Cox says it's bidding on 700MHz spectrum

Looks like being partners in a company called "SpectrumCo" just isn't what it seems -- although Comcast and Time Warner Communications have already dropped out of the 700MHz auction running, upstart Cox Communications has announced that it's ready to bid at least the $4.6B minimum in January's auction to try and get a little piece of the pie. Cox says it's trying to bundle all its products together, and that the airwaves will allow for greater mobility and convergence -- or, put more simply, "We like having options." Of course, it's got to muscle out all the other players first, but at this point it certainly seems like anything could happen.

[Mike @ Dec 4th 2007 2:18PM]

Obviously, cable companies can't be trusted...

[ekwmin @ Dec 4th 2007 4:45PM]

A company with a logo like that can't be trusted. They should use some of that money to get a new corporate identity.

[The Pepto Pimp @ Dec 4th 2007 2:22PM]

Yeah, seriously.

The cable companies must be stopped!!!

[Jack @ Dec 4th 2007 2:43PM]

The company name makes me giggle.

Yes that was lame and im only 12 :)

[plyx @ Dec 4th 2007 2:45PM]

I used to live in an area with billboards that said "Cox In Demand!". Of course, they were referring to their VOD service.

[Mike D @ Dec 4th 2007 7:19PM]

"Cox on Demand" is nothing, remember "Enjoy your Cox at Home?" .. that one is still freaking hilarious.

[Michael S @ Dec 6th 2007 1:52PM]

A guy named Jack making fun of Cox. That's really funny.

[Mort @ Dec 4th 2007 2:54PM]

I used to have Cox while living in TX. Their service was about the same as their name.

[Patrick @ Dec 4th 2007 3:22PM]

Come again...I'm guessing through context that their name is bad and, therefore, so was there service. How is the name bad? Confused.

[Mort @ Dec 4th 2007 3:52PM]

Cox i.e. Cocks, or "Their service was c***". Their service sucked. Service calls were canceled over and over again, usually after the supposed time they were to happen. So you would take a half day from work to be there until the person was supposed to show only to find out that they would not show up at all. Then it would happen again at the rescheduled date. And so on...

Phone support was about as worthless, constantly being hung up on, infinite hold (no hold should last several hours), and losing your account information, bills being mailed late and then being charged for not paying them on time (how are you supposed to pay a bill on the 12th when it is not postmarked until the 14th?). I was glad when I moved away and got a different provider.

[TheCow5 @ Dec 4th 2007 2:56PM]

So who are all the bidders for the 700MHz frequency, we know Google and COX are in, but are there anyone others, where is MS and Apple.
an article on all the players and what you think they will all be bidding and date this will all end would be nice.

[Karl @ Dec 4th 2007 3:16PM]

Up until about 3 months ago I worked for Cox...
Man did my friends give me grief about that.
Bring on the jokes...

[AlexP @ Dec 4th 2007 3:28PM]

Would you still like to work for Cox?

[Karl @ Dec 4th 2007 3:54PM]

Sadly enough, I've still done some contract work for Cox since then... every now and again I still find myself working for Cox. I feel like such a whore...

[D MASTER @ Dec 4th 2007 5:19PM]

I work for Vagina.

[Karl @ Dec 4th 2007 5:43PM]

Once we're married we all do...

[AlexP @ Dec 4th 2007 10:35PM]

Bleh, nobody got my funnay.

[AlexP @ Dec 4th 2007 10:36PM]

Argh nevermind, I'm tired.

[Rohit Kapur @ Dec 4th 2007 3:24PM]

Here's hoping Google get it.

[CUBSWILLWIN @ Dec 4th 2007 7:07PM]

GOOGLE PWNS :)

[jrodliebs @ Dec 4th 2007 3:52PM]

Cox should take that money and put it into making their services reliable and expanding their meager hi def lineup

[Matt @ Dec 4th 2007 9:32PM]

here here

[rhinsd @ Dec 4th 2007 4:33PM]

I'm curious why you call Cox Communications an "upstart"? I have had Cox for the last 8 years. I was one of the first to get Cox broadband service in 1999. At that time I was getting 1.5 Mbps download and 256 Kbps upload....in 1999. I now get 7Mbps down and 512Kbps up and I pay less than $40 bucks per month for Cox. I am considering paying an extra $15 for 10Mbps down and 1Mbps up so I can have even more Cox. I love Cox. I use Cox all day, every day. Btw...I probably play on a different team than most of the people commenting here.

My point though, is Cox is hardly an "upstart".

[pipdo @ Dec 4th 2007 4:44PM]

I was thinking the same thing. I use Cox too, and I for one can attest that it is a huge company. It's third in subscribers behind Comcast and Time Warner Cable... definitely not an upstart

[hi2u @ Dec 4th 2007 5:47PM]

As a Cox subscriber, I cannot say that I'm anywhere as satisfied with its service as you seem to be, especially in light of its traffic shaping. That said, I too am absolutely puzzled why Cox Communications would be considered an "upstart" when it has been around since 1962, a year longer than Comcast, and has offered cable services continually for over four decades.

[rhinsd @ Dec 4th 2007 6:12PM]

I have had no problems with their actual service. I have a service bundle that includes phone, cable, and internet. The only complaint I have is that a couple of years ago they outsourced their customer service and the quality suffered greatly, however, I have rarely have to use customer service, and I think that says a lot.

Thanks for the info hi2u. I wasn't aware they had been around that long.

[Striker @ Dec 4th 2007 8:00PM]

Cox Communications pwns everything else in my area (the O.C. lol).

[Geoff @ Dec 5th 2007 10:34AM]

Yeah, I was curious about the word "upstart" being used since they've been the cable provider in the New Orleans area since cable TV was launched pretty much.

But then again, based on their service and reliability, I could see how one would think they just got started.

[RobertBruce1975 @ Dec 4th 2007 7:55PM]

Because Cox is a private company they're able to do riskier things in terms of long term rollouts than public companies with scared investors holding them back. Over the long term a win for Cox could be very good for us all!

[Matt @ Dec 5th 2007 12:57AM]

UPSTART??

plz do some research next time u write somthin...
1962

* Cox enters the cable television business, purchasing systems in Lewistown, Lock Haven and Tyrone, Pa., followed by systems in California, Oregon and Washington

directly from http://www.cox.com/about/timeline.asp

i work for cox, i hope this happens

[MC ICE CUBE @ Dec 5th 2007 12:33PM]

He works for cox!

[grjohnston @ Dec 5th 2007 3:22AM]

Just so everyone's clear: "upstart" and "start-up" are two very different words. The upstartiness (not a word) of Cox, could easily refer to the fact that they're going up against Verizon and Google. No offense to those devout Cox lovers of you out there on the interweb, but really... just because the company you choose to buy from has been around since the 60's, doesn't mean that they're well known, nor that they aren't possibly over-stepping their bounds by attempting to compete with some of the big-hitters in the technology world--and I do mean world.

That being said, power to them. Small companies tend to be less evil than big ones, and Verizon's one of the worst. I'm still holding out hope that Google doesn't let its power go to its head.

[D MASTER @ Dec 5th 2007 12:04PM]

Because we all know Pivot was such a success...

[Kel @ Dec 5th 2007 2:01PM]

Cox Communications wants to roll out portable digital cable tuner devices that would operate over the 700mHz spectrum. They have been showing teaser commercials for this in my area. I fully support this idea.

[shizane101 @ Dec 7th 2007 6:50PM]

AT&T wants this. Everyone else might as well hang it up.