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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Comcast to US: Don't subsidize our competitors

"Comcast Corp. said some applicants for U.S. stimulus funds to expand high-speed Internet want to build in places already served by the company, which may violate eligibility rules," Bloomberg reported here.

"The largest U.S. cable-television service will file data supporting the assertion on Oct. 28 [today]" with the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Infrastructure Administration and the Agriculture Department's Rural Utilities Service, Comcast executive vice president David L. Cohen told reporters Monday, according to the story.

"The money is to be distributed under a $7.2 billion program that aims to accelerate the deployment and use of high-speed Internet service in areas that don’t have it." Yesterday the Senate Commerce Committe held a hearing on the program. Testimony here.

"'Those applications don’t qualify for funding primarily because they are applications to provide service in areas where there is already broadband service,' Cohen said. He didn’t provide an estimate of how many applications would be implicated, and said Comcast would point out only applications that would serve areas where it provides Internet service. 'We would mostly care if it goes to an area where we’re the broadband provider,' Cohen said."
Posted by Joseph N. DiStefano @ 12:38 PM  Permalink | 13 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:08 PM, 10/28/2009
    Who is this company, that disconnected three of my service telephone calls because of" overlaoded circuits "to ask any favors from anyone. They already have a cable monopoly here, what more do they want?
    — rmw38
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:14 PM, 10/28/2009
    Customers to Comcast: Stop raising my rates over and over and over and....
    — knight
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:40 PM, 10/28/2009
    hey knight, here's a news flash: ALL providers are raising rates, not just Comcast.
    — mike c
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:55 PM, 10/28/2009
    I work in Center City and watched and Comcast tower go up. I wish this was a lie but every 10 or so stories that building went up so did my bill, by a couple of dollars and cents. It was crazy. Any company that makes this much money off consumers that they can build their own building is charging too much and have too much money sitting around.
    — jnyfive
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:55 PM, 10/28/2009
    Part of the problem is that Comcast stifles competition just as they are doing here. If they had equal competition rates would go down not up. As long as they are the exclusive cable Internet company in your area, they can charge whatever they want.
    — fischman
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:04 PM, 10/28/2009
    Comcast is horrible. Has rude, stupid customer service agents. Company keeps raising rates and taking channels away. I can't wait till Fios comes to my town
    — patrick945
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:36 PM, 10/28/2009
    Fios cost more than Comcast..
    — JBARRR789
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:56 PM, 10/28/2009
    jnyfive, Comcast didn't build the Comcast Tower and they don't own it. They lease office space (the majority) there, as they leased space in Centre Sq before moving to the Comcast Tower. Liberty Property Trust built it.
    — spider9
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:58 PM, 10/28/2009
    yeah Comcast is not ideal, but you people are nuts, its far superior to fios.
    — Capsulef
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:52 PM, 10/28/2009
    I can't stand this company. Did yall get a notice that they're raising again come November 1st? I want to know what the justification is for rate increase.
    — knmcmahon
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:28 PM, 10/28/2009
    Can we say monopoly? People continue to wonder why rates are climbing sky high, its because of Comcast's lobbying efforts have politicians in their pockets and they help them remain a monopoly. Competition=price drops
    — Taxpaying Voter
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:17 PM, 10/30/2009
    Comcast Sucks
    — JFM557


13 comments
About Joseph N. DiStefano
Joseph N. DiStefano writes this blog to feed his PhillyDeals column in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Joe has been a member of Bloomberg LP’s New York Finance Team, wrote the book “Comcasted,” taught writing at St. Joseph’s University, and studied economics and history at Penn. Reach Joe at 215-854-5194 and JoeD@phillynews.com
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