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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LA County to Offer Lower Utilities Rates Through Community Choice Aggregation Programs

In this day and age, as technology continues to advance and resources are stretched thin, energy sources are often on the mind of the common consumer and government entities. Electricity rates have been going up, and even as we search for alternative, green energy options, it can be difficult to make those options affordable. Fortunately, earlier this week, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved a public energy program that gives Southern California Edison customers an alternative, government-backed energy source to purchase from. According to Ivan Penn and Nina Agrawal's article in the L.A. Times, the public energy program is expected to lower individual costs by around 5% and is open to residences and businesses alike.

Not only will the energy program be providing power to customers at a lower cost, it will also be focusing on green energy sources. The county will be able to purchase energy from the market and invest in solar energy projects. Because the community choice aggregation (CCA) programs are government entities, they aren't allowed to make a profit on customer rates, which means they will charge the bare minimum to break even. This is very different from companies like Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric Co., who can charge however much they want.

Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the L.A. County will be able to enroll in the new CCA program, and many people in other counties could be allowed to as well, depending on local regulations. This new energy plan is expected to revamp the entire electricity industry. Private companies will be forced to find ways to lower prices and bring in green energy sources in order to compete with the government entity. Competition tends to drive down prices and drive up demand, so everyone should be happy in the long run. Some private electricity companies worry that the long-term implications of this project remain to be seen and that we should take things slow before rushing into anything.

All in all, CCA programs seem almost too good to be true. A government program that lowers rates and improves the usage of green energy sources seems like a pipe dream. Yet, with proper planning and careful budgeting, it could work out. Technology is redefining various industries, and to survive, the entire country has to change with it. With the new program, new customers can decide exactly what kind of energy they want: wind, solar, or other resources. By giving people options and lowering costs, customers become loyal and are more willing to face the changes that come with dramatic improvements. As long as the CAAs make sure their budgeting is solid, things should work out, at least for the near future.

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Google to Offer New "YouTube Red" Subscription-Based System

Where YouTube once made all of its income through advertisement sales, the Google-owned company is planning to make a big change. Starting next week, YouTube will be providing an option for viewers to pay $9.99 per month to be a part of a service called YouTube Red. As described by Saba Hamedy and Paresh Dave, in their L.A. Times article, this service will not only remove advertisements from most videos, thereby enhancing the viewer's enjoyment, but will also provide the ability to download content and stream music from Google Play.

YouTube, which first opened in 2005, grew in popularity very quickly and as purchased by Google a year later. Since then, while videos on YouTube get millions of views per month, Google has found that the well-known site is not quite the money-maker it might have been expected to be. Analysts believe that this is because YouTube is free, in general. Artists, musicians, instructors, and entertainers can upload videos for free, and people around the world can watch, like, and comment those videos for free. Only videos with advertisements provide any sort of income to YouTube and the maker of the video.

Now, with YouTube Red, Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc., expects to make far more money from the site without increasing advertisements or drastically changing its currently free setup. Analysts YouTube Red has great potential to become hugely profitable, but only if YouTube finds a way to overcome competition by Facebook, Vimeo, and Snapchat, among several other competitors.

Furthermore, will it really be worth it to viewers? Is the removal of ads, even on top of the addition of all kinds of new content by such YouTubers as The Fine Bros, Lilly Singh, and Pewdiepie, really worth the $10 per month that it will cost. YouTube tends to be targeted more toward teenagers and younger Millennials, so that would also mean that subscription to YouTube Red would probably fall under the jurisdiction of viewers' parents, who may not be willing to spend money on that which used to be free.

Much of the new content will be produced by well-known YouTube stars, who, unlike so-called "traditional actors," tend to come up with the content in their own videos. Many such stars started out with comedy or singing shows, filmed in their bedroom, and since have accrued hundreds of thousands of subscribers. It is these individuals that YouTube Red is going to use to try to pique the interest of potential viewers.

Market research company EMarketer believes that the growth of YouTube's ad revenue will slow over the coming years, which would make now the perfect time for the company to move away from advertisements and toward other forms of income. Many wonder, however, how this new system will affect the YouTube stars, some of whom are making a comfortable living off of payments from advertising sponsors. Will they be willing to give up that security to be a part of this new project? Hamedy and Dave seem to conclude that with YouTube Red, the stars will have more opportunities to create newer and better content that previously would have been cost prohibitive. YouTube executives believe that the stars will see the project's potential and will happily sign on to be a part of this new system.

