AT&T > Comcast (It's Comcraptic!)

AT&T hasn't done anything lately to piss me off. I can't say the same thing for Comcast (It's Comcraptic!). In a behind-the-scenes deal this past summer that I'm sure involved plenty of brimstone and soul-selling, Time Warner hastily abandoned the Houston market to Comcast, much like a lion leaves the husk of a wildebeest for the circling hyenas.

Within days of the take-over, Comcast promptly jacked their rates while also cutting their television line-up. I went from paying $120 a month, to $148. And that's for less channels.

Hmm? Satellite you say? Yes, that had crossed my mind. However, my brother regaled me of satellite installation horror stories. Couple that with the tiny need I have for broadband Internet, and you can quickly see how satellite was not the product for me.

And then, almost as quickly as Comcast took over Timer Warner, AT&T started flooding my mailbox with offers of cable TV AND Internet. I rebuffed the offers at first. I used to have AT&T as my cell phone provider and I was, uh, unimpressed. But the marketing fliers kept coming, and when my Comcast cable went out for an entire day and then returned with dancing, zigzagging lines in the picture, I called AT&T and booked the installation.

So now I'm paying $120 for 3Mbps Internet and an HD cable package that includes Showtime, StarZzZzZz, Encore, and TMC. Not to mention hundreds of other channels I never plan to watch. I've only had the service since Sunday, but so far so good. Even better, their cable modem doubles as a router. In fact, I think the cable TV signal goes through it as well. It looks to be the cutting edge technology for cable TV and Internet. All I know is that returning Comcast's DVR receiver game me a thrill of consumer satisfaction.

Free market competition. It's what's for dinner.