Breezeline Bill

[Cal-to-NH]

Like others, I am considering cutting the cable as well. The combination of NH Broadband with Youtube TV seems to fill the bill, and two of my friends have done this combo. Along with Netflix, HULU and Amazon Prime, I also pay the annual fee for NESN separately because I love my Red Sox and Bruins games. The NESN hurts at $249 a year, but even with that extra $20 a month, it still beats Breezeline and Spectrum by about $100 a month...
The only channel I am still trying to get, and there only seems to be one option, is my History Channel. Hulu advertises that they have it, but it's not a regular History Channel, it's selected series that air on History Channel. There's a small streaming service with only a handful of channels called FRNDLY TV for $6.99 a month, but the History channel is the only one I would watch.
I think in the end you can duplicate the service you currently get from Cable and you would most like to keep. It seems like a little bit of work to do, but you will save money in the end....

[Weekend Pundit]

Just a heads up for some towns in the Lakes Region served by Breezeline, that being Breezeline is operating in some of those towns under an extension of their franchise agreement which expires on December 31, 2025. This is due to a failure of the towns and Breezeline to sign a new 10-year franchise agreement because of Breezeline's violation of the present franchise agreement when they closed their local customer service office in Belmont a few years ago.

If no new franchise agreement is in place in those towns by the above date, Breezeline must stop operations. That means existing customers will lose their cable, Internet, and phone services should that come to pass.

In the past, that might have been disastrous. But with more choices available in some of those towns like Xfinity, Fidium, New Hampshire Broadband, as well Starlink, customers can find a new provider.

[P-3 Guy]

Originally Posted by Weekend Pundit

Just a heads up for some towns in the Lakes Region served by Breezeline, that being Breezeline is operating in some of those towns under an extension of their franchise agreement which expires on December 31, 2025. This is due to a failure of the towns and Breezeline to sign a new 10-year franchise agreement because of Breezeline's violation of the present franchise agreement when they closed their local customer service office in Belmont a few years ago.

If no new franchise agreement is in place in those towns by the above date, Breezeline must stop operations. That means existing customers will lose their cable, Internet, and phone services should that come to pass.

In the past, that might have been disastrous. But with more choices available in some of those towns like Xfinity, Fidium, New Hampshire Broadband, as well Starlink, customers can find a new provider.

Franchise agreements between media companies like Breezeline and the municipalities in which they operate apply only to cable television services, not internet and telephone services. There shouldn't be any reason under law or regulation that would prevent Breezeline from continuing to offer internet and telephone services even if franchise agreements with municipalities lapse. Now, Breezeline may decide on their own to stop offering internet and telephone services if they can no longer provide cable TV, but that would be their own decision.

[Weekend Pundit]

Originally Posted by P-3 Guy

Franchise agreements between media companies like Breezeline and the municipalities in which they operate apply only to cable television services, not internet and telephone services. There shouldn't be any reason under law or regulation that would prevent Breezeline from continuing to offer internet and telephone services even if franchise agreements with municipalities lapse. Now, Breezeline may decide on their own to stop offering internet and telephone services if they can no longer provide cable TV, but that would be their own decision.

Actually, there is. Breezeline, like Comcast, is a cable Multi Service Operator which operates under different rules than telephone companies. Yes, Cable MSOs and Telcos offer similar services, but are regulated differently.

Telcos must offer service regardless of how many potential customers there may be along less populated routes and roads. They receive compensation under the Universal Service Fund for doing so. Cable MSOs on the other hand are not required to do so which means that unless a customer wants to shell out the money to have the cable company run a line to their home they may not receive service. If memory serves, the present franchise agreement with Breezeline stipulates that if the potential customer density is under so many within a half-mile of a trunk line that they are not required to provide service...unless the customer pays the cost for doing so.

Unless Breezeline wants to register as a telephone company - something that can't be done overnight - they would have to cease operation once the franchise agreement expires. (They would also be required to either remove all of their infrastructure - aerial fiber optic runs, OEO nodes, and aerial coaxial cable - or sell it to another operator. Since they lease the space on the telephone poles for their runs, they would need to remove them because they are no longer authorized to operate in that community.)

[map]

We have Breezeline. Got rid of cable a few years ago. Internet only. Every year I have to call them and renegotiate that price. We currently pay $86 monthly. We rent the modem. 500 mbps. One smart tv.

[Winilyme]

Originally Posted by map

We have Breezeline. Got rid of cable a few years ago. Internet only. Every year I have to call them and renegotiate that price. We currently pay $86 monthly. We rent the modem. 500 mbps. One smart tv.

