4 ms·

A big difference is that you’re selling a service only and a service that is really difficult to differentiate yourself in. A big player could swoop in and obli

• kbenson 5y ago
  Yes and no. Big players will react and offer special deals to people in an area to keep them and lock them in for another year or more if they perceive your ISP as a threat, but if you offer reliable service and good speed and good support, you can eat their lunch. The problem is that to be competitive you might be looking at years to break even on investment depending on what you offer and where, and how you deliver it. Running fiber on poles to deliver 1gig or 10gig? The buildout is expensive, you have to target dense areas or buildings with lots of units, and even then it's a lot of up-front money and it will be a while before you're out of the red even with a good takeup rate.
• phreack 5y ago
  How do you mean? Outside most major cities, ISPs tend to monopolize the playing field and there is great demand for cheaper or more personalized service. Having good customer relations would be a major differentiator, and it's not that hard. Unless you meant obliteration by lobbying, lawsuits or something similar. There's little hope if your competition goes that route.
  • tinus_hn 5y ago
    You can’t compete with large ISPs on price. They can easily undercut your price for a few years until you’re gone. And a lot of people don’t really chose their provider for ‘good customer service’, they chose fast and cheap. If you’ve set up in an area that a big ISP suddenly sees as profit potential you’re toast.