GMP Cable System Upgrade

[Oz]

OK - GMP is upgrading the cable system in areas closest to their office. My TV reception is better than it has EVER been, but my cable modem doesn't work. I have DirecTV, so I could care less how clear Channel 10 comes in.

I pay $81.45 each month for my cable modem. I don't complain about having to buy expanded basic to get a cable modem like the nerds who made public comments to our Cable Advisory Board. I'm just thankful that I have high speed access. I love my cable modem. My only requirement in this relationship is that the ONLINE light stay GREEN!

The bottom line, is that my bottom light isn't ONLINE! No cable modem since yesterday!

 

[jazz lady]

Where is their service area? All of St. Mary's or just certain areas?

 

[Jameo]

GMP cable just came out yesterday to hook my modem and everything up. Is there service out allot? I didn't want slow dial-up after having DSL when I live in Hollywood and no ones offers it where I live now, so cable was my only option.

 

[Oz]

Originally posted by Jameo
GMP cable just came out yesterday to hook my modem and everything up. Is there service out allot? I didn't want slow dial-up after having DSL when I live in Hollywood and no ones offers it where I live now, so cable was my only option.

No - I've never had major problems. Once in 2 years (before last night) has my cable modem service been out when I needed it to be online.

Cable Modem service from GMP has been great for me! They just need to get beyond my area with their upgrade!

GMP's service area (in a nutshell) is all of St. Mary's except Golden Beach.

 

[Racingwolf]

I just wish I could get cable where is live so I could have a cable modem!!!

 

[Toxick]

Originally posted by Jameo
Is there service out allot?

I live down in the boonies of Compton and my cable modem only goes out when the cable TV does. And that's only out during incliment weather. Probably twice in the past 2 years or so.

 

[Ken King]

Originally posted by Toxick
I live down in the boonies of Compton and my cable modem only goes out when the cable TV does. And that's only out during incliment weather. Probably twice in the past 2 years or so.

Compton isn't the boonies (at least not like the 7th District or Ridge).

 

[Christy]

Our cable connection has been crapping out too. I really hope they hurry up with the upgrades, this is really pizzin me off.

 

[Oz]

After spending the night catching up on what's on my DirecTiVo, I checked, and the Modem is still down. So I switched to cable, and that's out too.

Day 1:
Day 2:

Today is Day 3 with no cable modem...

 

[SmallTown]

Originally posted by Oz


I pay $81.45 each month for my cable modem. I don't complain about having to buy expanded basic to get a cable modem like the nerds who made public comments to our Cable Advisory Board.

The problem is, in many other areas, you don't need cable service at all to receive cable modem service. So yes, people have a legit gripe when they have to pay $80 just for cable modem.

 

[Oz]

Re: Re: GMP Cable System Upgrade

Originally posted by SmallTown
The problem is, in many other areas, you don't need cable service at all to receive cable modem service. So yes, people have a legit gripe when they have to pay $80 just for cable modem.

We're not in many other areas. We're in St. Mary's County, and if they need to sell cable television to merge high speed access into their business model, then so be it.

In many other areas, there are hundreds of thousands, even millions of people in a concentrated area. In many other areas, folks would just like to have ~any~ high speed access availability. St. Mary's County has 88,000 sprawled all over the place, and most of those folks have access to cable television.

They don't have to pay $80 for a cable modem if they don't want to. I want the service, and I'll pay for it. I'm just happy that I can get high speed access at my house. These geeks who want something for nothing can either take it or leave it. But if the cable company can't make money on the cable modem service, then NONE of us will have high speed access. Who 'ya gonna call at Verizon to b!tch about not having DSL?

Think about it - $30 for a second phone line (roughly) and then $15-$25 for an ISP, and you're already around or over $50 per month. So, scrap that and for another $30 a month I have a high speed cable modem. I can earn that back in the time I'm NOT waiting on a slow dialup connection to load.

I think it's a good deal. If it were a better deal, I'd take it. But, unless you have DSL availability, it's the best deal for high speed access in St. Mary's County.

 

[Oz]

Modem & OZvatar back!

To celebrate the restoration of my cable modem service, I recommissioned everyone's favorite OZvatar...

 

[SmallTown]

Oz,

It is this exact mentality why GMP can and does charge $80 for cable modem service.
it has nothing to do with inferior technology or the distance between subscribers, or anything else. It just comes down to greed. Heck, the government would impose a 90% income tax if people didn't stand up and say "I don't think so".

