Comcast VS. Atlantic Broadband
Bella and I Did some number crunching with the info we had and went to a Presidents meeting at UCO today. I, like many of you was looking at the comparison charts and it was a little confusing, especially the last line showing the $350/unit vs. #450/unit and did not realize that it is the amount that WE (UCO) gets FROM Comcast and Atlantic Broadband!
If you look at just the numbers
channels: ..Comcast 187 /AB 315
PRICE: Comcast 32.29 / AB 29.00
after 5 years .....CC 38.27 /AB 32.75
10 yrs ...............CC 44.36 / AB 39.00
option with internet included
Mbps .......CC 75 / AB 150
price .......CC 52.50 /AB 50.99
after 5 yrs CC 60.86 /AB 55.00
10 yrs ... CC 70.53 / AB 61.25
Makes things a little clearer?
Atlantic Broadband is the wiser choice. Oh yeah, I also mentioned at the meeting that with AB we get a THIRD community channel and suggested that it be handed over to the other people in the village to voice their opinions. David liked the idea.
If you look at just the numbers
channels: ..Comcast 187 /AB 315
PRICE: Comcast 32.29 / AB 29.00
after 5 years .....CC 38.27 /AB 32.75
10 yrs ...............CC 44.36 / AB 39.00
option with internet included
Mbps .......CC 75 / AB 150
price .......CC 52.50 /AB 50.99
after 5 yrs CC 60.86 /AB 55.00
10 yrs ... CC 70.53 / AB 61.25
Makes things a little clearer?
Atlantic Broadband is the wiser choice. Oh yeah, I also mentioned at the meeting that with AB we get a THIRD community channel and suggested that it be handed over to the other people in the village to voice their opinions. David liked the idea.
I'm not sure you are making it clearer to me, Bob. To begin with, what is "Mbps"? Maybe I should know, but if I don't know, I suspect a number of others may not. The following costs mean nothing to me unless I know what Mbps IS. Second, are you sure the 187 channels for Comcast is correct? I seem to recall something very recent from Dave Israel saying there had been a misprint somewhere about "number of channels" and the "1" should be a "4" or a "3." Third, the devil is often in the details in something like this. I wonder if you have simplified it too much? And finally, may I ask what you mean by "Presidents meeting"? Do you mean a meeting with Dave Israel or something else?
ReplyDeleteI think I'm a little clearer now, Bob. Your post on my computer screen was truncated, and I'm back from supper now, having checked your own blog, where your entire post shows on my screen.
ReplyDeleteIt dawned on me in the meantime that "bps" must means bytes per second, and the "m" must stand for mega or another prefix beginning with "m." Also, I see that the misprint in the Reporter chart number of channels had to do with Atlantic Broadband (AB), saying they provided 115 when it is really 315, which is what you said. And the Comcast (CC) number of channels is less than this, 197, which is again what you said. And I see you did meet with Dave (this part was cut off). Of course, what these channels ARE matters, though. It doesn't add much for me if a hundred or more of them are Spanish channels or channels where they are only selling products.
What do you mean by handing over the third AB community channel to "the other people in the village"? Do you mean those who bill themselves on the "My Village Blogger" as "the malcontents"?
I'm feeling rushed (and don't like it) because the Delegate Assembly, where we're supposed to decide which company we want to go with, is only hours away, and details of this very complex thing have been changing through negotiations, outdated information and misprints right up to the last minute. I guess it's only a straw vote, but it's supposed to count for something, I'm sure, else why would we be having it?
Yes Lanny, I was referring to the "malcontents". Even with the information that there was now three options for video at $26, $28 and the $29 levels, people who always claim to want to pay less and get more just didn't get the message.
ReplyDeleteDA is over and everyone polled wants to PAY MORE for less, I guess that's the way it goes with condo living. The uninformed continue to follow the uninformed and the ones that don't want to progress. The next person that claims the DA is a bunch of sheep that don't really know what they vote on, I will just pat them on the back and say, So true, it's sad, but so true.
Hi Bob,
DeleteThe $26 and $28 dollar products are lesser content tiers (less number of channels), thus clearly not apples TO apples.
Dave Israel
Except for the three or four who went on endlessly attacking the deliberations and hard work of the Committee from the beginning and who cast the worst aspersions on CSI from ignorance, I think today's discussions were fruitful if for no other reason than to give the people a chance to say what they thought was important. People like to be consulted and have a little say. At the end when we were asked to vote for whether we preferred Comcast (CC) or Atlantic Broadband (AB), I really didn't know how to vote, but I voted for AB (as you had suggested, Bob). I noticed that a friend whose judgment I respect voted for CC, so our votes cancelled each other out!
ReplyDeleteAs long as the prices remain reasonably close, I think two important considerations are: (a) which company will best ensure that the INSIDE WIRING is adequate, and (2) which company can be best relied on to send a tech out when help is needed without charging.
Our inside wiring is not a minor consideration, because the strength of the signal to our appliances is no better than the weakest link in the cable (very possibly the wiring in our units). And free assistance is important, because there's nothing more irritating than a problem with one's communications. We take our appliances for granted when they work; when they don't, it's VERY frustrating. And to have to pay for the service (and who knows, maybe more than once) is doubly frustrating.
I thought AB would do better on both counts. They would have a tech ON SITE, for one thing. That shows me they're serious about rendering timely help. Free service and top-condition inside wiring are worth a lot. A $500,000 overall difference in the cost of the two proposals by the two companies might sound like a lot of money, but over ten years spread among 7800 units, it is only 5-1/2 CENTS per unit per month! That's pretty good insurance in my book.
If the Village gets a third community channel, I would NOT be for letting the "malcontents" use it. Free of charge for their own use to continue to vilify Dave Israel and be negative about almost every single effort in the Village? This would be like giving an arsonist a box of matches and a container of gasoline so he can better "express himself"! Do you think you might rethink this, Bob?
Correction: I checked this on the calculator three times and still got it wrong, I see this morning. $500,000 saved for the Village over a ten-year period would save each unit 54 CENTS per month. It's still pretty good insurance.
DeleteAt a meeting yesterday, I made the suggestion and David sounded like he liked the idea. I think if they had an outlet for their frustrations it just might help the people in this village to start communicating in a positive manner and actually start to listen to one another. Of course that could be as you put it "like giving an arsonist a box of matches and a container of gasoline"... That would be totally up to them. Either they can take what is given to them and do something positive with it, or they can destroy themselves and the village with them.
ReplyDelete