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NEWSFLASH: U.S. Broadband Expensive, Uncompetitive
DOUBLE NEWSFLASH: ISPs Have Bribed Government to Make it That Way

Usually when the mainstream press talks about high broadband prices, there's no explanation given and the dots are never connected. In most press narratives high prices simply exist as if created magically -- occasionally with the subtle implication that U.S. broadband is just so difficult to provide or just so damn awesome that high prices are justified. Obviously that's not true, given that the United States is thoroughly mediocre in every possible global broadband metric, from penetration and customer service to speed and price. That's not an opinion, it's a fact. And no, the country being so gosh darn big is not a defense for being pathetic, given our limitless budget to wage war or build bridges to nowhere.


Rarely are readers informed that they're over-paying for services thanks to regulatory capture and limited competition, realities the general technology press avoids acknowledging like the bubonic plague. That's a result of a media that's often too timid to tell the truth, whether it's because they're owned by an ISP, are a trade rag petrified of upsetting industry advertisers and trade show attendees, or journalists afraid to lose access to scoops. It's all compounded by the millions spent on lobbying and PR designed to try and convince the public that paying $70 for a connection that can barely deliver 3 Mbps is the height of technological innovation.

With that as a backdrop, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Cay Johnston is making the mainstream media rounds this week to promote his new book (via Techdirt), confounding a press that usually enjoys marginalizing folks like this. The short version of his findings: ISP lobbyists have stripped most meaningful consumer and price protection regulations, cut back on broadband expansion, destroyed most of their competitors, and bought off Congress to obtain regulatory capture. The result?

quote:
•Americans pay four times as much as the French for an Internet triple-play package—phone, cable TV and Internet—at an average of $160 per month versus $38 per month.

•The French get global free calling and worldwide live television. Their Internet is also 10 times faster at downloading information and 20 times faster uploading it.

•America has gone from #1 in Internet speed (when we invented it) to 29th in the world and falling.

•Bulgaria is among the countries with faster Internet service.

•Americans pay 38 times as much as the Japanese for Internet data.


Johnston's full interview is worth a watch:
As Johnston points out, the phone and cable companies have been given hundreds of billions (half a trillion by Johnston's estimates) in taxpayer subsidies to build networks never delivered. Johnston doesn't even get into how when local communities try to intervene and improve their own local infrastructure, they're demonized, sued, harassed and attacked until the effort implodes. He also doesn't mention (and the press hasn't noticed this, either) that it's about to get worse: AT&T and Verizon are in the process of offloading all of their unwanted DSL customers to cable, resulting in a more powerful cable monopoly in more than half of the country and even higher prices. The wireline broadband sector is an uncompetitive, over-priced mess, regulators are asleep, and the press's bobble-headed obliviousness only adds to the circus.

Obviously none of this is new to our readers, but it's amusing to see how we're having these same conversations (and as you'll see in our comment section below, denials) ten years on without much to show for it. We're still mired in the same debates that shouldn't even really be political, with partisans fooled into cheering against their own best self interests, national infrastructure investment still treated like a cancer, apathy and denial still the height of fashion, while all the while the industry happily gets less competitive and prices (for the majority of us) continue to soar.

The solution? It's the same as it was ten years ago, and it's the same for every other sector where consumers are getting shafted by unbalanced corporate influence on rule making and enforcement: focusing cross-sector effort on crushing the influence of corporate cash on politics, with a focus on stopping the revolving door between government regulators and lobbyists. The press might want to stop being cowards and report on reality for good measure. Until those things happen, we're just going to keep having the same fruitless conversation.
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Eddy120876
join:2009-02-16
Bronx, NY

Eddy120876

Member

How Sad is that

38 time more then japan when it comes in prices and number 29 in speed in the world. Good God this is the reason why we keep falling lower and lower because we let corporations get away with this kind of crap. so much Fail.
nasadude
join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD

nasadude

Member

Re: How Sad is that

said by Eddy120876:

..... so much Fail.

unfortunately, not for the ISPs

Eddy120876
join:2009-02-16
Bronx, NY

Eddy120876

Member

Re: How Sad is that

So true and it hurts friend.

nothing00
join:2001-06-10
Centereach, NY

nothing00

Member

Re: How Sad is that

Well that's the "Wall Street what's your next quarter going to look like?" mentality. Long term it'll bite them in the arse because as a country we're just not competitive and they'll be squeezing blood from a stone. But it's a pretty awesome profit ride - for a while.

Eddy120876
join:2009-02-16
Bronx, NY

Eddy120876

Member

Re: How Sad is that

yup and thats the reason why I say right wingers that want this country to succeed and come up with "let the market decide when it comes to the internet" need to get punch in the face and kick in the nads. Why they hate the governments help when it comes to say "basic service" is simple because they are either the majority share holders and mouth piece of say ISP or company. Not because they want this country to be #1 again.

footballdude
Premium Member
join:2002-08-13
Imperial, MO

footballdude

Premium Member

Re: How Sad is that

said by Eddy120876:

Why they hate the governments help when it comes to say "basic service" is simple because they are either the majority share holders and mouth piece of say ISP or company. Not because they want this country to be #1 again.

We don't trust the government because it's run by a bunch of narcissists that accept bribes from lobbyists to create the rules. When you want the government to run things, you're just saying you want the big bussiness lobbyists to run things.

Eddy120876
join:2009-02-16
Bronx, NY

Eddy120876

Member

Re: How Sad is that

In part I agree with you. Thats why we need our politicians to run like the politicians in Japan where it is "the good for our people comes first"
Terabit
join:2008-12-19

4 edits

3 recommendations

Terabit to Eddy120876

Member

to Eddy120876
------------------
"The brainwashed Right-Wing Robot Rabble have be programed by their masters to chant: "Big Business—Good, Consumer Protection Agency—Bad!"

