Does cable competition lower consumer rates?

Nahh... I am a big fan of Bunnie Riedel's blog. She is a strong advocate for public access. In her latest blog she writes, and I pretty much quote, " that in Maryland the Department of Commerce was instructed to commission the study and so they did with the University of Minnesota. And guess what the researchers found out? Come on…20 points for the right answer! Yep, competition doesn’t lower prices and video service providers cherry-pick service areas. “Statewide video franchising—or in some states the practice of state‐issued franchises—has led to an increase in new providers, but the numbers are underwhelming….Texas reports occurrences when cable companies requested amendments to remove cities and towns from their service area. In 2005 and 2006, no removals were recorded for municipalities in Texas. However, 2007‐2009 saw an uptick in removals, totaling several dozen. Scores more were collectively added to the service areas of cable companies, as their rivals jockeyed for competitive positions in the state. All in all, the largest cable companies in Texas expanded their number of municipalities served. However, it is unclear from the data whether cable companies dropped low‐income regions.” "
I recommend reading more on her blog site for sense of the reality that will impact your voice sooner or later.