this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2023
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It sounds like providers are trying to hide monthly fees in an attempt to obscure them. My ISP will let me 'rent' a modem for $10 a month, but I just decided to buy my own for $60 fifteen years ago. My brain says that's $1800 (it could be wrong, it's late). If I didn't know I was paying a $10 monthly fee, I'd never have bought my own.
And if a fee is actually a tax, just put that on the bill. It's pretty simple.
My isp used to charge $10/mo for a modem rental, so I just bought my own. Now they don't charge for the rental but all their prices went up by at least $10/mo.
Comcast tells me I can use my own modem but if I do then I'm capped at 1.2TB a month on my "unlimited" plan.
You were only paying $10/mo. for your modem?? They were charging me $15/mo. just for the television remote! Fuck these companies, seriously (especially Comcast).
Might wanna buy a new modem. 15 years ago was, what, DOCIS2? The new DOCIS4s could get you far faster internet
Due to any technical/latency improvements?
Otherwise if they don't pay for more bandwidth it wouldn't actually get faster, right? If the current modem can already deliver the full speed they pay for?
A lot of ISPs have silently upgraded their bandwidth peaks, without telling customers, and use rented modem speed as a way of upselling. I.e. "We'll double your speed for $15 a month"
Buying a new modem can end-run that and get you the speeds without changing your bill. When I had comcast in the Bay Area, buying a new modem gave me an extra 100mbit up and 30 down, without any interaction with comcast.
Oh, that's weird, here in Austria you pay for x mbit down and y mbit up, that's what you get. No matter your modem.
$10/mo = $120/yr.
15yr @ $120/yr = $1800
It would put undo burden on you for them to tell you what they’re charging for. they’re trying to help you. this isn’t about capitalism, it’s about simplifying the process of them adding fees to your bill in a mutually beneficial way, because neither of you have to think too hard about where the fee money goes. it’s about mutual love, respect, and empathy 🙏