Internet and Web

DW has preordered Starlink satellite internet and is waiting for his turn to get installed. Leo says it won't be cheap, at $500 for the gear and $99 a month for internet access, but Leo says that it's supporting SpaceX, and that's a good thing. Eventually, as more people come online, it'll probably go down in price. It's going to have to. But nobody really knows how fast it will be. 

Carmen's WiFi is terrible and she's been told it's because of "firewalls" in the house. Will a WiFi booster help her problem? Leo says it's more likely the crappy router she's been given by her ISP. She can try moving it around, and up to a higher position. That could help. The higher the router is, the better the reception she'll get. So if Carmen's router can be above her head, that would be better. She also wants to ask the ISP for a newer WiFi modem. Call Spectrum and demand the latest box. Ask for a WiFi 6 router.

Steve ordered internet service to his house and he had to sue them in small claims court because they didn't show up to install it. He won a judgment of $600 plus court costs thanks to a California state law that provides for such relief. Leo says that it's likely the technician had a choice to either fix a complicated install and stand up the next guy, or stop the install and move on. Either way, a customer gets left in the lurch. But not showing up at all is bad customer service, and $600 is about right for a wasted afternoon.

Jessica runs a gym and uses Pandora to play music. Does she have to pay ASCAP fees? Leo says that Pandora has a commercial service, which is probably what she uses. The reason is that playing Pandora for free can be considered piracy and can incur fines for the unauthorized playing of music in the public eye.  Pandora's commercial service also covers all license fees from ASCAP. But they aren't the only ones. There's also Mood Media, Spotify for Business, Cloud Cover, and others.