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Drought Conditions Prevent Ability to Store Sustainable Energy

For companies like Southern California Edison, the drought is taking its toll on their sources of sustainable energy. When water stored in artificial lakes high in the mountains is released, it flows down to turn hydroelectric turbines and convert the water's kinetic energy into electrical energy for use by consumers. This system only works when the water is available for use. Because of the drought, water levels have dropped so far that the hydroelectric system has been put on hold for the time being. According to Ivan Penn, in his L.A. Times article, the hydroelectric power is not the only source of power being lost due to depleted water reserves.

Renewable resources are those that are considered to be constant in nature, that will always be available on Earth. Sunlight, wind, and water are some examples of such resources. You may ask, “Why is water considered 'renewable' if a drought can reduce the amount available?" This is due to the fact that, while a drought reduces the availability of water in specific parts of the world, the amount of water available throughout the entire world remains relatively constant. 

As more and more research comes out showing the negative effects that coal and fossil fuels have on the environment, as well as the rapidly diminishing supplies of such resources, both government agencies and private corporations search for a more sustainable alternative. Wind and solar energy seem to provide the greatest return on investment, to the extent that many homeowners have installed their own solar panels to harness the Sun's natural power for themselves. Unfortunately, power companies have yet to find a way to store excess energy. Just as blackouts and power reductions can be caused by too little power being produced, too much power can overload the power grid and damage everything connected to it.

Edison has a system that, in non-drought times, would be quite effective in storing excess energy for later use. when the water has flowed down the mountain and through th3e turbines, it ends up in another manmade lake. When their solar panels and wind turbines collect more energy than can be used by consumers, the excess energy is used rather than given away at negative prices. The energy is used to power pumps that bring the water back up the mountain and stored back in the starting lake. In this way, "energy" can be stored, though not in the classical sense.  Since energy can only be converted, not created or destroyed, the excess energy is converted from electrical to mechanical (pumps) to potential (water on top of the mountain). Then, when the energy is needed again, the water is released from the lake and the potential energy becomes kinetic, then electrical once again. 

At nighttime, stored energy is needed to make up for the fact that no solar energy is being collected. While Edison's energy storage system, of course, has loss associated with it, since all processes lose some energy as heat, it is better than the alternative in which excess energy is given away to competing companies in order to prevent overloading of the power grid. However, drought conditions have everyone at a loss. How else can the energy be stored in an economical, efficient, and environmentally-friendly manner?  

As Penn points out, it's not as if we can control Sun or wind on command. Renewable energy sources are great and have become more utilitarian and widely used in recent years, but it seems that the most effective use of researchers' time would be to find a better way to store the energy.  If renewable, sustainable energy can be stored and easily accessed, then there would be little reason to use fossil fuels and other degradative materials as energy sources. As such, solar, wind, and hydroelectric power are arguably the best and cheapest energy sources, but they can only live up to their true potential if scientists find an effective way to store the excess. 

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Changes to FCC Regulations May Help Reduce Robocalls

The National Do Not Call Registry, run jointly by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, was designed to be a way for consumers to avoid sales calls. Unfortunately, due to new technologies, so-called telemarketers have found ways to go around As Jim Puzzanghera discusses in his L.A. Times article, most people dislike receiving annoying and commonly fraudulent phone calls on a daily basis, which is why the FCC has proposed new regulations that could help consumers only receive the calls that they want.

The agencies receive about 150,000 complaints per month about robocalls, but there's not much they can do about it. Once your number is on the Do Not Call Registry, telemarketers are, in theory, not allowed to call you. However, as witnessed by many on the list, these calls still come through. By using internet-based phone numbers or routing calls through other countries, telemarketers are able to circumvent the law and contact those on the Do Not Call list. Until recently, consumers had to tell callers, in writing, that they no longer wish to receive sales calls. Under the new regulations, the calls can be stopped by asking the telemarketer "in any reasonable way at any time" to stop.

In addition to making it easier for consumers to stop sales calls on their end, the FCC's changed regulations will allow and encourage telephone providers to offer robocall-blocking tools to their customers. While robocalls can be annoying to those receiving them, they can also be costly. Some calls and texts rack up charges on a monthly phone bill. Many times, phone providers keep a significant portion of the fees charged by such third-party message services, a practice that has led companies like Verizon and Sprint to court in recent months. If the calls and texts were blocked in the first place, such charges would not be an issue.

Under the new rules, even if a company had previously received written permission from the owner of a phone number to make sales calls, the robocaller has to stop immediately once they find out that the phone number has changed ownership. In this way, the new owner will not have to be bothered by calls that were authorized by a previous owner. The new rules, however, apply to certain companies and not to others. For example, computerized calls from banks or hospitals are allowed if they are designed to help the consumer. Calls about possible fraudulent activity on a credit card or about medication refills are not considered"robocalls" in the classical sense by the FCC.

