A Cable TV Exodus
Article published in Northampton Living
(July 2023)
EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR
NATE MUNIC
The Friendly I.T. Guy
Residential and Business Tech
413 200 8114
nate@thefriendlyitguy.com
thefriendlyitguy.com
Am I the only one that thinks that cable companies are a bunch of thieves? Actually, I know I’m not. I hear the same thing from my clients all the time. But this is getting out of hand. Every other day, I see someone make a post about it, or I get a call from someone who is fed up with their cable bills. While the numbers are not exact, from my experience, monthly bills are ranging from $230-$290 a month! That's insanity.
The three main services they provide are TV, Phone, and Internet. They claim you save a bunch of money by having all three services. But here's the rub: the phone line only works so long as you have power. Home phones are useless in a power outage. With very few exceptions, you are far better off using a cell phone in an emergency than a landline. Additionally, The cost of TV service is buried under a variety of fees. Did you know that they charge a total of $30-$40 in fees every single month on top of service costs? One is called a “Broadcast TV Fee” and the other is a “Regional Sports Fee.” Just more ways to squeeze money out of you.
Then there’s equipment rental. They charge $15 a month to rent a modem/router. For many homes, this one piece of equipment is often not substantial enough for the entire home, meaning there is still additional cost investing in extenders, mesh systems etc. Many people don’t realize, but you can use your own equipment instead. The cost of a modem is around the cost of renting for a year, but a good modem should last anywhere from 3-5 years.
Luckily, as many of you may already know, there's a way out of this corporate financial abuse. Streaming, once the way of the future, is now the way of the present. Streaming is a way of getting video content like TV, Movies, and other videos using only the internet. Things you may already use like Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video or others are all streaming platforms. What's more, Xfinity and others are catching on, and actually offer some pretty decent options to watch TV through streaming services alone, without all that extra cost.
There are many ways to stream your favorite content. A quick google search will reveal all the different places your shows are available and their costs, if any. The issue here is that getting all of these things set up can be stressful, confusing, uncertain, or unfamiliar. On top of that, log-in issues, account issues, and the sea of equipment options might make the whole thing rather daunting. One of my more popular services is helping people with exactly this issue. The best part? They pay for themselves in a matter of months. I had a client in Longmeadow recently who was paying $279 a month for her cable bill. After our work together, it’s now $107 a month. She feels confident with how to use her new streaming services, the remotes, and didn’t have to give up any of her favorite shows! $172 a month in savings is over $2,000 a year!
Stop letting cable companies take advantage of your lack of familiarity with the other options. My recommendation is to drop your TV and home phone service, and switch to internet only. If you would like assistance with this, or want to know more about switching exclusively to streaming services and saving money, call or text at (413) 200-8114 or email me at nate@thefriendlyitguy.com.
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