Comcast Replacing Cable Customers With Internet Customers

Especially in recent years, many people have been looking for clever ways to cut some of their higher utilities costs. For some, that means taking shorter showers or keeping the air conditioner off during the hotter months. Many others have found that cable is a pretty substantial monthly expense that they can go without relatively easily. "Cutting the cord," as it's commonly referred to, can save consumers well over $100 per month, depending on the package of channels they had. According to Gerry Smith's L.A. Times article, they opt instead to use their internet connections, paired with streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, to watch their favorite shows.

Comcast Inc. is just one of the many cable providers that have suffered losses to their bottom line due to the cord-cutting frenzy sweeping the nation. However, on the other hand, Comcast has also observed that as much as people are removing cable, they are getting more new customers for their internet plans. This quarter, the number of cable customers dropped yet again, but an additional 350,000 customers bought broadband internet service, which helped to balance out Comcast's profits.

People aren't only getting more into internet because of its ability to replace their cable entertainment. In the modern age, it is incredibly difficult to have a job, attend school, or do pretty much anything else without a reliable internet connection. Everything these days is online, so Comcast and companies like it are naturally going to keep getting new customers and are going to be getting demands from their customers for increased internet speeds. Some of their new features, including personalized home Wi-Fi networks, have led hundreds of thousands of new users to try out their internet connections.

Some cable giants are offering cheaper cable packages with fewer channels, which is attractive to some users. To many others, paying anything for any amount of cable is simply too much, because they can get access to anything they want to watch via the internet. Why pay more for something you can get elsewhere for less? Comcast's profits went up this year due to the influx of internet customers, and they expect to increase their shareholders' dividends by around 20% in 2018, while increasing stock value at the same time.

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JetBlue Airlines Ranked Highest for Domestic In-Flight WiFi Capabilities

Technological improvements over time allow the general public to take advantage of certain amenities that were once only available to the wealthy elite. Personal automobiles were once few and far between, due to the exorbitant price tags and cost of upkeep. Over the years, via various production improvements and the development of cheaper and longer-lasting parts, automobiles have become commonplace. Another example is that of airplane travel. More and more people these days choose to travel by air rather than by ground because of its efficiency, reasonable price, and various amenities. One such amenity that's drawing in more customers, according to Hugo Martin's L.A. Times article, is free or low-priced in-flight WiFi.

Whether flying for business or for pleasure, customers want to have access to everything that they could have while traveling by another mode of transportation. For quite a while, people traveling via car, bus, and even train have been able to make calls, send text messages, and access mobile internet data at no extra charge. Until recently, the convenience and speed of an airplane had the drawback that travelers couldn't remain in contact with the outside world. For some travelers, especially those traveling for business, hours without their mobile devices could make a huge difference in their personal lives and careers.

Access to in-flight internet is a wanted amenity for most passengers, but that draws the question: how much are people willing to pay for the amenity? Research has found that customers feel cheated if an airline charges them a rate that is significantly higher than their home internet or mobile data, on a per megabyte basis. Of course, this expectation doesn't make much sense, given that there's a huge difference between the infrastructure that provides mobile internet on a cell phone and WiFi on a flying plane thousands of feet in the sky, but people want what they want.

Highspeedinternet.com made a ranking of the best airlines with respect to in-flight WiFi service. They ranked speed of connection, reliability, availability, and price, to come up with the sliding scale. In the end, they found that the airline with the best overall WiFi was found on JetBlue flights. JetBlue provides free 15 mbps internet to all passengers on 100% of its domestic flights. Southwest Airlines was ranked second, and has WiFi connectivity for $8 on 90% of its planes. Virgin America also provides 15 mbps connections, but for $25 per flight, so they are ranked even lower. Some industry leaders, like Hawaiian Airlines, Frontier, and Spirit Airways don't provide WiFi at all, putting them toward the bottom of the ranking.

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Internet Connectivity is Becoming a Staple on Many Domestic Flights

Internet access is considered a "must-have" by many Americans, especially when on te move. In an increasingly spread-out and mobile world, consumers want constant access to the Internet to keep in touch with family and friends, or just as often, to get their work done. Long bus, train, or airplane trips can either be several hours of stress for a businessperson, or the perfect time for them to get through some of their work. Because of that, Wi-Fi aboard all forms of transportation has become more commonly provided throughout the country. In his L.A. Times article, Hugo Martin discusses Wi-Fi aboard airlines and their increased prevalence in recent years.

When Wi-Fi on airlines was introduced just a few years ago, it seemed like an overpriced gimmick that no one was really using. Eventually, though, as smartphones became more popular, airline passengers had a way to surf the Internet without lugging around a bulky laptop in their bag. So quickly that no one could tell when exactly the trend shifted, in-flight Wi-Fi became a highly-demanded amenity. From businesspeople keeping up with work emails to the average Joe checking their social media accounts, the technology had to quickly catch up to provide high enough speeds for users to feel like the high prices they were being charged were justified.

In-flight Wi-Fi has become so prevalent that a recent study showed that a passenger has an 83% chance of having access to the Internet on a domestic flight, which is up from 74% in 2015. Unfortunately, that same research found that the chance of having internet access on an international flight is only 28%. The three airlines with the most internet connectivity are Emirates, United, and Lufthansa, especially on long-distance flights where the demand would be higher.

While many American companies are trying to keep up with the trend, some are providing Wi-Fi that is good enough to check emails, but not good enough to stream a movie or TV show. Still, there a significant number of companies, including JetBlue and Southwest Airlines that are aiming to outfit all of their planes with high-speed internet connectivity by the end of the year. JetBlue's will be free, while Southwest's is expected to cost about $8 per day, per device. Overall, for most users, a high-speed internet connection while traveling is well worth similar fees. Eventually, it seems, in-flight internet will likely become an included amenity, available on all airlines. Only time will tell how long it will be until that becomes the status quo.

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