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Comcast Reveals 2Gbps Pricing: $1,000 Install/Setup Fee, $299.95/Month

Comcast-LogoSigning up for Comcast’s 2Gbps fiber to the home service will not come cheap.

The cable company this morning announced pricing for its 2,000/2,000Mbps residential-only broadband tier: $299.95/mo with $1,000 in installation fees on the first bill.

If you can afford that, you may not mind Comcast’s other installation and contract requirements:

  • The first bill will require a payment of about $1,159 — $500 for installation, $500 for activation plus $159 if you qualify for a limited time service promotional discount;
  • Only a select number of residential Comcast customers will qualify for the service — those living within 1/3rd of a mile of Comcast’s existing fiber network in a limited number of cities;
  • Customers must opt for professional installation and it may take six to eight weeks to complete;
  • A two-year term contract is also required, with a stiff early termination fee;
  • Equipment, taxes and fees and other applicable charges extra;
  • This tier is exempt from usage caps/usage-based billing, but actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed.

avail

multigigLater this year, the service is also expected to reach further west:

  • Colorado: Denver, Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont and Colorado Springs
  • Minnesota: Minneapolis/St. Paul
  • Oregon: Portland
  • Texas: Houston
  • Utah: Salt Lake City
  • Washington: Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, and Everett

Canada Prepares to Say Goodbye to the 3-Year Cellphone Contract; June 3rd is the Deadline

Phillip Dampier May 28, 2015 Canada, Consumer News, Public Policy & Gov't, Wireless Broadband Comments Off on Canada Prepares to Say Goodbye to the 3-Year Cellphone Contract; June 3rd is the Deadline
Signing a three year contract usually meant a cheaper device.

Signing a three year contract usually meant a cheaper device.

Canadians still stuck on an old three-year wireless contract may be able to leave their current carrier penalty-free as soon as June 3rd as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) deadline on lengthy wireless contracts takes full effect this Sunday.

In June 2013, the CRTC banned three-year cell phone contracts in its wireless code to give customers a chance to switch providers more often without an expensive early termination fee to deter them. The commission set a two-year transition period which will end June 3.

But it turns out wireless carriers have not made the process of leaving penalty-free easy and the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) expects the ombuds office will be forced to intervene on behalf of consumers. Some providers have applied creative interpretations of the wireless code the industry earlier sued to block on the grounds it created retroactive interference with contractual rights. The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed the wireless industry’s lawsuit last week. The CCTS is notifying providers what it expects from them.

There are two primary groups of customers affected by the June 3rd deadline:

  • Those who signed a three-year contract before June 3, 2013:

These customers will see their three-year contracts cut to two years, and all will expire June 3. They can leave their current provider without any early termination fees or penalties.

  • Those who signed a three-year contract between June 3-Dec. 3, 2013:

crtcThings get more complicated for customers in this window. While carriers quickly introduced new two-year plans, there are a number of customers who managed to sign a three-year contract during this transition period. These longer contracts have also been cut to 24 months by the CRTC, but an early termination fee may still apply if the contract has not run a full two years and carriers will be permitted to get back their device subsidy if you have not yet paid off your device.

If you like your current carrier, you can stay on your existing contract and nothing will change. If you are ready to leave for another provider, you will need to calculate the termination fee you are likely to owe when you cancel service.

If you accepted a device subsidy to reduce the cost of your device, here is the formula to determine your payoff amount:

Jane Smith signed a contract with Rogers in the late fall of 2013. She is now about 20 months into her contract, which the CRTC has now automatically shortened from its original three years to two. For our purposes, let us say she received a device subsidy of $240 (the exact amount of the device subsidy you received is available from your provider.)

Carriers like Vidéotron offer customers discounts if they bring their old device along.

Carriers like Vidéotron offer customers discounts if they bring their old device along.

To calculate the payoff amount to buy out and cancel the contract, take the original device subsidy and divide it by 24. In our example, that equals $10. That means for each month Jane has been in her contract, she has repaid $10 towards the $240 subsidy she received. In this example, she has made 20 payments under contract, which means she has paid back $200 and still owes an additional $40. When she cancels service to switch to Bell (or whatever other carrier she chooses), her exit fee will be $40.

