We recently got xfinity with ComCast (20Mb/s) and NetFlix starts playback almost instantly, and we have never had playback stop to rebuffer. In comparison, we had problems with AT&T's DSL service all the time with NetFlix though. On DSL, playback would stop to buffer the video repeatedly and sometime would stop playback entirely.
In some places I'm sure it is true that Comcast is essentially a monopoly. Though I'd think that anywhere you can get cable, you can also set up a dish for DirectTV and Dish Network, so they do kind of compete against the satellite companies for TV service. Here locally, they do compete against AT&T's uVerse (or something like that) for TV/telephone/Internet service. And of course their Internet service competes against AT&T's DSL. And various local broadband wireless providers. And of course they have to compete against alternative options for getting TV programming (over the air and Internet download/streaming).
I'm not sure that you can definitively say they have no incentive to upgrade. They have just rolled fiber out to our neighborhood, and we did sign up for the xfinity triple play package. We are now getting phone/internet/cable for less than we were paying to Dish/DirectTV and AT&T combined. The speed (20Mb/s) is faster (verifiably and consistently) than anything else that's available. The equipment for xfinity is a step up in several respects from what we had with either Dish Network or DirectTV. There are a couple features we miss from Dish Network's equipment but they are more than made up for with the new features that were lacking in the satellite systems (for instance HD at every TV, DVR playback (in HD) at every TV). They are enhancing their OnDemand service which is a way of differentiating their service from satellite, so it appears that they are trying to compete against the satellite companies.
Knowing ComCast's reputation I am prepared to start hating them at any moment, but so far the xfinity package has been the best deal we have ever had.
Based on reading Comcast's letter, it sounds like what they want to be paid for is the setup for the 27-30 extra ports ($50k per) and associated recurring costs ($25K per port per year) that are going to be required to provide enough bandwidth between Level 3's network and Comcast to handle the new additional traffic Level 3 is sending to them.
They were supposed to include code in their rounding routines to skim all the half cents of all the transactions off and funnel them to a Swiss bank account!
These directions used to tell you to turn right at 7th street, then left at G street. The street view left hand turn into the chain link fence and non-existent road was particularly hilarious but probably not dangerous.
I reported this back in March and checked on it a couple of times, but only just now when I checked was it fixed. So it probably took three months or so for it to be corrected. Probably not too bad considering how big Los Banos is. In this case looking at the satellite view would have saved me a few minutes, as the sat view would have conflicted with the old map that had G St running from 4th through to 7th.
I would also add that farmers can participate in the futures market, at least one way I understand it is used is to hedge against price declines. They even have access to these newfangled things called computers and spreadsheets that help them keep track of their breakeven points and develop trading strategies. Some farmers have even been known to store their harvests when market prices are low (ie, below their profitability targets) and sell them when the market prices have recovered. Go figure. It almost sounds like they expect to be able to make a living farming.
Their licenses will get extended the 116 days the switchover is delayed:
US Senate passes bill to delay digital TV switch
There is an interesting politics as usual angle to this too:
Friction is a drag.
