Thursday, November 20, 2008

Comcast Lowers Price of Triple Play

Looking to offer a lower priced triple play to cost-conscious consumers who don’t need much premium content, Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) has created a threesome that includes digital TV, high-speed Internet and VoIP for $79.99 a month for one year.

The cable giant’s next most expensive triple plays come in at $99 a month and $129 a month, with the above-$79.99 charge determined by just how much content comes with the TV element of the trio.

With digital TV transition set for mid-February, it appears Comcast is trying to court those looking to move to a digital TV-led package, but don’t need, nor want lots of bells and whistles.

However, the price promotion ends before December and it’s unclear at this point if the cableco is predisposed to extend it, as has been the common practice with bundles that prove attractive with consumers.

As is almost always the case with triple play offers that include cable TV from Comcast, the package offers access to video on demand, which gives consumers a vast library of free and pay-extra TV shows and movies.

What’s noticeably absent from the triple play is free stuff. Many operators have given away free TVs, digital cameras, multiple months of free pay content, cash-back offers and online ordering credits. Some are commonplace from telco TV providers AT&T Inc. (T), Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and lower tier providers.

By contrast, this Comcast triple play offers McAfee security with the Internet element, an item it has offered with its cable modem service for a very, very long time.

The cable giant could be testing the allure and effectiveness of lower-priced triple plays with this offering.

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