More of the same you can already get elsewhere

If you’re a phone company unwilling to make the investment into delivering a real telco-TV package to customers, why not do online video on the cheap with a new online portal that offers 100,000 videos you can already easily find elsewhere online?

That works for Frontier Communications, who today is patting themselves on the back over the launch of my fitv.com, a new online video site.

“my fitv reflects the disappearing lines between televisions, personal computers and mobile devices and the way time is shifting. Today, consumers don’t have the time or patience to see programs at specific times, or to even sit through an entire program. my fitv gives viewers control, and its unique user experience offers more than 100,000 titles and seamless search and navigation functions. It’s all about search less and watch more,” says Maggie Wilderotter, Chairman and CEO of Frontier.

Unfortunately for Frontier, virtually all of their launch content is readily available and easy to find on sites like Hulu.  The site also contains a handful of news clips from two of the evening newscasts in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, with more promised in the future.

Hulu invites anyone to embed their video content, so even you can build your own online video portal.  But giving visitors a compelling reason to visit a site that offers little, if any, original content is a challenge.

The site is available to Frontier customers and those who aren’t, and why not?  Frontier isn’t out anything if outsiders start using the service.

Frontier isn’t the only phone company running an online video portal.  AT&T Entertainment launched last year repackaging Hulu and other content providers’ ’embeddable videos’ to an underwhelmed audience.

[flv width=”640″ height=”380″]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/Frontier My FITV Ad.flv[/flv]

Frontier Communications ran this ad Sunday in Rochester, N.Y., Cincinnati, Ohio, Sacramento, Calif. and Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., to launch my fitv.

Local media warns residents to look first before opening the door to potential trouble

As many as five men wearing Verizon jackets have been ringing doorbells in the Bradenton, Florida area seeking entry into residents’ homes claiming to be service or sales representatives.  Police are concerned an unsuspecting resident may admit the impostors unaware of their likely criminal intentions.  Bright House Networks, the area’s cable operator, has also faced phony representatives peddling its products.

With increased competition between phone companies and cable operators for your telecommunications business, many providers hire third party door-to-door sales personnel to promote services, especially when new service options become available.  Verizon uses 20/20 Companies, an Ft. Worth, Texas-based door to door marketing firm to sell its Verizon FiOS fiber to the home service.  20/20 Companies promises its clients “a thorough, national background check and a 10-panel drug screen” for all of its sales representatives to “protect the client, the brand, and, most importantly, the customer.”

Still, consumers may not be aware of what to consider before opening their doors to uninvited knocks.  It has happened to me when a fake Frontier Communications “representative” knocked on my door a few years ago with lots of personal questions but no answers:

1. Cable and telecommunications companies do not make unscheduled service calls.  If a representative claims they “detected a problem,” tell them you will call the company yourself to schedule an appointment.
2. If the doorbell rings and you weren’t expecting anyone, consider simply ignoring it.  At least verify to your satisfaction the identity of the visitor before opening the door or even interacting with him or her.
3. Sales representatives and other company personnel should have clear, unambiguous, professionally-produced identity badges.  A shirt sticker or generic jacket with a logo on it doesn’t come close.
4. Trust your instincts.  If something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t.  Don’t hesitate to contact police.  Many communities require all door to door sales personnel to have a peddler’s license on file with the local town or city government.  If they don’t, police can charge them.
5. Alert your neighbors.  You may have been aware enough to avoid a potential problem, but an overly trusting neighbor might not.  They’ll appreciate you looking out for them.

Consumers concerned about this type of door to door sales activity should contact service providers and tell them you don’t appreciate at-home intrusions and that you hope the company will modify its marketing practices to discontinue unscheduled marketing visits.  Instead, suggest they send sales teams only to homes that specifically request an in-person visit, with an appointment.

[flv width=”480″ height=”340″]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WTSP Tampa Police warn of Verizon and Bright House service tech impostors 2-9-2010.flv[/flv]

WTSP-TV in Tampa warns southwestern Florida residents about fake employees trying to gain entry into local residents’ homes.  (3 minutes)

[flv width=”540″ height=”380″]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WFLA Tampa Fake Verizon Employees 2-9-2010.flv[/flv]

WFLA-TV in Tampa tells viewers to ask for ID before opening a door to a telecommunications company employee.  (2 minutes)

Road Runner Turbo is getting a makeover in Indianapolis.  Faster speeds are forthcoming, but at a higher price.

Bright House Networks currently provides Road Runner Standard customers with 7Mbps/512kbps.  Getting better speed requires the purchase of Road Runner Turbo at a new price of $15 per month.  In return, Bright House is boosting Turbo speed customers to 20/2Mbps service, with PowerBoost temporarily accelerating downstream speeds up to 30Mbps.

In most markets, Road Runner Turbo is priced at $9.95 per month, but it’s five dollars more in Indianapolis.

Bright House headquarters in Indianapolis

Will the increased price for Turbo become a trend in return for faster speeds in other markets?

Ironically, the associated public relations campaign sells customers on signing up for Turbo to enjoy a better online video experience.

“Building the excitement toward the opening games of the Olympics, we’re able to add to the enjoyment of and access to entertainment and information with these exclusive new products and features,” said Wayde Klein, vice president of marketing and customer operations for Bright House Networks Indiana. “With our speed boost to Road Runner Turbo, customers will be able to take advantage of some of the highest Internet speeds available, making video viewing over the Internet an even better, real-time experience.”

The upgrade in broadband service is part of Bright House’s effort to improve service in central Indiana.  The cable operator is also adding several new high definition networks and introducing the “Start Over” feature allowing viewers to return to the start of a program in progress.

Bright House is licensed to provide Road Runner service, a brand more commonly associated with Time Warner Cable.

Road Runner Turbo customers in south Texas can expect to receive more speed for their money soon.

Time Warner Cable is boosting speeds for Turbo customers in Corpus Christi, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Laredo, the Rio Grande Valley and Uvalde.

“We are very excited to offer this upgrade and time-saving feature to our Road Runner customers,” said Gavino Ramos, vice president of communications for Time Warner Cable South Texas.

Downstream speeds increase from 10 to 15Mbps and upstream speeds are doubled from 1Mbps to 2Mbps.

The price for Turbo service remains unchanged.

Although the exact date for the upgrade is unclear, customers can check if the upgrade is completed in their area by following this company-recommended procedure:

1. Unplug the cable modem and wait 60 seconds.
2. Plug the cable modem back in. The lights will flash as it reconnects to the network.
3. When the modem lights are solid again, restart your computer and experience the new faster speed.

Cable ONE intentionally eavesdropped on what its customers did online in order to profit from targeted advertising.  That is the allegation contained within a class action lawsuit filed Wednesday in the Alabama Northern District Court.

The suit alleges the cable operator installed network monitoring software from NebuAd, an advertising provider, which monitored and profiled customers for the purpose of delivering customized, targeted advertising.

Cable ONE is named as defendant in the suit because the company did not inform customers that such profiling was taking place, and never gave customers an opportunity to opt out, according to the complaint.  NebuAd itself has not being named in the suit.

Customer Samuel Green claims NebuAd paid the cable company a “price per customer, per month” and placed tracking cookies on his computer to follow his online activities.  He accused the company of violating his privacy.  The lawsuit establishes a class action case opening the door for a settlement with every customer, potentially nationwide.

The suit asks for damages of $100 per day for the period Cable ONE utilized the tracking services of NebuAd.  It also demands the company destroy all of the data the suit alleges was wrongfully obtained.

The case is being handled by Florence attorney Joey K. James.