[cwal37]

Holy shit, are those prices normal for Austin? Everywhere I've lived (Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee) I've paid roughly $40-50/month for just internet from Comcast that's also a bit faster than yours.

I've always been on promo deals, but even the "regular" price is $70-80.

[js2]

TWC in Cary, NC for 5/30 service (nothing else, just Internet) is $72.38/month. And they just sent me a letter saying rates are going up.

My only theoretical alternative is AT&T but last I checked they don't even know my address exists (my house was built in 2004).

Meanwhile Wilson, NC built out its own network after getting fed up with broadband providers not willing to service her citizens. Of course that won't be happening elsewhere in NC since TWC successfully lobbied the state legislature to prevent other towns from doing so. Anyway, here's the pricing in Wilson http://www.greenlightnc.com/about/internet/

    20Mbps Internet-only	$39.95
    40Mbps Internet-only	$59.95
    60Mbps Internet-only	$79.95
    100Mbps Internet-only	$104.95
    1Gbps Internet-only 	$154.95

All symmetrical. Much better than anything from TWC or Comcast or AT&T.

[cwal37]

My hometown in the Chicago suburbs attempted to build out their own fiber network to provide service to residents sometime in the mid 2000s. I was in high school at the time, but I still get so damn angry thinking back on Comcast's explicit lobbying and campaigning against it. They sold the older population in town that it was this huge gamble.

I can still picture the signs Comcast put in people's yards. They were bright red, had dice on them, and said "Don't gamble with our tax dollars." There were letters to the editor in the local papers on both sides, but it was clear from almost the beginning that too few people understood the value of municipal fiber, and the vote didn't pass.

Today, my parents have barely functioning UVerse.

Also, your internet option is super gross, that's really too bad. I recently moved for work to a more rural area, but thankfully the same package was available.

[dopamean]

I'm in Austin. I pay 48ish for 15 down 3 up.

[caw]

TWC is ridiculous on price. My complex was wired for it but they would only sell me "business class" rather than consumer. I instead got U-Verse (18 down / ?? up) for $45 per month.

[ahlatimer]

Define "normal." If you let your rate increase after your promotional period ends, then yes, but it only takes one phone call to retention to get that back down.

[cwal37]

Right, but I don't think the average person does that. I haven't paid their "normal" or listed rate, but I imagine the typical family just pays.

[ahlatimer]

I don't have any particular insight into it, so I don't know. I imagine TWC does, though, but I don't know how keen they would be in sharing that.