COX is raising their rates. Hasn't even been a year since the last hike

[Mike 01Hawk]

  

"Preferred" Internet package only.  My recent monthly costs.
2-12: $47.99
3-12: $51.99
3-13: $54.99
12-13: $60.99

[patric]

 

"Preferred" Internet package only.  My recent monthly costs.
2-12: $47.99
3-12: $51.99
3-13: $54.99
12-13: $60.99

They usually wait till spring.
Is it just their internet that's going up?

[Hoss]

They usually wait till spring.
Is it just their internet that's going up?

I haven't seen any notices, but mine won't go up because I have a price lock from last winter.  However, with the speed increase, I'm not surprised in seeing it.  They essentially doubled speeds for everyone Preferred and up.

[YoungTulsan]

Traditional TV, while especially network, includes cable as well, is dying a very fast death thanks to online content, Netflix, Hulu, etc.

While some shows still inexplicably attract large followings, media is balkanized and catered to niche markets.  With internet content delivery, traditional cable where you pay for all of these channels isn't needed.   Since every channel is niche, you find yourself paying $100 a month for 95% channels you don't watch just to get the content you do want.   Young people have already opted out en masse.

You probably already know that.   But, knowing that, how does the cable monopoly respond?

Well, we were all paying $150/month for digital HD cable PLUS high speed internet.   People are cancelling their digital cable and just going with internet and getting all of their content online.

So basically, if traditional cable dies, the cable company is going to try to get you to pay as much of that $150 a month you WERE paying for JUST your internet.

These price increases are just the beginning.  Right now, they really do have the monopoly on the fastest internet (DSL just doesn't cut it, Satellite?  Come on.  4G?  Couldn't sustain it if everyone jumped on board), as a good old fashioned fiber optic still can't be beat.

Hopefully that can change, their stranglehold can be broken, and this stupid old model can die quicker.

[Hoss]

Traditional TV, while especially network, includes cable as well, is dying a very fast death thanks to online content, Netflix, Hulu, etc.

While some shows still inexplicably attract large followings, media is balkanized and catered to niche markets.  With internet content delivery, traditional cable where you pay for all of these channels isn't needed.   Since every channel is niche, you find yourself paying $100 a month for 95% channels you don't watch just to get the content you do want.   Young people have already opted out en masse.

You probably already know that.   But, knowing that, how does the cable monopoly respond?

Well, we were all paying $150/month for digital HD cable PLUS high speed internet.   People are cancelling their digital cable and just going with internet and getting all of their content online.

So basically, if traditional cable dies, the cable company is going to try to get you to pay as much of that $150 a month you WERE paying for JUST your internet.

These price increases are just the beginning.  Right now, they really do have the monopoly on the fastest internet (DSL just doesn't cut it, Satellite?  Come on.  4G?  Couldn't sustain it if everyone jumped on board), as a good old fashioned fiber optic still can't be beat.

Hopefully that can change, their stranglehold can be broken, and this stupid old model can die quicker.

Won't be long though before ISPs start metered billing.  That leaves the Netflix/Hulu crowd in a hell of a bind, depending on how much they use it a month.

I don't find the quality of Netflix/Hulu to be comparable to regular TV for obvious reasons (data compression).  I expect at some point in the future for people who do still use cable to start seeing price deals once the metered billing starts becoming hazardous to those who watch 30 to 50 movies a month on Netflix and realize that having a 200gb per month limit won't be enough.

And for cablecos to start looking at IPTV delivery services vs QAM.

[guido911]

South Park explains the mentality of cable companies...

[BKDotCom]

Google Fiber, where art thou?

[Gaspar]

They just spent a bunch of money on all of those new marketing pieces, and increased the bandwidth that you never use to 30bazillion MBs (while still throttling bandwidth coming from certain ports so that you don't really use it to its potential). The also have spent millions creating new and exciting bundles where you can get your favorite channels, except for one, which is part of a separate bundle that you have to purchase. 

Call them and tell them you are going to cancel and they will drop your rate or give you 6 months free.  Works every time.  Cable, Dish, or U-Verse, doesn't matter, they are all rackets where the only people that pay full retail are those who don't complain.

[guido911]

Call them and tell them you are going to cancel and they will drop your rate or give you 6 months free.  Works every time.  Cable, Dish, or U-Verse, doesn't matter, they are all rackets where the only people that pay full retail are those who don't complain.

So you are THAT guy that looks to skip out on the dinner tab.

[Cats Cats Cats]

In order to get the "faster" internet you have to get a new cable modem.  If you have cox phone you can get it a new one free. If not you either pay $129 or rent it for $6.95 a month.  My download speed right now was about 20% lower than my advertised rate.

For another $9 I can get internet 40x faster if we had google fiber.

[sgrizzle]

So you are THAT guy that looks to skip out on the dinner tab.

I've done this so I can't complain. Generally you don't have to threaten, just call and say you want to see if you can get a better deal. Or just call and say you want transferred to customer retention.

Also, at least this rate increase came with a speed bump. I'm getting 64MB down right now. Well timed with netflix switching to 1080p content (it is labeled "SuperHD")

[sgrizzle]

In order to get the "faster" internet you have to get a new cable modem.  If you have cox phone you can get it a new one free. If not you either pay $129 or rent it for $6.95 a month.  My download speed right now was about 20% lower than my advertised rate.

For another $9 I can get internet 40x faster if we had google fiber.

I got the free modem change and my speed is 30% above advertised.

[DolfanBob]

I have Netflix, Hulu Plus and I did the 30 day free trial of Amazon Prime. And I am still unimpressed with streaming video selections or lack there of.
If I had to rely on just those for my Television viewing. I would not be happy.
Granted. I have 240 channels of crap on at all times. But I have a dvr that can record my favorite selections of crap so I can watch them anytime when there is no other......you get the point. And Hulu Plus still has ads that I can't fast forward through.

I still have Cox internet because I can't seem to convince my children to leave the nest and start paying for their own life so until the four gamers get moved out. Cox will still benefit from my monthly income. Oh and since they have to have the fastest internet for gaming. The cheapest 3 meg package just won't do with all the lagging that happens as they play.

P.S. I can still save you guy's money if you ever decide to unbundle from Cox and go Satellite. 30 to 50 Dollars on average for the first year.

[saintnicster]

I still have Cox internet because I can't seem to convince my children to leave the nest and start paying for their own life so until the four gamers get moved out. Cox will still benefit from my monthly income. Oh and since they have to have the fastest internet for gaming. The cheapest 3 meg package just won't do with all the lagging that happens as they play.

Cut the internet, all together.  That'll get them to move out.

[patric]

In order to get the "faster" internet you have to get a new cable modem.
If not you either pay $129 or rent it for $6.95 a month

Or search for a DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem on Amazon, Newegg, Walmart, etc.