Communities and consumers unite! We will have to file a class action lawsuit to settle this issue. The Second Report and Order filed by the FCC on the case of bulk billing is surreal. This report is so bias and so filled with all the marketing spins from the industry that you would think that it was done-by-industry for FCC to file.
First and foremost, the “significant discounted rate” they allude to only exists in the paperwork submitted by the cable industry. Independent unbiased reports like the Consumers Union title: (I don’t know why) The Continuing Abuse of Market Power By The Cable Industry, subtitle: Rising Prices, Denial of Consumer Choice and Discriminatory Access to Content, clearly defined how the cable industry continue to increase prices. On page 1 of the report they state “rates have risen and continue to rise almost three-times faster than inflation”. So the first question is, what is a discount on an already inflated rate?
Second, the industry lobbyists were successful at reviving (no pun intended) the “Celebrex” argument. Were they claim the benefit of bulk billing arrangements outweigh their harms. But just like the drug, the bulk deal is still a dangerous one that needs to be considered carefully. We know that communities that have long term bulk contracts are not attractive to other service providers. In their own cable industry report on Anticompetitive Practices By Incumbent Cable Operators (Small Cable vs. Big Cable) the National Association of Telecommunication Officers and Advisors wrote “An overbuilder can enter a community only if it has a reasonable prospect of meeting substantial market penetration targets.” There is not substantial market penetration targets in MDU units tied to a perpetual or semi perpetual bulk agreement. Further, back to our unbiased source from the Consumers Union, on page 7 they wrote “Bigger monopolies are worse when it comes to consumer prices”. If you don’t have competition you prices will always be higher. Thanks to the FCC bulk billing communities will never have the burden of low prices.
I would like comment on the FCC Report “ MVPD provider is spared the significant expense of selling to each resident, making credit checks and collecting deposit, managing bad debt and theft of service and frequently sending personnel and vehicles to the building to place and removed boxes and turn service on and off in different units.” We replace that by placing the financial liability of the contract on the HOA and homeowners. Regular folks are still waiting for their bail-out while industry goes on being bailed out by our dollars.
As for the “lower prices” can someone please write me and let me know they are getting the promised discount? On the Second Report of Order all the references about discounts are from the cable industry or their representatives. Again, the Consumers Union recognized on page 2 “the FCC failure to develop solid independent data may harm the consumer substantially.” It already has.
Tenants that rent maybe surprise to know that FCC passed judgment on their credit rating, the FCC said: “these tenants also avoid high deposit and the limitations imposed by their own imperfect credit histories.” Tenants that rent should call their congressman and express their discontent about and agency that pass judgment on their credit rating and their bulk billing arrangement without having any real independent data. While you are at it, ask for the FCC dissolution since the FCC is not doing anything for you and is only publishing elitist lobbyist comments.
Now to the “time to decide among competing MVPD, the cost of deposit, the taking a vacation day to let the installer in and charges for installation and disconnection of service.” So not only do we have bad credit, we are incapable of making decisions and our wages are so meager that we would be unable to afford cable if miss a day work. Thank you FCC for reliving me of this burden.
The FCC is anti-consumer and pro industry. Consumers can not count on government agencies to protect them. If you are concerned about your well being, take action and become involved. The government eliminated the comprised between consumers and industry and now is either them or us. Pick a side and do what you must do to ensure your survival. All those in favor of a class action lawsuit please raise their hands. (Let me know)
The Continuing Abuse of Market Power By The Cable Industry Report is available at:
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www.consumerfed.org/elements/www.consumerfed.../mpcableindustry.pdf>