The CRTC also allows carriers to collect an Early Termination Fee (ETF) from customers who paid for a device upfront or brought their own when they signed a contract. These no-subsidy customers must either wait until 24 months have passed from the contract signing date or pay an ETF of the lesser of $50 or 10% of the minimum monthly charge for the remaining months of the now two-year contract.

Bill Smith brought his old iPhone to Telus and signed a three-year contract at the same time Jane did. The CRTC has already lopped off one year of his contract. He will hit the 24 month mark four months from now, but wants to leave to switch to Vidéotron Mobile today. The minimum monthly charge on his Telus bill is $65. For the remaining four months on his contract, he has to pay 10% of $65 for his termination penalty, which amounts to $26 total — his ETF.

Howard Maker, chief executive officer of the CCTS, said, “The calculation is maybe a bit challenging, because not all customers’ contracts will indicate what the device subsidy is.”

Some customers have used the impending end of their contracts as a tool to negotiate a better deal, but it can be tough finding one. After the demise of the three-year contract, last fall many Canadian cell providers raised the monthly price of service on two-year contracts to recoup lost profits.

Comcast’s Fictional “Price-Lock” Agreement Lets Cable Company Raise Equipment Fees, Surcharges at Will

Phillip Dampier April 27, 2015 Comcast/Xfinity, Consumer News 1 Comment
Comcast changed the name of this customer to "Super Bitch Bauer" in their billing records.

Comcast changed the name of this customer to “Super Bitch Bauer” in their billing records after she complained about poor service.

Getting a firm deal from Comcast on a promotion or retention package has become increasingly difficult as the company points to terms and conditions in its contract that allow it to adjust pricing of equipment, service fees and surcharges at will.

One Broadband Reports reader signed up for a Comcast Double Play promotion that appeared to be a great deal until it turned into a major headache.

What Comcast promised:

  • 105Mbps Extreme Internet plus Preferred 220 digital-channel TV package with free HBO price-locked for 24 months – $99.99
  • First cable box free for 24 months
  • HD X1 DVR Box – $7.99/mo for 24 months
  • HD Service Fee – Free for 24 months
  • Starz – $1/mo for 24 months
  • Showtime – $1/mo for 24 months

The total price-locked contract price: $109.98/mo plus estimated taxes of $7.50 per month + free installation

After accepting Comcast’s offer, “Ngiovas” received an email confirmation that was radically different from what was originally offered. Instead of 105Mbps broadband, Comcast now offered 50Mbps, the first cable box was free for only one year, the X1 DVR deal was also only good for a year, the HD service fee was free for only six months, and a $60 installation fee now applied.

When Ngiovas complained about the discrepancy, Comcast explained their systems would not allow discounted fee promotions for longer than 12 months and the customer could call back and have a deal extended for an extra year. The installation fee was waived and the Internet speed was supposed to be corrected to reflect 105Mbps. Only it turned out it wasn’t.

A follow-up phone call with a “Customer Loyalty” agent revealed Comcast’s promotions are considerably less generous than one might think.

Comcast only commits to price-locking its service package — the $99.95 broadband and television bundle. Everything else is open to price changes at the whim of the cable company. The discounts and fees can and will change over the next two years and customers have no recourse to cancel their contract, unless they are willing to pay an early termination fee.

Getting Comcast to deliver what it originally promised required hand to hand negotiating combat.

bait and switchThe 105Mbps Extreme bundle was priced $20 higher than Ngiovas was originally quoted and the representative insisted there was no way to get the Extreme package for $99.95. When Ngiovas told the representative about Comcast’s “zero dollar” no-cost Extreme upgrade, the representative paused and then admitted yes, the free upgrade was suddenly available. But Ngiovas would have to switch to a different package that would be “price adjusted” to match the original offer, and the customer would also have to commit to stay with that package for a full two years.

