The chairman and chief executive of Comcast, Brian Roberts, is looking to fortify his company for an increasingly competitive era [“CEO bulks up Comcast for the future,” Business / Technology, July 6]. I ask skeptically, “What competition?”

I have little choice in the telecommunications, cable, Internet marketplace. DirecTV is hardly a good alternative. Both Comcast and DirecTV engage in teasing offers, then engage in endless price creeps with little explanation. Customer service is sketchy. I know of no satisfied Comcast customers.

Comcast acts like a monopoly, and if the Time Warner merger goes through there will be no improvement in service or pricing. As the article stated, Comcast has become a behemoth by not digging one ditch. Why then do they charge so much?

Telecommunications and Internet access is becoming a necessity in our connected world. These companies should be well-regulated utilities or become a public utility. I can hardly wait until a new telecommunications utility comes to my neighborhood.

Carla Barnes, Bellevue