[Abby4116]

The real issue is for local communities to quit giving Comcast monopolies on running cable and internet to every house. These communities need to allow other companies to compete with Comcast. Other companies who want to compete should be allowed to run their own lines, not buy wholesale off Comcasts lines.

Without a payback guarantee, no company will spend the capital to run lines.

Comcast took over our ATT cable company and expanded the service to include internet (ATT didn't offer it). Verizon is not going to wire the county for FIOS.

My options were to continue to use a bad phone line from Verizon (and max 1.3 dsl) and use dish or direct tv or go with comcast for a good product. The price is pretty much equal. Since verizon would not even admit my phone line (outside line) was bad, it was a no-brainer. Thanks to going all digital tv, we all need either cable or satellite.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Thanks to going all digital tv, we all need either cable or satellite.

If there are over-the-air broadcasts in your area, buy yourself a modern OTA antenna and enjoy HDTV broadcasts from local TV. Bonus - OTA HDTV signals aren't compressed as cable and satellite are.