[UFO Chicago] Comcast Cuts Off Bandwidth Hogs

[Brian Sobolak]

Neil R. Ormos wrote:
> Brian Sobolak wrote:
> =

>> It's funny that this has just come up.  I *just*
>> hung up the phone with Speakeasy support.
>> Considering I've learned that part of why I'm
>> not getting what I pay for bandwidth-wise on DSL
>> is because I'm further from the CO than they
>> recommend, I was thinking about switching to
>> Comcast.
> =

> It looks like they're only bothering people at the
> high end of usage, which you might not be.
> =

> I posted the article because of the Kafka-esque
> nature of Comcast's behavior: advertising
> "unlimited" service, denying that a limit exists,
> later accusing customers of violating the limit
> while refusing to specify what it was, futher
> denying the limit, and finally terminating the
> service.

Ok, my tale gets more Kafka-esque.  And now reminds everyone why Comcast =

probably sucks.

After 2 hours of phone support with Speakeasy, the connection died =

again.  They do hocus pocus and reset it, and the support tech finally =

recommends that I go to the outdoor network interface, plug in my modem =

  into the loop and then see how much line noise is coming from my =

home's wiring. (It was built in 1927 and is quite noisy, so I imagine =

the phone line is too.)

It's dark.  It's 30 degrees outside.  There is no power outlet.  I =

figure--great that they know what they're doing, but it doesn't have to =

be like this.  So I decide to order cable through the only provider I =

can get, Comcast.

The web order form is decent enough until it gets to the end.  It opens =

up a "live chat" with analyst "Candice" who needs "just a few minutes to =

finish my order".  Fine.

Until she asks for my SSN!  I said, no, I'm not comfortable with that.

"Candice" asks again.  Assures me it's safe.  I still say no.

And **poof** the order I had just created is erased from the system.

If I want to order cable through Comcast, I a) have to call and b) have =

to start over.  (See attached.)

Sheesh.

>> I want municipal wi-fi in Chicago for a) a cheap
>> backup to my existing connection and b) a way to
>> scare a bit of price competition into the
>> existing broadband providers.  <sigh>
> =

> I want *real* broadband: 100 Mbps fiber-to-
> the-home, like the services available in Korea and
> Japan.  Unfortunately, SBC has adopted a much less
> capable fiber-to-the-pedestal technology for their
> Lightspeed network, and even Verizon's FiOS FTTH
> product is limited compared to the Asian offerings.

Doesn't some of their service offerings have to do with both government =

subsidies and the more vertical nature of their housing market (ie, =

apartment buildings)?

brian
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