COMCAST OR ATLANTIC BROADBAND?

SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:

In a straw vote at the March 3 Delegate Assembly, an overwhelming number of the delegates voted for Comcast (CC) as opposed to Atlantic Broadband (AB) to be our cable company for an upcoming ten years providing TV, OPTIONAL Internet, and OPTIONAL phone service.

This was not a final vote, however. The time for that will come when negotiations with both companies have been completed and their final proposals are in, the "I's" dotted and the "t's" crossed. The straw vote was to get an idea of how the delegates feel at this point.

I am not attempting here to convince anybody one way or the other between CC and AB, but to mention a few points to consider:

1. We do not have forever, as some suggest, to decide one way or the other. The present Comcast contract expires in June 2019, and Atlantic Broadband—if they are to remain a viable contender—needs 18 months to get their fiber-optic cable from North Miami to the Village, and then throughout the Village and to our condos. (I don't believe they will be actually digging a trench from North Miami to CV. I believe that part will be a matter of leasing equipment already in place and getting permits—but this still takes considerable time. Actual trenching, however, will be done in the Village.) You can do the math to see when negotiations need to be completed—I should think in the fall.

2. It is vital that AB and Comcast REMAIN viable contenders, as it is the competition that has forced each company to progressively over the past few months "sweeten the pot." 
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AB has advised us that the TiVo T-6 will have a modification allowing it to accept voice commands just like the Comcast Infinity X1 system. This is the newest "pot sweetener" (DBI)
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Our business is worth a great deal to them, that is certain. But if CC sees that AB is not in the running because there is no longer sufficient time for them to get their cable to us, then, as Dave Israel says, expect a whole new ballgame with CC's prices skyrocketing. Nothing is final until a contract has been drawn up by the lawyers and signed by all the parties.

3. Keep in mind that costs and benefits are not always what they might seem. For example, a $500,000 cost (or benefit) difference for the Village over ten years between the two companies breaks down to only 54 CENTS per condo unit per month. (Divide $500,000 by 10 years, then by 12 months, and finally by 7800 units.) To give an example, that might seem a very small price to pay for greater customer satisfaction.

4. Keep in mind that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If you have the best fiber-optic cable installed right up TO a residence and the wiring inside the unit is questionable, the "signal" at the TV or other appliance may be poor. With which company can we be more certain of the inside wiring being top-notch—as it needs to be?
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Both providers will check the interior wiring, and if the signal strength is inadequate, will replace the wiring at no cost to us. (DBI)
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5. The single most important thing about a cable contract, Leo Delgardo of CSI Associates has told us, is getting service when you need it—the first time you call, service that fixes the problem, and service that to the extent possible is cost-free. Pros and cons to consider are: past customer satisfaction, the company's experience over time, if they will have a technician on site daily, and how the cost (if any) is calculated.
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AB has agreed to an on-site service Tech. availability. (DBI)
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6. Does it make sense to go with a company that, yes, is the giant in the industry with years of experience, but also has a reputation of having been unresponsive to customers with problems? Or does it make sense to go with a smaller, relatively new company (that isn't really a brand-new company; in fact its parent company, Cogeco, is the eighth largest telecommunications company in North America), on the assumption that the new company, which badly wants our business in order to set itself up in southeastern Florida, will be more motivated to please? Do you go with a known quantity or a less-well-known quantity?

7. Both companies are now offering ten-year contracts, but (from what I understand) a new Comcast contract could start from this fall, not June 2019. Whereas June 2019 would be the start date with AB. Thus, while with CC the new contract might expire in the fall of 2027, we would be locked into a new AB contract until June 2029, about 18 months later.

I believe the above are some important things to consider, especially if the prices the two companies propose are close. My thanks to all on the Committee, who have labored long and diligently to bring this great benefit of TV with the options of Internet and/or telephone—all at unheard-of low prices—to Century Village. Please feel free, any of you who know better, to correct anything I have said.
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Good Post Lanny, perhaps a good article for the UCO Reporter. (DBI)
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