

Comcast Indefinitely Extends Low-Cost Broadband for Poor Families - ghshephard
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/04/comcast-indefinitely-extends-low-cost-broadband-for-poor-families/?hp

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saturdaysaint
This is in exchange for charging extortionate prices to the middle class - in
the neighborhood of $90 for service packages that go for $30 in European
countries with rational regulations (and I presume those European companies
are turning a profit). That can easily amount to skimming %1 from a median
household's income.

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Shivetya
my issue with comcast, having just dropped down to internet only through them
is, their prices do not include required set top boxes and modems. If you want
their voice service only their modem works, that will be at least seven
dollars extra. You want TV? Well they scramble it all so you need a box for
that too; forgot how much they told me that was.

Can't wait till they tell me I cannot use my own modem for internet, will
probably have to go back to DSL then.

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elwell
“People would like to take this 20-plus-year-old incredible commitment to
communities and these organizations and would like to make it a bad thing —
that we are buying off support for the transaction,” Mr. Cohen said in an
interview. “That is simply not true. And I believe it is offensive to the
organizations we support.”

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gergles
Truth hurts, Mr. Cohen.

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jaggederest
A million dollars in community grants to push forward a $45 billion merger?
Did they miss some zeroes somewhere?

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weixiyen
This is awesome to hear. Whether this is a PR move or simply good will on
Comcast's part, the only thing that really matters is that they are executing
on it.

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ajtaylor
Interesting to note: I read earlier today (sorry, can't recall where) that one
of the federal agencies was upset that Comcast hadn't lived up to their
agreement to _market_ this program to the people it was supposed to help.
Interesting timing between the two stories...

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NextUserName
They are doing this to try and stave off regulators and to get their
acquisition of Time Warner done.

"a goodwill gesture as it hopes to complete a $45 billion acquisition of Time
Warner Cable."

[http://www.pcworld.com/article/2104461/comcast-extends-
inter...](http://www.pcworld.com/article/2104461/comcast-extends-internet-
access-to-the-poor-as-time-warner-deal-looms.html)

