| reply to Rick
Re: This was the right thing to have happened.... said by Rick:I do think that these statewide agreements for the most part cover the areas you mention. Have you actually read any of the state franchising laws? I can say for a fact that WI's (based on the Texas law) guts consumer protections and releases them from any monetary requirements for local communities.
As for then not having to service all areas... I disagree as well, as does our government. The USF is made to subsidize rural areas, but that money is a cash cow for telecomms and god forbid they have to use it to actually service rural areas... |
 RickPremium,MVM
join:2001-02-06
Waterbury, CT | Yes..I have read some. At least in summary form.
While I'm probably the last one on this website to defend AT&T, I do think that it's fair to consider that there should at least be somewhat of a level playing field. The cable co's, vonage..and others are having a field day taking their landline customers to the tune of 400,000k or so per quarter.
And, in the process, are subject to hardly any..if any..regulation at all.
In my mind that didn't excuse them from proceeding with uverse when clearly..there were the cable laws to contend with.
At the same time however, statewide laws are now there to foster competition and to not be too overly restrictive in doing so.
People should remember that just because a law exists in a certain form today..it can be changed and ammended..and often times is. At the onset of something however, it's unfair to place too much burden on a new entrant into a business, and expect them to operate their business in an unprofitable manner. That starts to smell like too much control over a company to me..and not the free enterprise system our democracy values.
Again, I really don't buy the argument that AT&T is out to bypass poorer areas either. In fact, I've seen vrads hanging off telephone poles just today in a city I was in here in Ct. that I certainly wouldn't call an upscale neighborhood by any stretch of the imagination. And, as far as consumer protections..I've seen nothing to suggest that they're trying to overprice the service. Quite the reverse..that's it's strongest point..that it is very reasonably priced overall.
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The Coyote captured the RR! Roadrunner Rick is now Comcastic! |
