The monopoly that cable internet companies have over cities in the United States feels like we’re living in the Stone Age when it comes to internet service. These companies have a stranglehold over entire cities, leaving us with no other options. And the result? Horrible service! They don’t even try to improve their offerings. Instead, they just keep jacking up their prices and offering us the same old subpar service.
There’s one company that stands out as the absolute worst: @Xfinity by @Comcast. Now, I don’t know who came up with the name Xfinity, but it sounds like something a toddler would say when they’re trying to pronounce “infinity.” And that’s about as sophisticated as their service gets.
It’s like they’re trying to make our lives difficult on purpose. Their customer service is a joke. You call them up with a problem, and you’re stuck on hold for what feels like an eternity. And when you finally get through, you’re connected with some robot who can’t understand a word you’re saying. You try to use @XfinitySupport only to be passed around from agent to agent who don’t read the tread.
And don’t even get me started on their internet speeds. Why is UP/DOWN speeds not the same by now? And forget about trying to have two people working remotely both be on Zoom calls. And it’s not like we can just switch to another provider if we’re not happy with the service we’re getting. Most of the time, these cable internet companies have a monopoly over a certain area, leaving us with no other choice. It’s like being held hostage by our internet provider. So, what can we do about it? Well, the first step is to make our voices heard. We need to let these cable internet companies know that we’re not happy with the service we’re getting, and that we demand better. We need to push for more competition in the market, so that these companies can’t just sit back and rake in the cash without any consequences.
Let’s talk about the outages. It’s bad enough that we’re paying top dollar for terrible internet service, but then these cable internet companies have the audacity to have outages on a regular basis. How many times have we been in the middle of an important video call or trying to finish a project before a deadline, only to have our internet suddenly cut out? And then we’re left scrambling to try to find a Wi-Fi hotspot or switch to our data plan, all while cursing the cable internet company under our breath.
What’s even more frustrating is that these outages seem to happen at the most inconvenient times. It’s like the cable internet companies have some kind of sixth sense for when we really need our internet to work, and then they decide to pull the plug just to mess with us.
And when we reach out for help, what do we get? A vague explanation about some kind of “technical difficulties” or “maintenance work” that’s being done. We all know that these outages are just a symptom of the larger problem: these cable internet companies have a monopoly over the market, and they don’t have any real incentive to improve their service. Xfinity by Comcast has a zero competitors in some cities. Sometimes it the monopoly is for the building you move into leaving customers with no other option for high-speed internet.
With frequent outages, slow speeds, and terrible customer service, Xfinity internet is a prime example of why we need more competition in the market. If you’re stuck with Xfinity my condolences. But hey, at least we can all commiserate together. And if you’re one of the lucky few who has a decent internet provider in Washington, D.C. cherish it because for the rest of us, it’s like we’re still living in the dial-up age combined with outrage after outage.