Comcast Cable has won.

[Mnevis]

That moment when you read through an entire thread with a de ja vu feeling.

Damn, I need to start looking at the dates more.

I figured it out when Reeve mentioned Time Warner being an alternative.

That's who provides my cable/broadband now, no idea yet if anything will change.

[belfpala]

The US's media providers have bastardized the industry to the point that they're convincing us that internet at <50% the speed of other nations is worth 200% the price.

There's no convincing involved. I only have two options that mostly suit my needs, and only one of those options (Comcast) fits every one of my needs. They can therefore demand any price, meanwhile completely ignoring customer service. I can't even say they give substandard connections (which they do, relative to much of the world), because they define standard where I am.

[Thes]

The US's media providers have bastardized the industry to the point that they're convincing us that internet at <50% the speed of other nations is worth 200% the price.

How much does usable speeds cost at Comcast? I have 100down/100up line and it costs like $20-30 dollars a month, I'd say it's decent enough. I only really get 95mbps down and up though (speedtest.net) - those lying bastards.

Yeah I don't live in the US.

To justify that upload, I have small home cloud server for personal uses. It's still a bit overkill though.

[Keile]

People need to learn to differentiate Monopolies and Oligopolies.

Monopolies are when a single company wipes out the competition (and is illegal).
Oligopolies are when several large companies work together to set prices. This creates the illusion of competition, when in reality it's all just a giant lie. By working together they can more easily set the price on the market, pushing the smaller companies out. This usually works because each operates in their own region, and don't step on one anothers toes. These are 100% legal, as they fit into a loophole.

Cable Companies fall under the latter.

[Pitkanen]

Individuals broadband providers in US cities&towns frequently have a monopoly on broadband in this cities&towns.
On a national level, the broadband providers are an oligopolies.

Monopolies/Oligopolies are defined by both what they provide and the area where they provide it. You can be one at a city/county/state/federal/global level, and another at another level, and neither at another.