Canceled My Service Today

[Questioner]

Hey Q, do they have fios in your area??? they don't seem to have it available here in Columbus.

Yes they do, they are expanding pretty rapidly, so stay tuned.

 

[BillyT]

So, where the hell are they in Maine already? I'd switch in a minute, but Verizon is a pain in the *** because they have thus far refused to build in Maine and frankly, I'm sick of waiting for them. When they do build in Maine, I may just spite them for having to have waited for so long.

 

[Questioner]

So, where the hell are they in Maine already? I'd switch in a minute, but Verizon is a pain in the *** because they have thus far refused to build in Maine and frankly, I'm sick of waiting for them. When they do build in Maine, I may just spite them for having to have waited for so long.

Well they are a broadband service like dsl internet. Nothing against Maine, but I imagine it took quite a while for broadband to reach many parts of the state, especially dsl.

 

[ScoBuck]

It's going to take an awful long time for FiOS to become a major player on a nationwide scale: (from a financial article end of September)

As for the FiOS television offering, Verizon has introduced a unique concept of product convergence by integrating contents from devices like personal computers and cell phones into television screens. The service had about 100,000 users by the end of June, also with a churn rate of just 1.5 percent. The current target is 175,000 users by year's end, for a penetration rate of 10 percent. FiOS TV was available to about 1 million users at the end of the second quarter.

The entire buildout is on target to pass 6 million homes by the end of 2006, with about 3 million more slated for each successive year.

The company's current goal is 6 million to 7 million FiOS Internet customers by 2010, a 35 percent to 40 percent penetration rate of then-available homes. That's an increase from an earlier target of 30 percent. The goal is 3 million to 4 million FiOS TV customers by 2010, for a penetration rate of 20 to 25 percent. Both goals are based on penetration rates that have averaged 12 percent for the first nine months operating in test areas and 15 percent after the first year. Roughly 80 percent of FiOS customers are now buying a bundle of voice, data and TV service.

here is a link to the entire article:
http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/rconrad/2006/0929.html

 

[Jhon69]

Both FiOS and Uverse I will check out with great interest.The main concern would be the down time due to service interruption.That to me has got to be the biggest plus about satellite.Because for each attaboy you feel about your service it only takes one aw crap to make you remember the stability of a satellite system.

 

[FlyingJ]

Yes they do, they are expanding pretty rapidly, so stay tuned.

Then why don't you get it so you can stop taking whacks at D*??

 

[bidger`]

I saw an item on the local news about pending legislation to clear the path for phone cos offering TV service bypassing existing restrictions, but I don't know if anything will come of it. I do see Verizon FIOS ads on YES when they used to mention Verizon DSL service with DirecTV. Of course that's a much bigger market than mine.

Back to the OT, I think D* has come to the realization that: 1) some folks used the "I'll go elsewhere" threat just to get deals and 2) if people were of the mind they were leaving anyway, it's questionable how long they'll stay after the "sweet deal" expires. I think it also signifies the lock down in deals leading up to the ownership transfer in the middle of the year and the pending launch of new satellites.

 

[ScoBuck]

Not only that, but DISH is no longer broadcasting any full rezz HD. They have joined the HD-lite brigade.

They are now severely strapped for bandwidth, and in fact will be losing bandwidth soon at the 129 position. In fact Charlie had this to say (Echostar filing with SEC from 3/07/07):

In December 2006, Liberty Media Corporation ("Liberty") agreed to exchange its 16.3% stake in News Corporation for News Corporation's stake in DirecTV, together with regional sports networks in Denver, Pittsburg and Seattle. The deal is expected to be completed during the second half of 2007. News Corporation and Liberty each have ownership interests in diverse world-wide programming content and other related businesses. These assets provide competitive advantages to DirecTV with respect to the acquisition of programming, content and other business opportunities valuable to our industry.

In addition, DirecTV's satellite receivers are sold in a significantly greater number of consumer electronics stores than ours. As a result of this and other factors, our services are less well known to consumers than those of DirecTV. Due to this relative lack of consumer awareness and other factors, we are at a competitive marketing disadvantage compared to DirecTV. DirecTV also offers exclusive programming, and may have access to discounts on programming, not available to us. DirecTV plans to launch two new satellites in 2007 in order to offer local and national channel programming in HD to most of the U.S. population. Although we have launched our own HD initiatives, if DirecTV fully implements these plans, they may have an additional competitive advantage.

Impact of High Definition TV . Although we believe we currently offer consumers a compelling amount of HD programming content, other multi-channel video providers may be better equipped to increase their HD offerings to respond to increasing consumer demand for this content. For example, cable companies are able to offer local network channels in HD in more markets than we can, and DirecTV has announced that it will soon be able to offer over 150 channels of HD programming by satellite. We could be further disadvantaged to the extent a significant number of local broadcasters begin offering local channels in HD. We may be required to make substantial additional investments in infrastructure to respond to competitive pressure to deliver additional HD programming, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to effectively compete with HD program offerings from other video providers.

