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Comment by vlovich123 | Hacker News Reader

Sonic charges you $30/month for gigabit and $50/month for 10gigabit if I recall correctly. No data caps. These prices are similar to what fiber costs in Europe (or at least France).

Data caps are not fair pricing in a competitive environment but it seems that way when you have a duopoly of competition that collude on plans, pricing, and messaging.

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A duopoly? Wow, that sounds sweet. I have one cable company, and a phone company that gave up even offering Internet in my area at all. That phone company is AT&T.

PS: I live in a built-up suburb in a large metro area where the cities are all touching, not in the sticks.

Plus taxes, and fees, and equipment rental. Also that's only an introductory rate with a 1 year term. 1Gbps ends up being ~$70/mo off-contract.

Yeah, but most of those extra charges are because the FCC has failed to classify broadband as Title II. Because pure broadband hasn't been Title II, pure broadband providers have zero rights to get on utility poles.

So Sonic bundles in a voice line that no one uses - but that gives Sonic the right to get onto poles (owned by incumbents) at fair prices, and they can complain to the state and feds if they don't get that.

If we'd gotten classification right from the start (looking at you Michael Powell), that kind of chicanery would be unneccessary.

Still I'm paying $75 a month, fees and taxes included, for a 10Gbps symmetrical connection with no data cap. Happiest I've ever been with a broadband connection.

Voice Federal Subscriber Line Charge Fee - STI-0555086-8/PAIR200 6.50 Voice Federal Universal Service Fund Fee - STI-0555086-8/PAIR200 2.62 Voice California 911 Emergency Surcharge - STI-0555086-8/PAIR200 0.30 Voice Oakland Utility Users Tax - STI-0555086-8/PAIR200 1.46 Voice California Public Utility Commission User Fee - STI-0555086-8/PAIR200 0.08 Voice FCC Interstate Telecom Service Provider Fee - STI-0555086-8/PAIR200 0.04 Property Tax Allotment Surcharge - STI-0555086-8/PAIR200 1.64 Voice Regulatory Recovery Surcharge - STI-0555086-8/PAIR200 1.29 Fiber Phone Service - 5103800838 - STI-0555086-8/PAIR200 0.00 Fiber - Fusion 10Gbps - STI-0555086-8 59.99 Fiber Information - STI-0555086-8 - Data $49.99 Voice $10.00 0.00 Voice California 988 Suicide Prevention Surcharge - STI-0555086-8/PAIR200 0.08 Voice California Public Purpose Program Surcharge - STI-0555086-8/PAIR200 1.11

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