Desperate for Cable Subscribers

Every 6 months or so I remember that I’m paying Comcast for both cable and internet service. This is despite my cable box having sat, unplugged, in my closet for well over a year.

(The only thing I use from my cable subscription is HBO Go, but I would happily pay directly for HBO Now.)

Every 6 months or so I call Comcast to attempt to reduce my bill by cutting my cable service. Here’s the crazy part: cancelling my cable would cost me more money per month for worse internet speeds. Here’s how it lays out:

  • Current: Cable + 105Mbps download + 10Mbps upload, $65/month
  • Internet Only #1: 75Mbps download + 5Mbps upload, $70/month
  • Internet Only #2: 25Mbps download + 5Mbps upload, $60/month

To cut my cable and save any money, I would have to cut my internet download speed by 76%.

There is some nuance happening. I’m holding onto a legacy bundle I got when I first joined Comcast, and the internet-only prices are without any deals. Regardless, that is a massive performance difference for what is effectively the same price.

It fascinates me that Comcast is so desperate to hold onto cable subscribers, even if it means giving them significantly better internet speeds than their prices would normally dictate.