RCN vs. Comcast?

try calling Comcast and renegotiating your bill. I've gotten $15-$20/month knocked off my bill several times just by doing that.

What I do is I research all the new customer options Comcast is offering, then what the competition is offering, and then I make a list of all the things Comcast is doing wrong (slowdowns, outages, etc.) and tell them they're charging too much and I'm going to switch to Competitor. They put you through to Customer Retention, who can usually give you a decent discount.

That said, every time I've done that I lived in a Comcast-exclusive building where I had no choice but to switch. Given the choice, I would have switched.

Comcast is basically the devil. I only have RCN for internet, but its better than Comcast (and even Comcast Business Class) in every respect -- price, service, reliability, speed.

Also, people still watch TV? You don't just use Netflix, or Prime Instant Video, or something? I can't imagine it. I haven't seen a commercial in years.

I've wanted to get away from them for years but where I live has no alternative aside from satellite. But every year or so when my promotional deal runs out I call them and they usually have a new deal that may not include everything I want or already have but I end up saving some money. And sometimes you just have to cut back on what you have to save money if their promos don't fit your needs. Plus you can always play the "I'll go to RCN if youse louses don't give me a deal" card. On a positive note, however, I have had good luck with any customer service issues concerning Comcast so that could be a factor as well. When the hell are these companies going to allow us to have an "a la carte" option where we pay for only what we watch?

Use Google Chrome and download the AdBlocker Plus extension. There are hundreds of sites like http://www.solarmovie.is/ that offer free HD movies, HBO Series and all of the Netflix Originals for free. Most laptops have HDMI inputs which allows you to stream directly to your TV.

Your not directly downloading any data like a bittorrent so its impossible to get in trouble. Its basically like watching a video on YouTube.

You're Welcome!

I have been doing just internet for years. Only $55 a month. If you want, you can subscribe to HBOGO and HULU to get your TV stations. Also ESPN will let you subscribe to just them too. Netflix, iTunes Movies, AmazonPrime... there are a lot of options. I say cut the cord and watch what you really want on the internet. If you absolutely have to have your TV then do what someone else said and threaten to leave. They will definitely give you a deal.

your lucky you have a choice (which is the way it is supposed to be). I'm in a part of Boston that can only get Comcast. I want to get rid of cable bc the cost is ridiculous but the hubby has to have his sports.

The building we just moved into is only wired for RCN. Can't stand Comcast but RCN makes me miss them. How's that for suckage? If you switch get everything settled fast. RCN actually says things like "well, that whole kind of thing is just for new customers. After 30 days you're just a customer."

...but I adore RCN. Their service people and technicians are really good and communicate well. The troubleshooter you talk to on the phone will actually know what they're talking about, instead of just reading from a binder. They're responsive. They're like the anti-Verizon: if every interaction you have with Verizon is unpleasant and unhelpful, every interaction with RCN is great.

As far as I can tell their television signal is much better looking than what I see when I go to friends' houses and see their Comcast signals. My deal with RCN has a Tivo built right in to the cable box.

I did have a couple of television outages over last summer, but they didn't last more than a few hours. The internet has been rock solid.

We saved about $75/mo for expanded cable, 3 HD boxes internet and HBO (granted this was when RCN had a nice promo a few months back). Plus RCN has Tivo which is huge. Such an improvement over the standard comcast DVR offering. I have zero regrets switching over. Wish I did it earlier.

I've had both.
Everything about RCN is better than Comcast.

The Comcast price drove me to RCN. Problems with picture quality that could not be fixed (the screen would pixilate) pushed me back to Comcast. Overall, I am happy with Comcast customer service, although sometimes there are wait times that are a bit long. RCN was awful. I asked once where the person was that I was speaking with, and she told me the Philippines.

I've had Comcast's intro rate for over 3 years now. When it expired and my bill shot up, I did the following:

- Call their cancellation number
- Told them I didn't like how much my bill had shot up to.

Their response: "well, what would you be comfortable paying?"

Me: the intro rate was nice.

Boom. Rate locked in. I've even moved since, and it hasn't ever climbed back up. Give it a shot.

I would love to get RCN rather than Comcast, if it were available in my neighborhood. I use RCN internet at one of my jobs, and it is comparable to Comcast in speed. It is also a lot cheaper, but that is comparing a business account to a personal account. I don't know how your comparison will be.

I recently cancelled our Comcast TV service as the price became stupid high. We kept it (too long) for HBO. They gave us a headache with our cancellation I won't rehash here, but both my partner & I had to waste hours on the phone between the two of us, getting months taken off our bill we were charged for after our cancellation, and waiting twice for someone to pick up the box who did not show.

On the plus side, we do still have the cable box, if you want it!

Had RCN internet for over 7 years, would never ever go with Comcast. They're either #1 or #2 most hated company in the US.

Never had an outage with RCN until last year, but they never lasted long. Customer service nice to deal with. A little sour over price increases - they keep bumping up the speed - and the price. But I did chat with them and negotiated another discount for 3 years. ESPN3 access is nice too. Don't know about cable.

Piling on, but I count myself lucky that I live on an RCN-served street in Roslindale. Their basic broadband package is cheap, very reliable, and customer service seems dependable. Miles away from what we had with Comcast.

I've had them for 3+ yrs and my internet-only bill is like $60. It kinda feels like I'm paying more than I should, but I haven't had any problems with them, so I really don't have the motivation to call and complain :/

Hi, I was involved with a project looking at how to bring more internet options to Boston. It made me think about how Google Fiber approaches it in those cities (Kansas City, Austin, etc.) where they basically ask customers who want the service and then expand the service to those streets first.

There is a Boston-based service called Netblazr ( http://netblazr.com ) that is a mesh network, where they relay internet signals from buildings four stories or higher across the city. Many Boston neighborhoods already have this option. I'm in JP and they are working on expanding here, but all neighborhoods south of JP won't have the service until it reaches JP.

I set up a Google Map where people can put an anonymous marker if you want to have more internet options at your home or place of business. You can find the map at http://bit.ly/bostoninternet

Adding a marker is easy: go to navigation on top of page, select "add a marker," and click on your residence or place of business. No personal information is shared, but you can add a comment if you would like.

This started in JP (hence the density of markers there), but I've opened it up to all of Boston (and Cambridge/Somerville, too, both of which have limited choice).

Please feel free to share with friends, neighbors (post a note in http://nextdoor.com if you're a user), and family members who would like more choice.

If we have this data, I will submit to the Office of Telecommunications and Cable with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to show that there is demand for RCN to offer services beyond their existing streets.

I've spoken with people at both Netblzr and RCN about expanding service and have shared this map with them. Netblazr said they have expansion plans in the works for 2015.RCN serves some streets, but not all. It's basically given limited territory so that Comcast is not seen as a monopoly, but the reality is that most people cannot get RCN and, as noted above, many would like that option.

A few articles about the project's launch over the last few months in JP for additional background:

Jamaica Plain News:
http://www.jamaicaplainnews.com/2014/11/want-more-internet-options-in-jp

Jamaica Plain Gazette:
http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/2015/01/16/jp-resident-launches-internet-...

Only way to expand service is for these companies to see there is demand, so place a marker! Only takes 5 seconds to do!

Charlie

I just have internet. I use an antenna for Local TV. The HD signals are uncompressed and the picture is superior. Best of all it's FREE.