I have never had cable activated without a technician coming. I live in a more rural area, but I've also heard other people discuss "the cable guy is scheduled to arrive sometime between 8AM and 4PM."
I think cable boxes change it somewhat, but the last time I had cable and not just cable internet they still had someone come to hook the cable box up. Admittedly, that was fifteen years ago now.
There has been zero reason to physically disconnect the hookup since analog cable was phased out 15 years ago.
It can still be cheaper to send a guy out on service start to ensure the existing hookup is of sufficient quality (hasn’t degraded or been chewed or cut by the last owner) and the new customer isn’t trying to hook it into their aerial or old satellite dish or something. Or if your records are spotty and aren’t certain there’s an existing hookup.
You're right that they probably don't disconnect it. Honestly, I've never considered what happens when it's disconnected, as it's always been when I move out of a place.
Needing somebody to show up to connect it made me assume someone disconnected it, but a status check makes more sense.
> the last time I had cable and not just cable internet they still had someone come to hook the cable box up. Admittedly, that was fifteen years ago now.
15 years is lifetimes when it comes to technology capabilities. They world has moved on from that.
I've had techs "need" to come out for cable internet connection setup, but all they did was the exact same thing I would do myself: connect the coax, plug in the modem, and call a number to say "here's the MAC address, it's plugged in". It's such a waste of time (mine and theirs) and money (depends on if they're jackholes who charge a connection fee or if they eat the cost themselves).
Meanwhile, another cable company I subscribed to last year for internet service just mailed me a kit, with QR codes that handled activation. It didn't work right the first time, and there was a number to call; they realized the problem was on their end and fixed it quickly.
>15 years is lifetimes when it comes to technology capabilities. They world has moved on from that.
I've had cable internet hooked up more recently and still needed a technician, I just stopped getting cable TV about fifteen years ago. Which seems to mirror your experience except last year.
And checking my local providers, I still need to schedule an appointment for a new connection. It seems like it's easier elsewhere.
I think cable boxes change it somewhat, but the last time I had cable and not just cable internet they still had someone come to hook the cable box up. Admittedly, that was fifteen years ago now.