While law enforcement is working toward catching illegal telemarketers and putting a stop to some of the sales calls. the FCC believe that the most sensible way to stop the calls is directly at the source. If phone providers were to offer to their customers the variety of new services available to block such calls, consumers could at least avoid calls from the most notorious telemarketers. Some lawmakers worry that the new regulations could be harmful in that they prevent surveys and demographics studies from being performed on the general public. On the other hand, many consumers find survey-takers to be just as annoying as telemarketers. Altogether, these regulations could be a way to give consumers what they want. Stopping illegal calls and making consumers happy are the top responsibilities of the National Do Not Call Registry, and these new laws may help them fulfill their purpose.

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Viewers Dropping Cable for Cheaper Over-the-Air Options

5/10/15 - As many remember quite well, television of the mid-1900s consisted of a few channels for each of the major broadcasting stations: ABC, CBS, and NBC, among some others. Mainly due to the advent of cable and satellite television providers, modern television has hundreds of channels with content ranging from news to information to entertainment. Television has grown exponentially, but the downside of having so many channels is that prices have skyrocketed. Stephen Battaglio, in his L.A. Times article, discusses a recent phenomenon by which many consumers, unable to afford high-priced television packages, have “cut the cord” and gone back to the television choices provided by bunny-ear antennas.

Watchers of recent years have developed their own system by which they are able to watch all of their favorite shows at a fraction of the price for cable. They use “over-the-air” antennas to watch shows on FOX, CBS, ABC, and NBC for free, and use internet streaming programs like HBO Go, Hulu, and Netflix to watch a variety of other content. Since internet is already a necessity in most homes, this method cuts costs significantly.

Already, about 12.3 million homes rely only on over-the-air broadcasting for their television needs. While this is only 11% of total television users, this trend is a warning signal for cable and satellite providers. As television subscriptions go down, internet usage increases dramatically. Battaglio's sources suggest that cable companies recognize this fact and use it to their advantage. Many such companies are beginning to offer broadband internet service to serve as an alternative to customers while more and more households drop television service.

Price seems to be the big issue for most television watchers. Since cable companies are unable or unwilling to offer prices comparable to those of internet providers, the decision is made easy for many consumers. TV-Internet bundles seem to be the way of the future, but this could lead to problems regarding the FCC's ruling about net neutrality. With the new rules, internet providers are forced to give the same internet speeds and connectivity to all users. Unfortunately, this could take away much of the competitiveness between internet providers and reduce their ability to make economically effective partnerships with television providers.

Internet-based television will likely become more common in years to come, as it is the most economically feasible option for most families. What us the point of spending more money to get the same programs? Battaglio predicts that many people will begin to transfer over as they realize that having a cable or satellite connection is not the only way to access their favorite shows.

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FICO Introducing Alternative Credit For Those With Poor or Nonexistent Credit History

4/3/15 - Individuals with low credit scores struggle to get a credit card, or to obtain a mortgage or other loan. Some see this as a fair system, especially since a low credit score usually means that the individual has a history of late payments or outstanding balances. It only makes sense that those with sketchy credit history should be trusted with more credit less readily. However, what about people without any credit history? A recent L.A. Times article discusses the options available for such individuals.

To build up a credit score, someone gets a credit card or loan, then pays back the loan on time, so as to show the credit company that they can be trusted. The length of a person's credit history is a substantial factor in determining how much money a bank or credit company would be willing to lend them. Unfortunately, without credit history, it can be difficult to get a loan in the first place. Without that first loan, the aspiring borrower can't build up a history of timely payments, and will therefore be unable to get a loan. This seemingly endless cycle has many newcomers wondering what to do.

Fortunately for young, first-time borrowers, Fair Isaac Corporation, known for its FICO credit score, has been working together with LexisNexis Risk Solutions and Equifax to create an alternative system for determining credit scores for individuals with little to no credit history. According to their research, someone with a good record of paying utility bills on time would also likely pay credit card bills in much the same pay. Using payment history instead of credit history, this system will create alternative credit scores and provide them to the top credit card issuers. Fair Isaac has yet to release information as to which banks have decided to participate in this program.

This currently unnamed new program is not meant to replace the FICO credit score. Instead, it will provide information only to credit card companies, in order to give credit-less consumers, usually young people, the opportunity to get a credit card and start building up their credit. Once credit has been built up through a history of timely payments, the consumer will be able to rely on the standard FICO credit score in order to get a mortgage or other loan.

According to a representative of LexisNexis, all collected data will be protected under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, so everyone involved will be able to dispute negative events on their credit reports, such as disputed bills. This system appears to have positive effects for all involved. New borrowers will be able to get credit cards with much less of a struggle. Banks will gain access to millions of previously non-existent customers and their interest payments. It's a win-win situation for everyone.

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