No matter what Ngiovas argued, the commitment to provide 24 months of equipment discounts was not going to happen. The HD discount would end after six months, resulting in an additional $10 a month later this year. The DVR discount also ends after one year.

Because Comcast’s prices for Internet-only service is so high, the out-the-door price to add television service amounted to just $27 a month more, which makes Ngiovas’ $109 DirecTV service a poor deal.

Other Comcast customers who have been down this road predict Ngiovas is being set up for a Comcast billing nightmare.

“Hold on for the ride and check all your bills with a fine tooth comb,” offered one. Another suggested that Comcast sales representatives occasionally sell promotional packages they are not authorized to offer and Comcast’s order verification system catches and rescinds or modifies the offer.

“I would be wary and look at other options in case retentions can’t make the deal happen,” offered another.

Comcast’s own customer service forum is filled with thousands of complaints about billing errors and bait and switch promotions, including one customer promised a $10/mo Internet speed upgrade that ended up costing more than $60.

Google Unveils Project Fi Wireless Service: $20/Mo Voice/Text + $10/GB Data Plan That Credits Back Unused Data

google fiGoogle today unveiled their new wireless service, dubbed Project Fi, the first wireless carrier that combines the coverage of two competing cellular providers — Sprint and T-Mobile — to deliver affordable wireless service and a data plan that rebates back any unused portion of your monthly allowance. There are no term contracts, early termination fees, or overlimit penalty charges.

Google’s calling plan starts with Fi Basics for $20 per month. This includes:

  • Unlimited domestic talk and text;
  • Unlimited international texts;
  • Low-cost international calls;
  • Wi-Fi tethering;
  • Coverage in 120+ countries (Unlimited international texts are included in the plan, Cellular calls cost 20c per minute. If calling over Wi-Fi, per-minute costs vary based on which country you’re calling and you’re charged only for outbound calls.)

There is no unlimited data plan, presumably because neither T-Mobile or Sprint was willing to allow Google to offer one. Google tries to turn that into a plus by telling customers they should only pay for the data they actually use. The 2G/3G/4G data plan is $10/GB, sold in 1GB increments up to 10GB. Whatever data you do not use is converted into a cash amount credited to the following month’s bill. Instead of rolling over data, you roll over dollars. If you exceed your allowance, there are no penalty overlimit fees. Instead, you are charged $10 for an additional gigabyte of usage, with the same privilege of getting a cash credit applied to your next bill for any data you didn’t use.

Google assumes you will spend most of your time connected to Wi-Fi, where it offers free Wi-Fi calling and texting. If you lose your Wi-Fi connection, the phone will connect to either Sprint or T-Mobile’s network without losing a call in-progress. Another unique aspect of the service is that your mobile phone number lives in the cloud, so you can talk and text with your number on just about any phone, tablet or laptop using Google Hangouts.

The Nexus 6 is a real handful. It's also the only phone that will currently work on Google Fi.

The Nexus 6 is a real handful. It’s also the only phone that will work on Google Fi.

Google Project Fi relies on Sprint and T-Mobile’s combined networks to deliver coverage, trying to satisfy customers seeking Verizon or AT&T-like coverage. Google’s service seamlessly chooses Wi-Fi first, followed by Sprint or T-Mobile depending on which offers the best 4G signal at your location.

Although the service has been anticipated for some time, there are some caveats to consider before rushing to sign up.

First, you cannot sign-up immediately, you can only request an invitation. As with many other new Google projects, invitation-only service means it could be days, weeks, or even a month before you can sign-up.

Second, a view of Google’s coverage map shows Project Fi has substantially reduced dead spots, but has not eliminated them. Project Fi would likely appeal to Sprint or T-Mobile customers now frustrated by their suburban coverage. Chances are good that between the two carriers, one will deliver a robust signal even if the other does not. But rural areas have always been bypassed by both carriers and this makes Project Fi a bad choice if Sprint and T-Mobile are not good options where you live or work.

For example, much of eastern Kentucky, virtually the entire state of West Virginia, and western Virginia offer little to no 3G/4G coverage. Google Fi only promises 2G coverage in these areas, through a roaming agreement T-Mobile or Sprint has with a larger carrier.

