To: the customer care representatives, employees, and

executives of Comcast and its affiliates that may be

involved in Comcast’s “Digital Migration”

We have recently learned that Comcast has begun a transition

to refashion itself by rebranding their services they
provide as XFINITY services, which includes home phone
(Voice), internet, and digital cable television services. We
have also learned that as a result of this transition, they
plan a “Digital Migration,” a term used for the switch from
analog to digital (not related to the government’s own
switch, but similar). Of course, for those who have standard
analog service with Comcast with a line-up of channels
similar to that offered in Comcast’s current “Digital
Starter” and “Economy” offerings for almost a decade, they
will be forced to upgrade their service and incur an
additional monthly fee, or to find their channels
considerably reduced.

A switch to new technologies is not new to the industries

Comcast is involved in. Similar to the move from dial-up to
DSL, or 3G cellular service to 4G cellular service like LTE
or WiMax, Comcast’s move from analog to digital is not
shattering any precedents. Especially when you consider that
in all this technological transitions, new equipment was
required, and this equipment would have to be purchased by
the consumer, and often at a contract agreement.

However, there are some differences. Whereas in these

transitions, you had a choice between a more traditional,
less technological service, and a newer, more feature-laden
and expensive service, the device you would use could
support both (a cell phone or a computer). And furthermore,
you had the choice of using either one or remaining with it
with the same service and at the same price. With Comcast’s
Digital Migration, support for the consumer who had loyally
stood by Comcast and before then, Insight Communications,
which merged with Comcast, is abandoned. Consumers who have
paid for service with special offers for years from either
Comcast or Insight must upgrade to more expensive services
to rent the boxes required for Comcast’s digital service,
simply to maintain the channels they have had.

Comcast neglects consumers who have had special offers,

merely believing they have “Limited Basic” $8.95 service and
only have 26 channels, including local broadcast and
government channels, instead of the 75 channels they
actually have. These boxes are available only to consumers
with far more expensive service, and unlike anything else in
the industry, only through rent. Regardless of how Comcast
may be trying to compete with satellite television providers
like Dish, who also rents the boxes, Comcast is not a
satellite television provider, and as such, cannot compare
their service to another one that isn’t in their industry.

The deadline for the Migration is January 11 for my city. An

upgrade to a more expensive service is not an option for me.
Comcast will lose their diehard loyal consumers if they do
not institute alternatives, regardless of whether these
changes bring benefit to the majority. Comcast needs to
realize that cookie-cutter options do not work for the
mainstream market before they lose to competitors. Offer the
boxes for rent for all subscribers, regardless of whether
they have Limited Basic, which some subscribers have, but
special offers given to them in the past gave them an
expanded line-up of channels. And even if Comcast cannot,
offer some sort of alternative than “upgrade to a more
expensive service for free boxes, upgrade to a moderately
expensive service and rent boxes, or get your channels
reduced considerably.” I have already been told this by your
customer care and support representatives, who say Comcast
provides no alternatives. So, since Comcast is going to
swindle consumers, the least they can do for them is to
acknowledge the fact that they are. And in the end, this
acknowledgement would be the only thing that would
officially have me, and perhaps hundreds of other Comcast
subscribers, even consider having Comcast service- Basic,
Limited Basic, Digital Starter, or Economy- past February.

From- Bryan and Virginia, concerned and loyal Comcast

subscribers since 2003