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Comment by j0e1 | Hacker News Reader

My spectrum bill rocketed after the 1st year and after numerous unpleasant long calls with their representatives, I haven't been given any viable option. They keep forcing me to take their cable connection which would 'lower' my rates for the internet connection but I would end up paying them more than for just an internet connection.

The saddest revelation through all this is that I couldn't find any other provider in my area (DTLA) which can promise me 100Mbps. I'm stuck with them and I'm not a happy customer! I so wish there were other competing ISPs in this area..

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This has been my experience as well. And they damn well know there's no other options. Multiple sites, articles and people say 'call every six months and threaten to cancel for a lower rate' in my area, the reps will gladly cancel your subscription with no hesitation or attempt for retention. Just 'okay you want to cancel, sounds good. Return our equipment and bye, good luck'. At the same time, my bill continues to rise with no explanation of why. America, especially rural America, needs more options for compition in this space.

At least you're getting 100Mbps. I'm one of the original TWC customers who refuse to switch over to their new "no contract" plans because I don't want them to jump my rates like they did yours. Their retaliation? I get 10Mbps down, 1Mbps up. No speed upgrade for me.

Nothing else in my area gets even close to 100Mbps either. I hope NYS can work something out or I'm going to have to move.

> I hope NYS can work something out or I'm going to have to move.

I share your sentiments.. In my mind decent internet access is more of a right than an accessory today. Those without it are disproportionately disadvantaged in numerous ways. I can imagine doing something drastic, in protest, if I'm pushed.

If you're unhappy with your Internet, move. Whether you have good internet or not is mostly a function of your locality. I can get gigabit through either Verizon (fiber) or Comcast (fiber or cable). The service is second in reliability only to the public water/sewer (it went down once because a tree fell on the fiber).

It's not because Verizon is nicer than Spectrum. It's because my county makes it cheap, easy, and relatively hassle free to build and maintain the infrastructure. The love affair places like NY and CA have with regulation is self-defeating. There is a reason why fricking Kansas City has fiber and LA doesn't (and NYC got it a decade after backwaters in MD and VA).

Is the contract for 10 Mbps?

Why should they do more than honor the contract if you demand to stick with it?

Because they were contractually obligated to do so with their deal with the state. It's part of the reason their merger has just been rescinded.

They have to provide service beyond what is specified in existing contracts?

I would expect the merger agreement to say that they have to make higher speeds available, not that they have to deliver a higher level of service than is specified in existing contracts.

I have AT&T Gigafiber (1000mbps) not too far from you in Echo Park. Maybe they offer it in DTLA? I'm only paying $80/m.

AT&T fiber doesn't offer services in my area. Calls with them is another story.. After booking my connection with them twice and them not doing anything about it, they finally tell me that they can only provide a satellite connection which doesn't meet my speed requirements.

How is that? I'm considering switching over from Charter.

It’s pretty incredible speed. However, their customer service is atrocious. I signed up for a $70/m deal for the first year. This was confirmed by the sales rep. Then I was billed $80/m. They refused to do anything about it, saying the $70/m offer never existed.

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