Comcast Indefinitely Extends Low-Cost Broadband for Poor Families | Hacker News Reader

Comcast Indefinitely Extends Low-Cost Broadband for Poor Families

bits.blogs.nytimes.com

25 pointsghshephard8 comments

This is in exchange for charging extortionate prices to the middle class - in the neighborhood of $90 for service packages that go for $30 in European countries with rational regulations (and I presume those European companies are turning a profit). That can easily amount to skimming %1 from a median household's income.

my issue with comcast, having just dropped down to internet only through them is, their prices do not include required set top boxes and modems. If you want their voice service only their modem works, that will be at least seven dollars extra. You want TV? Well they scramble it all so you need a box for that too; forgot how much they told me that was.

Can't wait till they tell me I cannot use my own modem for internet, will probably have to go back to DSL then.

“People would like to take this 20-plus-year-old incredible commitment to communities and these organizations and would like to make it a bad thing — that we are buying off support for the transaction,” Mr. Cohen said in an interview. “That is simply not true. And I believe it is offensive to the organizations we support.”

Truth hurts, Mr. Cohen.

A million dollars in community grants to push forward a $45 billion merger? Did they miss some zeroes somewhere?

This is awesome to hear. Whether this is a PR move or simply good will on Comcast's part, the only thing that really matters is that they are executing on it.

Interesting to note: I read earlier today (sorry, can't recall where) that one of the federal agencies was upset that Comcast hadn't lived up to their agreement to market this program to the people it was supposed to help. Interesting timing between the two stories...

They are doing this to try and stave off regulators and to get their acquisition of Time Warner done.

"a goodwill gesture as it hopes to complete a $45 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable."

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2104461/comcast-extends-inter...

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