Comments on: Comcast launches VoIP Assault

By: Om Malik on Broadband : » BellSouth Cuts DSL Prices

Om Malik on Broadband : » BellSouth Cuts DSL Prices — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 18:21:00 +0000

[...] BellSouth, is cutting prices on its higher end DSL prices, perhaps due to a triple play threat posed by Comcast, that recently launched its VoIP services in the Atlanta area. I am no big fan of duoply, but if it means $5 less from consumers, the market place seems to be working, in a dysfunctional sort of a way. [...]

By: Jesse Kopelman

Jesse Kopelman — Sat, 07 Jan 2006 00:21:35 +0000

Parkite, $39/month for POTS + Unlimited LD is not typical nationwide. I think the going rate in Verizon country is at least $50. Secondly, it does not surprise me that Comcast is signing up customers quickly. The only companies more hated by their own customers than cablecos are Bells. This is an interesting battle in Atlanta, though, as Comcast is known to have the best customer service for cablecos and Bellsouth for RBOCs.

By: Om Malik

Om Malik — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 21:03:12 +0000

AnOn, new math is actually the old math.

43$ a month for broadband connection + $39.95 for voice = $$82.95 a month.

BellSouth=package of broadband+voice $54.99

same $35 for DSL and $packet8 = still cheaper than comcast

By: AnOn

AnOn — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 20:30:39 +0000

Are you a student of "the new math?"

'The company is offering an unlimited Local and Long Distance service for $39.95 per month for triple play customers...Clearly, the offering is much more expensive than BellSouth’s double play offering of $54.99 per month.'

So $39.95 is MORE expensive than $54.99? I need to go back to school again! ;-)

And w/r/t comparison with 8x8, it would be more expensive. But it looks like they are selling it on the basis of a primary line replacement with QoS and e911. I think 8x8, like Vonage, is still best effort. I have Vonage at home now and will probably switch over to this service as soon as I can get it, but will want to make sure there is web access to voicemail first (which I use from work).

By: Parkite

Parkite — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 19:29:50 +0000

I can't imagine paying $19.99 for their voip offering, let alone the $39.99 premium price they are charging. I can't believe they are signing up 1000 customers/day at that price. You can get a POTS line for that price w/unlimited LD from most LECs.

Comcast is a clueless company. Yesterday, they had a 5 hour outage in my area (Park City, UT) and no one on the front line (customer service) was informed of the outage by the NOC. Rather than just saying they had a local outage, they tried to walk everyone through the troubleshooting process (reboot your modem, etc,). Madness!

Regarding the set-top boxes, last night my Sci Atlanta box froze up for about the 10th time and didn't record ER as scheduled. Their current set top boxes are junk. In addition, the quality of the picture i get through the set top box looks like a broadcast reception from 1950.

So why am i a comcast customer? They are my only choice for broadband.

By: Randy

Randy — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 19:06:07 +0000

We've had Comcast voice for a while in Massachusetts. Comcast made it trivially easy to switch from Verizon and we are saving lots of LD $$$. Thought about AT&T CallVantage, but couldn't transfer my old number or even get a local number. Both are possible with Comcast. Service has been quite good and it works with my 1st generation TIVO (unlike Vonage).