Quote Originally Posted by wufwugy View Post
I don't want to get too deep into it, but the basics are that Oliver discussed how ISPs differentiating prices to different customers is a bad idea. He then explained how that *could* be a way to price gouge small startups. Given his premise and assuming that consumers are robots, this is feasible. But the premise is only a portion of the story. ISPs don't want to differentiate prices "just because." They want to do it because some companies are using a lot more than other companies. Charging customers more for using more is standard. Price gouging startups is a non-issue. We don't see it happen in these sorts of economic spaces.

But price gouging of customers is run-of-the-mill. One quick example:


Last year, around this time, I filed a complaint with the ticket number 357899. In that complaint I spoke of AT&T and their horrid pricing practices due to the crippling lack of competition where I live. AT&T responded which was enough to satisfy the FCC which I find abhorrent. Since then the price of my internet service has actually gone up, a data cap has been imposed for no reason, and the quality of service degrading.


The reason I've waited so long to continue this complaint is that I do not want AT&T to be able to continue using the temporary discount they gave me for being in contract as a bargaining chip in this complaint. The price we pay for internet now is now $62 a month with forced equipment "rental" of $7 a month bringing the total bill to $69 plus fees and taxes.


What I am getting for my money is 18 Mbps which is, frankly, pathetic. Literally across the street they have access to Charter and speeds starting at 60Mbps for $60; three times the speed for the same price. When AT&T responded to me the had the audacity to tell me:


" With regards to our pricing strategy: it is competitive for today's market."


However, as you can see, their pricing is far from competitive. Not only that but if you look in areas where AT&T does have competition, such as Austin, you see that their price for internet is $60 for 45Mbps and $99 for a full gigabit. Further, since they have no competition here, I have no way of getting a better deal like that which is offered to my neighbors across the street who have Charter.


As you are aware we need internet to function in today's world. I have to be able to access my work's computers and communicate with family and friends so I can't just drop AT&T like I have with so many other services such as cell phone and, until Direct TV was bought over by them, TV. There is nothing I can do to change this except file a second complaint and hope that the FCC can take some type of action to stop this exploitation of a monopoly market.
He could not get Charter. It was not available in his area, despite being available across the street.