[GRLUG] NOT LINUX - broadband

[Michael Mol]

On Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 8:30 PM, john-thomas richards<jtr at jrichards.org> wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 02, 2009 at 07:29:53PM -0400, Bob Kline wrote:
>> On Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 5:09 PM, Ben DeMott <ben.demott at gmail.com> wrote:
> [snip]
>> > If service providers aren't absolutely FORCED to provide better
>> > data-service they won't they will keep offering the very minimum they can,
>> > and issue government regulated lines - because there is more profit in them!
>> > Why install a DSL Circut when you can force business customers to pay 8 -
>> > 10 times the amount for T1's.
>
> I loathe the idea of government intervention (do we really want
> cash-for-clunkers quality service with our internet infrastructure?).
> The best way to force service providers to improve is to (and this has
> been mentioned already) let the market decide.  The market *cannot*
> decide currently.  I don't want cable from Comcast.  What are my choices
> for cable tv?  The market is hamstringed.

Municipality-granted monopolies without municipal interest in managing
service quality.  And when governments decide to mandate service
availability, service providers get cheeky and itemize those mandated
services on your bill as distinct additional charges.

"Why is this E911 thing on my cell phone bill? I didn't order it, I
don't want it!"
"That's mandated by the state."
"So I can't take it off?"

It defers anger to the government, rather than the service provider
that wasn't interested in expanding its services in the first place.

And they don't have to bother expanding their services, normally.
Whenever someone else tries to compete for their customers, the major
players get the new practices outlawed, or the existing practices
mandated, in order to "Save the industry" and "Save jobs!"

And the voters who elect the people who legislate the status quo will
believe anything they're shown on TV. TV predates the Internet in the
"It's on X so it must be true."  You can go door to door and discuss
the issue at length with people, but short, repeated bursts of
information stick far better than a thorough explanation of the whole
story.  Heck, even someone who knows the truth about something will
doubt themselves when told they're wrong often enough; It's the nature
of learning.

-- 
:wq