http://www.wewantchoice.com/


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
http://www.wewantchoice.com/

There's always DirectTV???

Granted, cable modems blow away all satellite Internet and most DSL
connections for the same price...

Joel Kolstad wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
http://www.wewantchoice.com/

There's always DirectTV???

Granted, cable modems blow away all satellite Internet and most DSL
connections for the same price...


Did you read the We Want Choice hype? Claiming that multiple
physical CATV plants will drive the price down? The system hardware is
about 90% of the operating costs of a CATV system, and every time this
has been tried in the past, ut has failed.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

So they get to hang more cables on the poles while Ham radio operators
can't put up the occasional antenna!

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Joel Kolstad wrote:


"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...


http://www.wewantchoice.com/


There's always DirectTV???

Granted, cable modems blow away all satellite Internet and most DSL
connections for the same price...




Did you read the We Want Choice hype? Claiming that multiple
physical CATV plants will drive the price down? The system hardware is
about 90% of the operating costs of a CATV system, and every time this
has been tried in the past, ut has failed.





--
Joe Leikhim K4SAT
"The RFI-EMI-GUY"©

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

"Follow The Money" ;-P

**THE-RFI-EMI-GUY** wrote:

So they get to hang more cables on the poles while Ham radio operators
can't put up the occasional antenna!


Even worse! They have to replace hundreds or thousands of poles to
get the space to hang another bundle.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
The system hardware is
about 90% of the operating costs of a CATV system, and every time this
has been tried in the past, ut has failed.

90%? I'm surprised -- I would have thought that all the guys running around
in install. vans (labor) would have been more significant, since once the
system is setup it seems that the headend equipment only changes slowly
(although I am aware that Comcast in Oregon spent "many millions" on upgrading
their distribution backbone to fiber in the not-so-distant past).
Interesting...

Joel Kolstad wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
The system hardware is
about 90% of the operating costs of a CATV system, and every time this
has been tried in the past, ut has failed.

90%? I'm surprised -- I would have thought that all the guys running around
in install. vans (labor) would have been more significant, since once the
system is setup it seems that the headend equipment only changes slowly
(although I am aware that Comcast in Oregon spent "many millions" on upgrading
their distribution backbone to fiber in the not-so-distant past).
Interesting...


It takes a lot more workers to build a system, than to maintain it.
A36 channel headed in the mid '80s was a million dollars, and the cost
to build the distribution system was 18,500 per mile for the .750"
hardline and trunk amplifiers for the trunkline. Then you added the
costs of the .500" feeder hardline, Pole or pedestal mounted AC power
supplies, bridger amplifiers, taps, and sometimes a Line Extender amp
with its own cast aluminum housing.

Next comes the first of the annual FCC "Proof of Performance tests"
which is usually contracted out, because the equipment is expensive and
requires annual calibration.

If it passes all the test we are ready for drops, converters,
splitters, coax, ground rods and labor. Its a business that is paid for
up front, then you get the money back in nickels and dimes, with a lot
of late payments. The system I worked at had four office workers, a
system manager, me and four field techs for 10,000 active drops. That's
a drop in the bucked, compared to the construction costs.


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

Joel Kolstad wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
http://www.wewantchoice.com/

There's always DirectTV???

Granted, cable modems blow away all satellite Internet and most DSL
connections for the same price...
really? for DSL $17.95/mo buys me about 3 Mb/s to my computer and 500kb/s
to the net. Is your connection all that much better or cheaper?
--
JosephKK
Gegen dummheit kampfen die Gotter Selbst, vergebens.Â*Â*
--Schiller

**THE-RFI-EMI-GUY** wrote:

So they get to hang more cables on the poles while Ham radio operators
can't put up the occasional antenna!

How very strange, if you use Federal law correctly you can break any local
zoning or HomeOwnersAssociation rules almost at will. Do be prepared to
drop $2000 to $5000 US to fight it out, but you will win. Only in a
landscaped group of apartments, can they successfully impede you putting up
a tower or 5 meter (16 foot) dish (and then only for solid structural
reasons; beware, you will have to remove it when you are done with it, e.g.
move, as well).


Michael A. Terrell wrote:

Joel Kolstad wrote:


"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...


http://www.wewantchoice.com/


There's always DirectTV???

Granted, cable modems blow away all satellite Internet and most DSL
connections for the same price...




Did you read the We Want Choice hype? Claiming that multiple
physical CATV plants will drive the price down? The system hardware is
about 90% of the operating costs of a CATV system, and every time this
has been tried in the past, ut has failed.






--
JosephKK
Gegen dummheit kampfen die Gotter Selbst, vergebens.Â*Â*
--Schiller