This is THEIR words, not mine.

 

[Questioner]

Then why don't you get it so you can stop taking whacks at D*??

Because it's part of my job to whack all different providers.

 

[chazcbh]

Sunday Ticket will keep me right where I am. They have dug up the street, fiber is coming but I won't be letting them pull it to my house. Just installed new pavers and they are not pulling them up for something I won't be using.

From what I can tell here in Staten Island even where they offer Fios internet & Phone they are still not offering TV services yet. Maybe soon but like I said who cares. SUNDAY TICKET!!!!!

 

[FlyingJ]

Because it's part of my job to whack all different providers.

Your job??? I think your whacking is 99% D*. So why do you have D* and not fios??

....and me too chazcbh, Sunday Ticket and EI, nothing more to talk about here.

 

[Questioner]

Your job??? I think your whacking is 99% D*. So why do you have D* and not fios??

....and me too chazcbh, Sunday Ticket and EI, nothing more to talk about here.

You need to hang out in a better variety of forums then I guess. I do plenty of whacking all around.

 

[charper1]

I do plenty of whacking all around.

LOL! OUCH!

 

[ScoBuck]

You need to hang out in a better variety of forums then I guess. I do plenty of whacking all around.

Hey Q, my friend - do me a solid. Just post a link to anything you have said in this forum negative about any provider other than DirecTV. I went through your post for the past 3 months and I can't find ANY.

The only answer I want is a link to a post. Thanks in advance my friend.

 

[Newshawk]

Hey Q, my friend - do me a solid. Just post a link to anything you have said in this forum negative about any provider other than DirecTV. I went through your post for the past 3 months and I can't find ANY.

The only answer I want is a link to a post. Thanks in advance my friend.

Actually, Scobuck, Q can't give you a link. I just scanned all 443 posts listed in Q's profile, and all but one are listed as being in a D* forum. The only one not listed as being in a D* forum is in the Classified forum, and it appears to have been move there by a mod from a D* forum. Unless Q is posting under multiple accounts, which I'd guess is a violation of the TOS, he's just blowing smoke.

 

[vurbano]

Oh my, the D* apologists are crucifying someone for telling the truth.

 

[FlyingJ]

You need to hang out in a better variety of forums then I guess. I do plenty of whacking all around.

Still, if you can take a second off from your constant whacking....why don't you have fios, which you seem to love, and why do you have D*, which you have nothing but contempt for, wow, kind of reminds me of someone else.

 

[ScoBuck]

Oh my, the D* apologists are crucifying someone for telling the truth.

No you actually have to tell the truth in order to be crucified for telling the truth.

 

[mdonnelly]

...
This is THEIR words, not mine.

Echostar isn't the only public corporation required to file a 10-K statement with the SEC. This is from DirecTV's 10-K filed on 3/1/2007:

... In addition, cable television operators have grown their subscriber bases through mergers and acquisitions. Moreover, mergers, joint ventures and alliances among franchise, wireless or private cable television operators, RBOCs, and others may result in providers capable of offering bundled cable television, data and telecommunications services in competition with our services.

We do not currently offer local channel coverage to markets covering approximately six percent of U.S. television households, which places us at a competitive disadvantage in those markets. We also have been unable to secure certain international programming, due to exclusive arrangements of programming providers with certain competitors, which has constrained our ability to compete for subscribers who wish to obtain such programming.

In the United States various RBOCs have deployed fiber optic lines directly to customers' homes or neighborhoods to deliver video services, which compete with the DIRECTV service. It is uncertain whether we will be able to increase our satellite capacity, offer a significant level of new services in existing markets in which we compete or expand to additional markets as may be necessary to compete effectively. Some of these RBOCs also sell the DIRECTV service as a bundle with their voice and data services. The existence of a new broadly-deployed network with the capability of providing video, voice and data services could present a significant competitive challenge. Should their deployment of fiber optic lines for video grow substantially, we may be unable to develop other distribution methods to make up for lost sales through the RBOCs.

AT&T recently acquired BellSouth, one of the RBOCs that sells the DIRECTV service. AT&T has a similar arrangement with EchoStar. It is possible that, as a result of this transaction, our arrangements with BellSouth might be adversely affected.

As a result of these and other factors, we may not be able to continue to expand our subscriber base or compete effectively against cable television or other MVPD operators in the future. ...

http://yahoo.brand.edgar-online.com/fetchFilingFrameset.aspx?dcn=0001047469-07-001506&Type=HTML
Their words, not mine.

 

[damaged]

Oh my, the D* apologists are crucifying someone for telling the truth.

So that HR10 _you_ have is from which provider? D*, right? So it cannot be all that bad if you stuck with it all this time.