What exactly does it mean when an apt is wired for a specific provider?

I'm going to be moving into an apt with one of my friends in just about a month, and the place I think we're moving to I went and checked out yesterday. I've heard the term of a complex being wired for a certain provider (like mine now which is Time Warner), but am having trouble understanding how it's it actually works.

The place we are thinking about moving to is ATT Uverse.

That kind of scared me.
I've heard of a lot of people who have had complaints about Uverse before and utterly hate it. I haven't had any experience with it myself yet, so I can't say...but I'm not too fond of the idea of Uverse. Time Warner has been great for me for the most part.

My question is, is how is a complex wired for just one service? Is it more-so a contract the complex has with a particular provider? What stops say Time Warner from going to that complex and offering service?

The alternative is Dish Network which I'm also not to keen on having. I'd prefer cable over satellite for reception purposes.

 

When a company wires a complex, they usually have to make a substantial investment in the inside wiring infrastructure to distribute their service throughout the complex and all of the buildings. To make that investment back, they need a certain penetration rate (customers / total units; or is it customers ÷ total units, I can never remember but I'm told the results are different) to recoup their investment. Economically, two providers usually can't make a profit. There are also practical space limitations in many places for distribution panels and the like that would make running redundant infrastructure for services infeasible.

 

Damn.
That sucks.


Well, then maybe the question I should be asking is, Uverse or Dish...

 

It means, it sucks and you have to pay. I lived in a condo that had some no name provider for telephone, internet, and TV (they used Dish but private labeled it pretty much) that was super expensive, terrible customer service, and never worked. They would literally go a few months without billing anyone and then go, oh you owe us $400.

I was really stuck tho because it is part of the agreement with the HOA that you can't use anyone else. That being said, anyone can use satellite (we had rules about hiding it on your balcony but I could have it) but my balcony faced the wrong direction.

Edit - I have heard nothing but great things about U-Verse

 

I lived in an appt complex that had prewiring for Verizon DSL, but I was able to get cable internet with no problem. The only thing the prewiring did was provide a CAT5 jack in the wall.

 

Poll added as per request...!

 

Thanks Slumcha.

 

Where's the "Whiskers" option?

 

... penetration rate.... heh heh

 

voted!

 

 

 

 

 

I have actually heard very poor reviews depending on what you are looking for. Video is very poor due to compression - but that may be a YMMV kind of thing.

Neither one would be my first choice, but you're not in a free market there.

 

dang it i voted when there wasnt a whiskers option! i want to change my vote!

 

Sometimes the monopoly is not just the building, but extends to the geographical area if physical wiring (like cable or DSL) is involved. This is the case in West LA County.
Too bad, you loser!

Whiskers FTW!!!

 

I voted for the Whiskers Television Network.

 

contractual agreements, between the provider and the apartments (all the wiring inside the building is going to be the same no matter the provider, so it's more so of who connects to the particular building from the outside world)



and whiskers here too