Cable's Value - Q & A
What does “triple play” mean?
“Triple play” is a term used by cable operators to provide high-speed Internet (cable modem), television and digital phone service together as one service, and one invoice, for customers. Subscribing to cable’s “triple play” gives customers the ease of having one company provide all of these exciting services, and often saves customers on their monthly bill. And up next: the “quadruple play,” bringing wireless services to the cable “bundle.”
If there was more competition in the video or high-speed Internet market, would cable prices go down?
Cable competes vigorously everyday to offer consumers an excellent entertainment value. Most Americans already have several choices for their video and Internet needs. Still, prices reflect the real cost of providing services to customers. Every year, costs increase for creating award-winning programming, building and maintaining fiber-optic networks, and hiring and training employees.
How has competition benefited consumers?
Over the past decade, competition has spurred a more than $100 billion investment by cable, leading to the introduction of exciting services like digital cable, high speed Internet, digital video recorders (DVRs), digital phone and “on-demand” services.
Is there a better alternative to how cable video services could be priced?
Several government, independent and industry studies have concluded that the current system of bundling channels into tiers of service is “an economically efficient way” of providing subscribers with video programming. Specifically, these studies have concluded that an “a la carte” method of delivery wouldn’t benefit most consumers and would in fact drive up subscription prices while reducing choice and diversity of networks.