Tag Archive for T

| June 23, 2015
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2Gbps Coming To Detroit

2Gbps Coming To DetroitNot so long ago, Comcast was leaving Detroit. Now, the embattled cable provider has announced a 2 Gbps fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) campaign in Motown. FierceTelecom reports that Comcast will bring its Gigabit Pro service to about 1.5 million homes in Michigan. The service will be offered to residential customers in Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Jackson, and Lansing. Tim Collins, senior VP of Comcast’s Heartland Region, said in a release that the company’s move into Michigan is designed to address “tech-savvy residents who have a need for even faster speeds.”

a need for even faster speedsSimilar to other markets, Detroit customers that live near Comcast’s fiber network will be eligible to get Gigabit Pro service. Comcast technicians will install an optical network terminal and related equipment at the customer’s home for the service. In addition to the metro-Detroit area, Comcast plans to offer the service in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph (as part of the Greater Chicago region).

Options in Detroit

Comcast has not yet disclosed what it will charge Detroiters for the Gigabit Pro offering. The author cites a DSL Reports article where Comcast was planning a $299 per month price tag for the service. That price would make it much more expensive than it competition. Google charge $70 per month for Google Fiber service or AT&T‘s (T) $120 per month charge for its gigabit services. However, it’s unclear if Comcast will adhere to that pricing when it does launch the service.

The article says today, Comcast charges $399.95 a month for its 505 Mbps tier. An Ars Technica report said Comcast’s 2 Gbps service will cost less than that. It also said that all 505 Mbps customers will be upgraded to the new Gigabit Pro service. As the MSO tries to work out pricing, it decided to delay the initial May release of the service in Detroit to a new, undetermined date.

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Let’s be honest, the real hero here is Dan Gilbert and his Rocket Fiber project. As has been the case where Google Fiber has gone in, the other players suddenly show an interest in that market. I predict a win for RocketFiber, because Mr. Gilbert’s people understand customer service and Comcast hates its customers.

 

Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| June 20, 2015
Comments Off on GOP Ordred to Gut FCC Over Net Neutrality

GOP Ordred to Gut FCC Over Net Neutrality

GOP Ordred to Gut FCC Over Net NeutralityThe courts turned down big Telecom’s demands to immediately kill Net Neutrality and somehow the Internet still works. But big Telecom’s House Republican stooges continue their war against consumers and the open Internet. The telecom lackeys have buried riders in a budget bill that would stop the FCC from enforcing the Net Neutrally regs until courts decide several challenges.

According to FierceCable, the GOP’s 2016 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, unveiled recently, has three riders buried in the budget rules that:

  1. riders buried in the budgetPrevent the FCC from enforcing its net neutrality rules, pending what could be years of litigation.
  2. Cut the FCC budget by $73 million.
  3. Prohibits the FCC from regulating rates for both wireline and wireless Internet services.

Harold Feld, senior VP at Public Knowledge, in a responding statement told FierceCable:

Worst of all, the Appropriations Committee ban on FCC enforcement that ‘directly or indirectly’ regulates prices would prevent the FCC from ban on FCC enforcementperforming even the most basic consumer protection action, such as the recent FCC enforcement against wireless carriers requiring them to refund charges for services customers did not order or had discontinued.

Public Knowledge VP Feld concludes:

The Appropriations Committee would rather declare open season to rob American broadband subscribers with overcharges and ripoffs than allow the FCC to do its job.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| March 27, 2015
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AT&T Already Profits from Net Neutrality

AT&T Already Profits from Net NeutralityIn further proof that no matter what – the huge corporations always win, AT&T (T), one of the most vocal opponents to net neutrality has already started to profit from it. FierceTelecom is reporting that AT&T’s new reclassification under Title II of the Communications Act as part of new net neutrality rules are working in the mega-Bell’s favor.

the huge corporations always winThe article says regulators cited Title II to justify a ruling for AT&T. The FCC ruling said AT&T should be awarded damages for being overcharged by two Michigan-based rural telcos for interstate access services. Now the FCC has to set how much money AT&T should receive from East Lansing-based Great Lakes Comnet (GLC) and Westphalia Telephone Company (WTC). The FCC wrote in its order, “We agree with AT&T.”