But like you say, they know they are really the only shop in town right now, so they'll enjoy the benefits for awhile. But look at AOL... over 800K members lost recently? Why? because other means of obtaining access is there. Once other alternatives are available in somd on a wide scale, you'll see people defect left and right, leaving GMP scratching their heads. Even if they lower their prices at that point, the damage will already be done. They have basically written their own death ticket, so watch out for GMP trying to strong arm competition that may try to spring up.

 

[Oz]

Originally posted by SmallTown
But like you say, they know they are really the only shop in town right now, so they'll enjoy the benefits for awhile. But look at AOL... over 800K members lost recently? Why? because other means of obtaining access is there. Once other alternatives are available in somd on a wide scale, you'll see people defect left and right, leaving GMP scratching their heads. Even if they lower their prices at that point, the damage will already be done. They have basically written their own death ticket, so watch out for GMP trying to strong arm competition that may try to spring up.

Business concentration absolutely effects this. You have a greater economy of scale running cable from Hollywood to Wildewood to service bunches of customers. Now, run to Ridge and it might cost the same just to get down there as it did to wire up all of those Wildewood homes. You can't faily compare a closer, more concentrated metropolitan suburb that has more people in 30 square miles, than St. Mary's has in 367 square miles. All I'm saying is "be real!" It costs more to do business in St. Mary's because we're fewer people spread out further, and our cable system isn't even fully built-out yet to every household.

AOL also has one of the best DSL programs available, as far as value to subscribers, and they're still losing them. That proves, you can't give away the house and keep the people in it.

I don't totally disagree with you, but if I look at it from GMP's "mentality" which neither of us really knows... I'm thinking if cable modems don't make good business sense to GMP, then why bother with it? Good business sense = making money. (period!) They're in the television business. Cable Internet kinda' fell into their laps, and they kept it going. As I said before. There are lots of rural areas that wish their cable companies provided high speed access.

When is DSL technology going to improve beyond the 6,000 or so feet from the CO requirement? I'm more than 6,000 and less than 8,000 according to Covad, and I've been waiting over 3 years for DSL technology to improve and reach my neighborhood. I'm wondering if copper wire will ever support an extended distance?

If Comcast buys our cable system one day, and lowers my cable modem rate, then that's fine. But they're not here today, and I'm not going to save $20 a month using dialup waiting for that.

 

[SmallTown]

Yes, but most of the cable we are talking about has already been put down, unless they used some sort of really old form of cable that can not handle the extra bandwith, which very well could be true. otherwise, there really isn't a lot of extra cost to pump the signal to ridge Vs. wildewood.

Yes, it is a business decision, one involving greed. They charge what they do partly due to oeprating costs, partly for lack of competition.

I'm glad I can get dsl where I am. they just upped it to i think 1.5 which is nice.

I believe it is around $50 for cable modem if you don't have cable service, and like 40 or 45 with cable. dsl, if you have one of their packages, is $30... Not bad at all.

 

[Ken King]

Directway (via DirecTV) is currently running $60 a month if you buy the gear outright or $90 a month for a year and then $60 a month after that year on a delayed purchase plan.

 

[SmallTown]

is the gear still several hundred bucks? The service was tempting, but the initial costs back when I looked into it was awful. It should have come down quite a bit now

 

[Oz]

Originally posted by Ken King
Directway (via DirecTV) is currently running $60 a month if you buy the gear outright or $90 a month for a year and then $60 a month after that year on a delayed purchase plan.

Currently from DirecWay:

$579 Hardware + $59.99x12=$1298.88 (if you put the $ out up-front!)

or

$99 Hardware + $99.99x12=$1298.88 and then after the first year, your rate drops to the $59.99.

They previously had an activation fee, but it's becoming a better deal every year. I guess with Hughes behind them, they're pretty solid. And, the $60 per month rate (plus taxes) still should be a savings of $200 per year over cable.

I think there's an up-charge for a dish that also does DirecTV.

Still, that's not a deal that will blow cable modems out of the water.

 

[Ken King]

But if you don't have cable, too far away for DSL, it's your only choice or you stay with the dialup.

 

[Oz]

Originally posted by Ken King
But if you don't have cable, too far away for DSL, it's your only choice or you stay with the dialup.

I tell 'ya what - when the package comes down to a break-even after the first year, I'll switch. That means the up-front needs to be $399 or less.

I still am thankful for cable service with a cable modem, at least at the current price (or lower.) But I guess I will give SmallT one point. Their price is too high to create tremendous loyalty among satellite subscribers. But it's still more of a bargain than not having high speed access in our rural area!