I'm no expert but 500 mbps seems to be a lot for one smart TV. Do you have have a boatload of other smart devices running at the same time, or lots of kids/visitors bringing their own tech to your home? Have you tried Breezeline's 100 mbps plan? That could save you $30 - $40 bucks per month assuming you find the speed to be sufficient. You situation is very similar to ours and we are happy with 100 mbps for now...although we're expanding our smart devices significantly.

[patman]

Originally Posted by Winilyme

I'm no expert but 500 mbps seems to be a lot for one smart TV.

I’ll see you and raise (drop?) you on that point to put bandwidth into perspective. We have 25Mbps. (Yes, twenty-five) DSL from Consolidated Communications, and it works just fine for all the streaming services. We have 4 roku boxes and the usual computer stuff, no problems

(Not entirely by choice, there is cable on the pole where we get electricity and dsl phone/internet, but it’s all in buried conduits from there to the house. It’s uphill from the pole, so running it from the pole to the house through the air would leave it laying on our front lawn. There are two unused conduits, and despite 5 repeated attempts over the years, nobody at the cable co can tell me how that works. If it’s their job, come and do it. If it’s my job, spec the cable for me. They send a truck, I hear later that they couldn’t do it, but when I ask why, I get crickets.)

[Weekend Pundit]

Originally Posted by patman

I’ll see you and raise (drop?) you on that point to put bandwidth into perspective. We have 25Mbps. (Yes, twenty-five) DSL from Consolidated Communications, and it works just fine for all the streaming services. We have 4 roku boxes and the usual computer stuff, no problems.

Some folks think they have to have really high data speeds to support streaming services, but for the most part, no. You will if you're streaming numerous 4K video streams at the same time, but not for one, two, or three.

We have a saying in my company's engineering department when it comes to data speeds:

"All 10GB per second means is that you get to wait that much faster than anyone else."

[thinkxingu]

Originally Posted by Weekend Pundit

Some folks think they have to have really high data speeds to support streaming services, but for the most part, no. You will if you're streaming numerous 4K video streams at the same time, but not for one, two, or three.

We have a saying in my company's engineering department when it comes to data speeds:

"All 10GB per second means is that you get to wait that much faster than anyone else."

Right on. I've never had more than 500 Mbps, and we have multiple TV's, phones, tablets etc. for our family of four.

Sent from my SM-S931U using Tapatalk

[Mr. V]

For comparison purposes: out west in metro Portland we are paying about $240 for internet, cable TV and our phone land line.

[P-3 Guy]

Originally Posted by Weekend Pundit

Unless Breezeline wants to register as a telephone company - something that can't be done overnight - they would have to cease operation once the franchise agreement expires. (They would also be required to either remove all of their infrastructure - aerial fiber optic runs, OEO nodes, and aerial coaxial cable - or sell it to another operator. Since they lease the space on the telephone poles for their runs, they would need to remove them because they are no longer authorized to operate in that community.)

The franchise agreements with each city or town only cover cable TV services; they do not regulate activities as an internet service provider. The phone services provided, as voice over internet protocol, are only a byproduct of having internet service available, and as you point out the obligations required of old-fashioned telcos do not apply. My understanding is that the lease agreements for hanging cable on the utility poles are with the pole owners, typically the electric or phone company and not the municipality, meaning that a lapsed franchise agreement between the cable TV provider and the municipality that only governs the provision of cable TV services will not ordinarily mean the end of ISP activities.

[Weekend Pundit]

Originally Posted by P-3 Guy

The franchise agreements with each city or town only cover cable TV services; they do not regulate activities as an internet service provider. The phone services provided, as voice over internet protocol, are only a byproduct of having internet service available, and as you point out the obligations required of old-fashioned telcos do not apply. My understanding is that the lease agreements for hanging cable on the utility poles are with the pole owners, typically the electric or phone company and not the municipality, meaning that a lapsed franchise agreement between the cable TV provider and the municipality that only governs the provision of cable TV services will not ordinarily mean the end of ISP activities.

Tell the NHPUC that and they will disagree with you. Video service is Breezeline's primary service and the Internet and phone services are ancillary. Even though Internet and phone services are not part of the franchise agreements, they are dependent upon the video infrastructure and the franchise agreements require the cable MSO to remove their equipment if the franchise ends. No equipment, no services.

[John Mercier]

I'm sure the city/towns will come to their senses and not face the rath of the general population.
They will also be made aware that "extras" like a local office, will raise the price, and they have no control over pricing... but would secure the blame again from the general populous.