Initially, AT&T asked for a $12 million refund and wants to avoid paying an extra $4.3 million that Westphalia and Great Lakes claim the telco owes them. The author explains that the FCC argued that AT&T was billed unlawfully because of Section 201(b) of the Communications Act. This is the part of Title II that says: “All charges, practices, classifications, and regulations for and in connection with such communication service, shall be just and reasonable, and any such charge, practice, classification, or regulation that is unjust or unreasonable is declared to be unlawful.”

Verizon raised consumer phone rates to fund the broadband network they objected toIronically, during the run-up to the net neutrality decision,  AT&T, Verizon (VZ), Comcast (CMCSA), and other telcos claimed that regulation would hurt their profits, which seems like misinformation BS. The FierceTelecom article reports that the FCC said that it won’t set specific price caps or tell service providers what they can charge for service, consumers can complain to the FCC if their provider is overcharging them for service.

FierceTelecom also points to an Ars Technica report, that Verizon (VZ), another outspoken critic of applying Title II to broadband services, ironically used its common carrier status for POTS services to build its FiOS fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network. Besides leveraging Title II to get access to utility poles and rights-of-way to string up fiber, Verizon raised consumer phone rates to fund the fiber build.

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This could be written-off as unintended consequences or is it? Is the goobermnet in bed with the Telco’s and all the net neutrality hub-bub was just a show?

Quoting MLive, 

the leaders making our laws, writing our budgets, and setting the agenda are not widely seen as effective … there’s a serious and alarming lack of leadership …

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| February 26, 2015
Comments Off on Net Neutrality – We Win

Net Neutrality – We Win

Let the lawsuits begin!

Net Neutrality - We Win

In addition to the lawyers, lining up to squash Net Neutrality, Michigan’s own Fred Upton—who holds personal investments in AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon—has introduced anti-Net Neutrality legislation that eliminates the FCC’s authority to regulate internet service providers and could crush the agency’s ruling and allow AT&T (T), Comcast (CMCSA) and Verizon (VZ) to rule the Internet at our cost to grow their profits.

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I have already seen an ad on BrightHouse cable from Broadband For America, (whose membership page is empty) claiming that the FCC ruling will force them to raise taxes. Here come more imaginary “Regulatory re-capture” profits fees.

For right now, this is a rare win for the 99% in post 9-11 ‘murica. Just follow the money.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| February 24, 2015
Comments Off on Quicken Fiber Coming to the D

Quicken Fiber Coming to the D

Quicken Fiber Coming to the DCrain’s Detroit Business is reporting that real estate mogul, Lebron James’ boss, founder and chairman of Quicken Loans Inc., Dan Gilbert announced the formation of a new Detroit-based high-speed Internet provider to bring service to downtown Detroit –  Rocket Fiber LLC. Mr. Gilbert (@cavsdan) tweeted:

Rocket Fiber LLCYes, it’s true @RocketFiber coming to downtown Detroit in near future. Fast as Google or faster. Details in a few weeks pic.twitter.com/fTPRSbauoN

Mr. Gilbert formed Rocket Fiber LLC in 2014. He called the company a “community investment initiative.” Matt Cullen, president and CEO of Rock Ventures, called the new network “the generational leap forward” – leapfrogging where the city is at this point. It’s starting in the downtown and hopefully spreading out to the neighborhoods. There is some interest along the riverfront.Fiber optic cable

The first wave of installations will happen in the downtown area between the Lodge on the west, I-375 to the east, and I-75 to the north. Rocket Fiber will expand services to residents and businesses in Midtown Detroit along the Woodward corridor.

Crain’s reports that construction is already happening on the “advanced fiber-optic network.” The system will use hard-wired fiber-optic lines that will be connected to buildings. Users will connect devices in their homes or businesses by either an Ethernet cable or WI-Fi. An outdoor Wi-Fi offering also will be available, Rock Ventures said.

Rocket FiberThe effort is not entirely altruistic. Undoubtedly part of the project will be to connect the Quicken campus downtown to the new Corktown technical center Bedrock is building at Rosa Parks and Porter which includes a 10,000-square-foot server room.

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Mr. Gilbert is doing something ATT or Comcast could or would not do. – I worked on a job in the City to bring in 12 AT&T (T) POTS and Comcast (CMCSA) Business circuits.

Quicken Loans Data Center - Curbed– OMG – It took ATT a week to get the last three POTS lines in and Comcast projected 6 months to install a city block away from Ford Field and 100 yards from a known working drop. (and now they are going to stop service in Detroit). Thankfully 123.net was able to get the customer up, working on time and budget.  

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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