http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 2:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 2:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
Too bad they are used to bullying customers around who don't know any better, and I bet the FCC/AT&T/Verison just laughed when she said that.

By the way, I'm at work (Network Administrator) wearing a Pirate costume. Can anyone guess why I choose it?? Yaaarrrrrggg!!!]]>Oct 31st 2007 2:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
Now let those wires be used for ANYONE also. Something tells me this won't happen.]]>Oct 31st 2007 2:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 3:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
Comcast, think of the grannies, they shouldn't have to do all this hard labor.]]>Oct 31st 2007 4:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 2:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 2:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
I mentioned this before on Engadget. We have FiOS in Philadelphia but due to "Franchise Zoning laws" only Comcast is allow to sell cable service in Philly. Even though we have FiOS, Verizon is unable to sell us the additional FiOS TV service.

Does this new mandate apply to city govt. as well or can individual cities work around it and put their own rules in place? ]]>Oct 31st 2007 6:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
It's not very competitive when you don't allow for competition.]]>Oct 31st 2007 2:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 2:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 2:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 3:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jnzjbdKkATilSOXUsVJPUG8_kifwD8SCE3AG0]]>Oct 31st 2007 2:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 2:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
I live in a 500 unit apartment building, and they have enough pipe for 200 digital cable signals. One person calls up Cablevision to complain they have no picture, and one of those nerds show up, get into the phone closet, and put some else on a 4-way splitter. The next day, that person calls and the same, cyclical process happens.

We have a Cablevision technician in the building from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. most days. Insanity.

Now, WHEN will DirecTV finally finish their new Windows product so I can put a dish on my patio and have my HTPC burninate across the livingroom?]]>Oct 31st 2007 2:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
I ask because I use Vonage, but live in an apartment complex. Verizon currently supplies service, but refuses to disconnect the hookup so I can use my existing wiring. Not being the owner, I can't simply go down to the network interface and disconnect it myself. Verizon keeps a dial tone on that line for 911 and, as the representative I spoke with said, "to make it easier for the next person who moves in."

Do I have any recourse?]]>Oct 31st 2007 3:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
In an apartment building, the Point of Entry is usually in a closet. Ask your super where it is.]]>Oct 31st 2007 3:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 4:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
Hrm, seems to be that she's saying "Monopoly is Competitive." Yes, and along those same lines, "Freedom is Slavery; War is Peace; Ignorance is Strength."

Seriously, Comcast's weak-ass attempt at spin is pretty pathetic. Way to be, FCC.]]>Oct 31st 2007 3:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 3:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
Or so I figure. I could be wrong.]]>Oct 31st 2007 3:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
But that spokeswoman from Comcast needs to be slapped. What a dumb thing to say. Customers aren't going to be paying more. Comcast is going to be paying more - paying more in figuring out how to deal with all the new competition - and they're going to have to eat those costs, because customers aren't going to pay more than they already do. If the cable companies try to do that, at least with TV programming, the satellite companies will just take advantage of the opportunity to drum up more business - and they'll get it.

Too bad we can't get internet and phone with the Sat providers, though - that's another issue altogether - but I don't think rates will increase there either - not with the vultures pecking at each other.]]>Oct 31st 2007 4:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 5:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 6:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Oct 31st 2007 5:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
Now with this new rule, how exactly do you get two cable providers multiplexed onto one coax? The whole apartment complex would need to be rewired. Who's going to pay for that?

I'm sure they will find a way, but it's just a thought.]]>Oct 31st 2007 8:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
I used to live in an apartment that had a nice big antenna... but the line had been disconnected by Time Warner. I put an antenna on the patio (FCC-allowed) but the landlord asked for a large deposit (sorta FCC-allowed). I then hid the antenna behind a short bamboo fence, but eventually the landlord forced me to take that down. I moved the antenna inside, but (ironically) I could no longer get PBS.]]>Oct 31st 2007 9:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/I don't really know the story here, but it smells fishy. I've been screwed by government regulations (designed to "protect the workers") too many times to see this as a path of daisies. Well, good luck getting better speeds. :)]]>Oct 31st 2007 10:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/
The fact is this makes any existing agreements or contracts that provide exclusivity in Cable TV NULL and VOID. So if you live in a city that says Comcast is the only provider they allow, they can't enforce that, as the FCC is a Federal body and therefore unless the state creates a Law that overrides this specific Law then they will have to play by this rule.]]>Nov 1st 2007 10:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Nov 1st 2007 12:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/31/fcc-treats-apartment-dwellers-to-cable-competition/Nov 13th 2007 6:59PM