# We have cable company competition! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 28, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-cable-company-competition/721001 "2015-05-28T00:01:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-cable-company-competition/721001/1 "2015-05-28T00:01:00Z")
I always thought Comcast had a lock on San Francisco, but it looks like Astound (now called Wave, apparently) has moved in. Anyone have experience with Astound/Wave? Service? Selection? Price? If I switch, can Comcast force me to stop using my @comcast.net email address? Or maybe I can just use the existence of a competitor to persuade Comcast to lower my rates? ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-cable-company-competition/721001/2 "2015-05-28T05:00:08Z")
I dont know about those companies but here in Kansas City when Everest came in and challenged Time-Warner, the old “monopoly”, Time Warner’s rates suddenly dropped and whereas TW formerly had terrible customer service, I had a company representative come to my door and ask me how my service was. Enjoy how they now have to work for your business. Incidentally I have access to 3 providers; Time-Warner, CCI (formerly Everest) and Southwestern Bell. PLUS I just found out AT&T is now going to provide service to my neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-cable-company-competition/721001/3 "2015-05-28T10:22:25Z")
my experience with having “cable competition” is that you get to choose between two providers who charge pretty much the same price. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-cable-company-competition/721001/4 "2015-05-28T12:02:21Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > my experience with having “cable competition” is that you get to choose between two providers who charge pretty much the same price. Though it seems like they often will have introductory rates if you sign up for a termed contract, some people switch regularly back and forth at the end of the contract. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-cable-company-competition/721001/5 "2015-05-28T12:42:42Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Incidentally I have access to 3 providers; Time-Warner, CCI (formerly Everest) and Southwestern Bell. PLUS I just found out AT&T is now going to provide service to my neighborhood. Aren’t Southwestern Bell and AT&T (the former SBC) the same company? ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-cable-company-competition/721001/6 "2015-05-29T04:31:32Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Aren’t Southwestern Bell and AT&T (the former SBC) the same company? Not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-cable-company-competition/721001/7 "2015-05-29T21:36:46Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Aren’t Southwestern Bell and AT&T (the former SBC) the same company? Yes, they are. But at least their “cable” service now includes actual cable, rather than just an arrangement with Dish Network. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-cable-company-competition/721001/8 "2015-05-29T22:33:04Z")
I know that. But the way that \*\*Urbanredneck \*\* wrote his post (“I have access to 3 providers; Time-Warner, CCI (formerly Everest) and Southwestern Bell. PLUS I just found out AT&T is now going to provide service to my neighborhood.”) made it sound like Southwestern Bell and AT&T were going to offer competing broadband services in his neighborhood, and that doesn’t make any sense to me.