HDTV Almanac - Competition Does Not Lower Cable Fees

[alfredpoor]

The Federal Communications Commission released a report this month with the descriptive yet cumbersome title of “Report On Average Rates for Cable Programming Service And Equipment.” The results come from a study of cable television service fees in different markets. The data was divided into two groups: communities where there was no meaningful competition (aside [...]

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[paulk2]

In Palm Harbor FL we have brighthouse, verizon FIOS and Knology available and the prices are definitely lower than nearby single-provider communities. Often the single-provider is brighthouse and even though it's the same system, the prices are far higher.
It also helps to play one against the other for even better savings.
Even with 3 providers, I still use Directv thanks to NFL Sunday Ticket. FIOS is the best for internet. Poor Knology is just hanging on.

[alfredpoor]

That's interesting, Paul; thanks so much for sharing your data. I suspect that events might have moved quickly since that data was taken in 2010, and it's quite possible that competition now has more impact than it did two years ago. It's worth keeping an eye on these developments, and I hope that the FCC is already working on an update to their report.

I completely agree that the smaller cable companies around the country are going to find it difficult to survive, given all the pressures they are experience from within and outside their industry.

Alfred