[NH.Solar]

THe Co-op plays by it own self made rules and doesn't necessarily go by the NHPUC directives. Case in point check out their renaewable energy net metering crediting rate which exceeds 35% in the discount in spite of the PUC ruling of about four years ago that limited that utilty discount to ~25%. If you ask any of the Co-op directors about this they will say that "they are an independant utility" and that is true ...but didn't the NHPUC grant them the franchised territory? and shouldn't they have to function under the same public utility rulings?

[Lakegeezer]

The Spectrum TV franchise agreement with Moultonboro has an automatic renewal clause in it, meaning it doesn't expire if negotiations don't produce a new agreement. I can't imagine how a town could force out a provider, where this clause was in place. As Cable TV firms are switching to streaming, the concept of a town franchise is becoming increasing quaint.

[Garcia]

My frustration is not with the cost of cable - that's an easy fix, but the cost of the internet itself. Both my home and island property have exactly one reliable provider, and it isn't cheap - and gets more expensive every day.

[Weekend Pundit]

Originally Posted by Garcia

My frustration is not with the cost of cable - that's an easy fix, but the cost of the internet itself. Both my home and island property have exactly one reliable provider, and it isn't cheap - and gets more expensive every day.

How much are you being 'dinged' for Internet service? What kind of speeds are you getting for that price?

I know the video side can be quite expensive as it isn't the cable company setting the subscription rates, but the content providers. They also inform the cable operators which service tier each of their channels will occupy. They can also force 'niche' channels to be carried even if no one watches them.

[Garcia]

Originally Posted by Weekend Pundit

How much are you being 'dinged' for Internet service? What kind of speeds are you getting for that price?

I know the video side can be quite expensive as it isn't the cable company setting the subscription rates, but the content providers. They also inform the cable operators which service tier each of their channels will occupy. They can also force 'niche' channels to be carried even if no one watches them.

At my home in MA my only option is Spectrum, about $150/month and on the island, Breezeline, about $125/month. I don't recall the speeds off the top of my head but in both places someone (sometimes multiple people) can work remotely (on Zoom) while someone else is streaming something.

[MeredithMan]

I've been reading this thread with great interest. We are paying stupid money, (like $300+/mo), in both Bedford and Meredith for Triple Play service, and that is without any premium channels. Our daughter just moved into a new place in Merrimack and has xfinity internet and youtube tv, all for around $150+ per month, and is quite happy. We want to try to do the same.

Has anyone made the switch from Xfinity and Breezeline TV to Youtube TV? For Xfinity, it appears that I need to cancel my Xfinity TV service first, as the Youtube TV app does not show up in the Samsung Smart Hub of apps available on the TV. Do I need to swap out the router as well? I currently have the Xfinity X1 router, which I think is the one needed for TV service, as well as internet? I want to keep the Xfinity internet and phone service and then get Youtube TV. I'm trying to avoid multiple trips to the Xfinity store and just go in there once with the gear I need to return to make this change.

Ditto for Breezeline.

Appreciate any insight from anyone who has done this already.

Thanks.

[Winilyme]

It sounds like you may have a combo Xfinity router/modem. I would return that after purchasing your own (1) modem and (2) router. Just be sure the modem is on Xfinity's (or alternate providers) list of supported devices (you should be able to find that list on their website). You'll lose the monthly fee you're now paying for Xfinity's combo unit and rather quickly pay back the cost of your own equipment.

From a router perspective, you'll need to choose from a standalone router that may be sufficient if your home is small and the router is centrally located (this may be the case if a single Xfinity router is currently satisfying your signal quality needs). If your home is larger and/or multi-floored, I suggest going directly to a mesh WIFI system that will ensure you have great coverage throughout your home and outside spaces via a main router (connected to your modem) and one or more wireless router nodes strategically positioned around your home. It makes a huge difference in providing seamless, speedy and reliable coverage. The catch is you'll pay more for this system; how much so depends on the equipment brand, specs and number of nodes. Consumer Reports has a good write-up on mesh systems. Start there and spend some time reading from the countless equipment reviews online.

In summary, all you should need to stream YouTube TV should be the Internet (via the modem) and a way to distribute that signal to devices around your home (via the router). There should be no need for any provider equipment - only your own modem, router and smart TV/devices. To get the Internet, all you'll need from Xfinity is their signal (or another preferred providers signal if available and as you choose). Negotiate their Internet cost while being sure not to pay for more data speeds than you need. Of course, a YouTube subscription will carry a monthly cost as well.

