Mbps.
> 
> I called yesterday to cancel and was told I could get an "Existing Customer
> Promotion" that's the same rate as the new customer promotion. It would last
> one year, and could be renewed every year by calling them. The rate would be
> $55/month isntead of $78/month.
> 
> Seems I could have been saving over $200/yr on my Internet service.
> 
> <bag of worms opening>
> Is TWC not regulated as a utility, and if they are regulated as a utility
> shouldn't they be required to charge what a service costs them to provide
> versus how much they think they can get? 
> </bag of worms opening>

Of course, IANAL, but the way that I understand it, and the reason for the other two bags of worms, the net neutrality and municipal Internet issues, is that they are NOT regulated as a utility.  Some time ago ( maybe a decade ), the FCC under Bush changed the Internet providers in this country away from being utilities.  I forget the term today, but they are allowed to dictate to municipalities, operate as monopolies and charge what they please, from one customer to the next.


Isn't gubment fun?


B-)