Subject: Dish, Comcast, and such
From: Jim Thomas (jthomas@math.niu.edu)
Date: Mon Sep 22 2008 - 13:15:10 CDT
> this is brenda in#211, I have been getting calls from comcast to
> switch over to them. can someone update me on the status of her
> deal with Dish. I have dish for programming, are we, as a building
> switching to comcast? please advise
Dish will remain our provider. Although we have been working with
Comcast as a possible replacement in recent months and have had them
out to the building to examine the cable infrastructure, and although
some of us prefer Comcast to other providers, we will remain with
Dish for several reasons: 1) There are some problems with delivering
the cable signal to the building that could result in an expense to
the Association and result in delays; 2) It could take up to three
months or longer for Comcast (or any other replacement provider)
to bring the building up to current standards, and if anything went out
with the Dish sattelites, we'd be hosed because Dish wouldn't provide
service if we're not under contract with them; 3) Subscribers would
need Comcast receivers for the services in their unit, which they would
have to re-purchase/lease; 4) Many people like Dish.
The current status: Dish (as would any other provider) requires a
contract to service the sattelite equipment or to provide new
subscribers or services. Currently, the First Properties attorney and
Dish/Echostar have been going back/forth and negotiating the details
of the contract. This has taken over a month of attempting to resolve
issues, and as of Friday, the attorneys have resolved most of the
issues. We're told that there are only a couple of details to work out,
on which both sides feel strongly. These seem to be legal details, not
details of service provision. We're hoping that this will be resolved
very, very soon.
Some people have been waiting patiently and with good grace for service
or upgrades. If you 're one of these people, when the contract is
signed, Dish will *immediately* provide service and take new orders.
They will also upgrade the existing infrastructure at their expense
and seamlessly so viewers won't experience any disruption. They
will also be responsible for service issues, rather than sub-contracting
(as they did to Roddy) and have set up a system for multiple contacts
for service issues that we will provide after the contract is signed.
If you're one of the people who's been waiting for service and
frustrated at the delay, when the contract is signed and you call
Dish for service or upgrades, politely inform them of how long you've
been waiting and ask if they could give some kind of break on initial
costs as a reward for your patience.
Jim
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