Optimum Online at a Time Warner building

javamonkey

Ok so this is bizarre. I recently had a very frustrating time with Time Warner cable and internet (I know...shocking!!). I called Optimum Online for info on their service. The service rep asked "do you currently have Time Warner cable in your residence?", I said yes, and he responded with "then we cannot provide service there.".

HUH?!?? The rep could not adequately explain why this was so....basically just the way it is.

Anyone know what the dilio is with this monopoly? I *hate* Time Warner and would love FIOS cable/internet but all they have on my block right now is internet. Optimum was the second choice but apparently not. Is this one of those "call your congressman" issues?

trace

yep.....I don't know how they get away with it, but it's true. Optimum Online has some sections of the city, Time Warner has others....I think it's ridiculous and restricts fair trade. Your only other real option is whatever Verizon offers in your area (I'm surprised you have FIOS internet already - can you give me a rough idea of where you live?)

The minute full FIOS comes to my area I am dumping Time Warner in a NY minute

javamonkey

Im on 14th bet 7/8....rough enough? :-)

Thanks for the info. This must be some business-is-more-important-than-consumers contract of some kind. Guess I should just bend over and shut up then.

I did a Verizon FIOS truck on my block not that long ago and very excitedly asked the tech if he was installing FIOS cable on the block. He said no but they will.....soon.

opossumqueen

TWC and Cablevision do not compete. You can't get mad and switch service-I've tried this as well. The rep I spoke with said that there aren't clear lines, like by neighborhood, but that different apartments within the same building might fall under different companies.

I've also read really bad reviews of FIOS, so I think they all suck! They know we're addicted and will put up with their crap to get our internets!

unrepentant fenian

Time Warner and Optimum sat down divided up the city into separate territories. The other poster is correct, they do not compete. They own their infrastructure and are not required to lease it to competing operations. So that wiring from your apartment to the street to the amplifier belongs to Time Warner. Technically the wiring inside the building is Time Warner's and your building may have even signed a contract permitting Time Warner to be the sole provider so even if Fios comes to your hood they may not be able to wire your building. In summary, you (and everyone else in this city) are fucked. This goes to a much larger problem. Our "representatives" don't represent us. They represent the interest the lobbyists pay them to. Writint to your congressman won't do you a bit of good unless you stuff the envelope with cash. For the record the cable thing is nationwide. Their are very few areas that have competition. A small town in Georgia bout a direct fiber link and decided to distribute it to all the homes and were planning to charge a quarter of what the local cable provider was charging for internet with 4 times the bandwith. The cable company managed to get an injunction and is fighting it out in court.

booklaw

Laying and repairing cable in underground conduits in the city is fantastically expensive. The only way the city was able to get cable companies to make the necessary investment was to offer them exclusive territories. No cable company was going to invest truly huge amounts of money in laying cable if their entire investment could be wiped out a few years later because a competitor was able to offer lower prices because it had not had to make a similar investment.

Each cable company gets a multi-year exclusive deal. That deal comes up for renegotiation periodically (I would guess every 10 years, but that's just a guess).

brooklynjack

Unrepentant Fenian wrote: Their are very few areas that have competition.

Yes, but Manhattan is one where Time Warner and RCN compete. In my Old building I had RCN cable TV and Time Warner cable internet. It took a telephone call to Time Warner Cable's General Counsel but I got them both on separate sets of wire.

booklaw

Manhattan has much higher population density than Brooklyn, so a cable operator can get higher returns on its investment. That should give the city greater leverage in its negotiations with the cable company.

brooklynjack

booklaw wrote: Laying and repairing cable in underground conduits in the city is fantastically expensive. The only way the city was able to get cable companies to make the necessary investment was to offer them exclusive territories. No cable company was going to invest truly huge amounts of money in laying cable if their entire investment could be wiped out a few years later because a competitor was able to offer lower prices because it had not had to make a similar investment.

Each cable company gets a multi-year exclusive deal. That deal comes up for renegotiation periodically (I would guess every 10 years, but that's just a guess).

In Manhattan where RCN and Time Warner Cable compete and they both have their own cable infrastructure it is a real PITA and even more costly. TW tears up the street putting in new cables and closes it and the following week RCN does the same thing.

I think there should be one infrastructure and the cable companies maintain That's what we have with copper telephone sevice Thenyou have competition and only 1 infrastructure

hitokiri

It's nothing new.

You could get lucky if you have a different service across the street.
Then you might be able to get, lets say an optimum guy to run a line to your building lol


but yeah, cable providers are in zones. Biggest monopoly in my eyes.