Third, unless you already own a Nexus 6, you will be spending at least $650 to buy a new smartphone. Google will initially only support the Nexus 6 for Project Fi, because it is the only phone capable of switching between Google’s wireless partners. It comes in your choice of colors, if your choice is “Midnight Blue.” The smartphone offers two storage sizes—32GB ($649) and 64GB ($699). You can buy the Nexus 6 up front or finance your phone at 0% interest or fees for 24 months at $27.04/month for the 32GB option or $29.12/month for the 64GB option. A credit check is required for the financing option.

Fourth, there are no family plan options. Each phone is assigned to its own account. If you intend to switch your family of four, you will be dealing with four individual accounts (and a whopping $2,600 to acquire four Nexus 6 phones). Because of the invitation-only approach now in effect, it may take some time to get all of your family members up and running.

Finally, Google intends that its mobile service effectively sells itself. That means they are not offering promotions to sign up and will not pay your existing carrier to cover any early termination fees. You can port your current landline or mobile telephone number to the service. Google does not disclose any fees for doing so.

[flv]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/Google Project Fi 4-22-15.mp4[/flv]

Google produced this introductory video about its new wireless service: Google Project Fi. (1:56)

Nashville Comcast Customer Paying for Business Service to Avoid Usage Caps Faces $2,789 Cancelation Fee

Phillip Dampier November 19, 2014 Comcast/Xfinity, Consumer News, Video Comments Off on Nashville Comcast Customer Paying for Business Service to Avoid Usage Caps Faces $2,789 Cancelation Fee

comcast business cancelA Nashville web developer who signed up for usage-cap exempted Business Class service in one of Comcast’s usage-based billing trial cities received a bill for nearly $3,000 in early termination fees after he was unable to transfer his Comcast Internet service to his new address.

Adrian Fraim followed the lead of other savvy Comcast customers who have managed to avoid the company’s usage caps by signing up for cap-free Business Class service. For years, Comcast has offered small businesses a commercial service for only slightly more than residential service, without any usage limits. But any customer is free to sign up.

Fraim thought he was getting a good deal and was happy with his broadband service, but Comcast took him to school when he tried to move service from Antioch to his new address in Clarksville, which he later discovered was outside of Comcast’s service area. The cable company treated his move as a violation of his three-year service contract and billed him an early termination fee of $2,789.

“I was just blown away,” Fraim told WSMV-TV. “That’s way too much money for somebody like me to be able to pay. They kept telling me the same thing, ‘you’re under contract, that’s what the contract says.'”

Only Fraim has never seen a printed Comcast contract. The company only offers its general service agreement and acceptable use policy online and it implies commercial customers are under a one-year contract.

In fact, Comcast’s terms require early-canceling customers to pay 75% of the amount they would have paid on their monthly bill under contract and 100% of any waived custom installation fees. A customer with a $100/mo broadband bill would owe a termination fee of $75 a month for each of up to 36 months of service.

etf

“I didn’t think that was fair, to pay an early termination fee, because I wanted to keep their service,” Fraim said. “And due to them not offering it in my area, I feel like I was being punished because they don’t offer the service here.”

Comcast didn’t seem to care about Fraim’s predicament until reporters called the cable company.

Faced with the prospect of leading the local evening news, Comcast turned Fraim’s frown upside down and finally relented.

Spokesman Alex Horwitz said Comcast does have early termination fees, but because of the extenuating circumstances, “the new location is not serviceable by Comcast,” they will waive the fee.

Comcast has not modified its contract to offer that “get out of penalty jail free”-card to other customers, so be certain to carefully consider the term length of your contract and be sure you have no plans to move outside of a Comcast service area before signing it, unless you have very deep pockets.

[flv]http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/WSMV Nashville Man questions 3000 Comcast bill 11-17-14.mp4[/flv]

WSMV talks with Nashville web developer Adrian Fraim who discovered a nasty surprise when he moved outside of Comcast’s service area – a $2.789 early termination fee. (2:08)

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