Comcast is no longer the only provider of cable service in your area. The company has announced that it will be pulling out of the local market, leaving residents with only two options: Comcast or satellite. This decision comes as a surprise to many people, as Comcast has been providing quality cable service for years now. In fact, some people even say that Comcast is better than satellite providers like DirecTV and AT&T. The decision to pull out of the local market is a clear sign that Comcast is not happy with how things are going in the area. It seems that they are not getting the same level of customer satisfaction from their customers that they were when they were providing service here. This decision will likely cause some people to lose their jobs, as well as make it more difficult for others to get a good deal on cable services. It’s important to remember that this isn’t just a local issue; Comcast is pulling out of many markets across America.
The FCC unanimously approved the new rule. It will prevent broadband providers like Comcast, AT&T, or Verizon from entering into revenue-sharing agreements with landlords, preventing tenants from choosing between all ISPs in their area.
Not only that, but if there are any marketing arrangements in place between a specific ISP and a landlord, they need to be disclosed. Additionally, a provider can no longer sell its wiring to a landlord and exclusively leases it back under the new rules.
Interestingly, the FCC actually banned these practices in 2008, but several loopholes allowed landlords and ISPs to make exclusive deals anyway.
“One-third of this country live in multi-tenant buildings where there often is only one choice for a broadband provider, and no ability to shop for a better deal,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel. “The rules we adopt today will crack down on practices that prevent competition and effectively block a consumer’s ability to get lower prices or higher quality services.”
Of course, tenants are still limited by the ISPs actually available where they live. So this doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly be able to get Google Fiber if you don’t live in an area supported by Google.
We’ll have to wait and see if any other loopholes emerge that allow landlords and ISPs to make any other kinds of shady deals, but on the surface, this looks like a remarkable change that only benefits apartment tenants.