Note that I don't claim to be an expert on this stuff but I have benefitted from a mesh system for six or so years and as I'm now upgrading to a more advanced one, I've done a bit of research lately. I can't speak to the phone service as I have Verizon.

Hope this helps and good luck.

[smith point boater]

I've been reading this thread with great interest. We are paying stupid money, (like $300+/mo), in both Bedford and Meredith for Triple Play service, and that is without any premium channels. Our daughter just moved into a new place in Merrimack and has xfinity internet and youtube tv, all for around $150+ per month, and is quite happy. We want to try to do the same.

Has anyone made the switch from Xfinity and Breezeline TV to Youtube TV? For Xfinity, it appears that I need to cancel my Xfinity TV service first, as the Youtube TV app does not show up in the Samsung Smart Hub of apps available on the TV. Do I need to swap out the router as well? I currently have the Xfinity X1 router, which I think is the one needed for TV service, as well as internet? I want to keep the Xfinity internet and phone service and then get Youtube TV. I'm trying to avoid multiple trips to the Xfinity store and just go in there once with the gear I need to return to make this change.

Ditto for Breezeline.

Appreciate any insight from anyone who has done this already.

Thanks.

See my post #10 above - We went from $350/month to around $100 after a one time $200 expense for 4 Roku devices

[Weekend Pundit]

Originally Posted by Lakegeezer

The Spectrum TV franchise agreement with Moultonboro has an automatic renewal clause in it, meaning it doesn't expire if negotiations don't produce a new agreement. I can't imagine how a town could force out a provider, where this clause was in place. As Cable TV firms are switching to streaming, the concept of a town franchise is becoming increasing quaint.

I have no idea how common an automatic renewal clause is part of a franchise agreement. I do know that LRCTC towns have 10-year terms of their agreements.

As far as forcing a provider out of a town can happen if the cable provider violates the terms of the franchise agreement. That's one of the reasons Breezeline is "in trouble" - they closed their local customer service office in Belmont even though it is required by the franchise agreements. Breezeline has told the towns "Too bad. You'll just have to go to Rochester or Concord. That's close enough." It didn't matter to them that a local office is required by contract.

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by Weekend Pundit

I have no idea how common an automatic renewal clause is part of a franchise agreement. I do know that LRCTC towns have 10-year terms of their agreements.

As far as forcing a provider out of a town can happen if the cable provider violates the terms of the franchise agreement. That's one of the reasons Breezeline is "in trouble" - they closed their local customer service office in Belmont even though it is required by the franchise agreements. Breezeline has told the towns "Too bad. You'll just have to go to Rochester or Concord. That's close enough." It didn't matter to them that a local office is required by contract.

I am sure that subscribers will not mind.
As having a local office would mean higher rates.

SO if Breezeline just raises rates and provides that it was because of the local office requirement... local boards should expect irate customers at their doorstep.

[Weekend Pundit]

Originally Posted by NH.Solar

THe Co-op plays by it own self made rules and doesn't necessarily go by the NHPUC directives. Case in point check out their renaewable energy net metering crediting rate which exceeds 35% in the discount in spite of the PUC ruling of about four years ago that limited that utilty discount to ~25%. If you ask any of the Co-op directors about this they will say that "they are an independant utility" and that is true ...but didn't the NHPUC grant them the franchised territory? and shouldn't they have to function under the same public utility rulings?

The Co-op is regulated by the PUC, but only for the electrical utility side. On the other hand, they cannot easily offer NH BB service outside their service footprint.

[MeredithMan]

Originally Posted by Weekend Pundit

Just a heads up for some towns in the Lakes Region served by Breezeline, that being Breezeline is operating in some of those towns under an extension of their franchise agreement which expires on December 31, 2025. This is due to a failure of the towns and Breezeline to sign a new 10-year franchise agreement because of Breezeline's violation of the present franchise agreement when they closed their local customer service office in Belmont a few years ago.

If no new franchise agreement is in place in those towns by the above date, Breezeline must stop operations. That means existing customers will lose their cable, Internet, and phone services should that come to pass.

In the past, that might have been disastrous. But with more choices available in some of those towns like Xfinity, Fidium, New Hampshire Broadband, as well Starlink, customers can find a new provider.

Is Meredith one of those towns?

[Weekend Pundit]

Originally Posted by MeredithMan

Is Meredith one of those towns?

Yes.

Meredith is one of the towns of the Lakes Region Cable TV Consortium (LRCTC) which is made up of 11 towns served by Breezeline that negotiates with Breezeline as a
single entity. This gives the towns more leverage than if they each negotiated with them individually.