Idiots—the goal of Big Business's is to MAXIMIZE PROFITS—and they will do so by any means that they can—INCLUDING to conspire with their so-called competitors to raise prices, add unreasonable fees and lobby/BRIBE Congress to pass laws that favor their interest and profits over the millions of voiceless consumers.

The same games are being played by Big Corporations in:

• Healthcare

• Phone/Cable/Internet

• Banking/Finance

• Utilities/Gas/Oil/Electricity

Americans not only NEED The Consumer Protection Agency—WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN IT! Watch Dogs with TEETH are needed. We need to make sure it is properly financed, staffed, alert and diligent to protect average Americans from the armies of lawyers and lobbyists that are bribing lawmakers and assailing our Rights AND OUR WALLETS!!!"
------------------
Source: PCWORLD
Terabit

Terabit

Member

Re: How Sad is that

Most who have lived overseas can back these statements firsthand.

For example, if a cell phone plan was advertised as $49.95, that price included every single fee and tax. Over here, taxes and hidden fees can be as low as 7% to a whopping 41% - on top of the bill.
Who in their right mind fails to see what is wrong with this?
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

2 recommendations

Kearnstd

Premium Member

Re: How Sad is that

said by Terabit:

Most who have lived overseas can back these statements firsthand.

For example, if a cell phone plan was advertised as $49.95, that price included every single fee and tax. Over here, taxes and hidden fees can be as low as 7% to a whopping 41% - on top of the bill.
Who in their right mind fails to see what is wrong with this?

I have said what we need are laws that require service providers to tell you the out the door cost. I understand their TV ads cannot because the US system of taxation is so complex that it takes years of college to understand it when you include state taxes and in some areas city and county taxes.

However in this day in age there is no reason that a website once it has your zip should not be able to say "This will be your final bill" Same thing with retail locations. They should have signs stating what the actual final out the door cost of their most popular service plans is.
Terabit
join:2008-12-19

3 edits

Terabit

Member

Re: How Sad is that

On a side note, that's the problem with our tax code that ironically no Republican wants to touch. The small gov county system they adore was based out of England, from the 18th century, and is ineffective in 2012.

I'll give you an example. A wealthy friend of mind moved here from one of these generous yet ironically rich ("socialist") big Gov nations, with his business. To this day, he still rants about the 6 to 10 separate taxes he has to pay versus the 1 Federal income tax and 1 Federal sales tax overseas.

Small inefficient (weak) government does not cut it in 2012. Overseas, taxes are simplified and you can literally see where your money is going: schools, roads, modernizing towns and cities, modern transportation, R&D, etc; actual job-creations that the entire nation gets to use.

Whereas, the taxes he pays here are wasted. Unlike Romney, he has no issue paying tax to lift and grow the nation and the people who need actual 'assistance' (investment) to get back on their feet.

Contrary to rhetoric, our taxes do not go to welfare, to assist disadvantaged Americans. They certainly do not go in Infrastructure, as the NE corridor for example now resembles a post-communist Eastern block nation. Look at NYC, Phili, Baltimore, Newark, and compare it to London, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Sydney, Dubai, Paris etc etc.

Where our taxes do go is low taxes for Romney types, defense contractors, Big Agri, Big Pharma, and Big Energy.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

1 recommendation

pnh102

Premium Member

Re: How Sad is that

said by Terabit:

On a side note, that's the problem with our tax code that ironically no Republican wants to touch.

Yes... Barack W. Obama, big evil Republican. Not to mention those solid Republican majorities in Congress from 2009 to 2011. You'd think they could have fixed this when they had the chance.

/s
skurfa4
join:2006-03-10
Yorktown, VA

skurfa4

Member

Re: How Sad is that

Really? Because someone says a negative about Republicans they automatically support Democrats? Wrong...some of us, unfortunately far too few can see that the Donkey and Elephant may be different animals but they produce the exact same manure. garyjohnson2012.com

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

Re: How Sad is that

said by skurfa4:

Really? Because someone says a negative about Republicans they automatically support Democrats? Wrong...some of us, unfortunately far too few can see that the Donkey and Elephant may be different animals but they produce the exact same manure. garyjohnson2012.com

Voting third party ensures that the person who you least want to win ends up winning. Just ask the 3rd party voters who voted for Ross Perot in the 1992, 1996 and those who voted for Ralph Nader in the 2000 elections if they were happy with the outcomes of those elections.
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

Re: How Sad is that

Of course, the ballot access laws protected by the two major parties don't hurt either to delegitimize third parties.

Both major parties are corrupt pieces of excrement. Telco's analysis was spot-on, except for assuming that the corruption solely comes from Republicans.

Democrats are fundamentally the same, their healthcare bill is basically a lobbyist giveaway to Big Pharma.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

Re: How Sad is that

said by Os:

Of course, the ballot access laws protected by the two major parties don't hurt either to delegitimize third parties.

But this still doesn't change the fact that a vote for a third party is the same as voting for the candidate you want least to win. It is just math at work.
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

Re: How Sad is that

That's why we don't have public elections. Ideas, not corruption would be necessary.

And the Democrats and Republicans would lose their stranglehold on control. Follow the money, and you can see why our country is forced into a false choice every 4 years.

From the tagline in your signature, you're clearly drinking Team Red's Kool-Aid. George had it right, factions are the problem.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

Re: How Sad is that

said by Os:

From the tagline in your signature, you're clearly drinking Team Red's Kool-Aid. George had it right, factions are the problem.

Please show me one election in which the third party candidate won. The only time it happens is when one party is displaced by another one.

The last time this occurred was in 1856.

Realistically speaking, there are 2 choices in this election, Romney or 0bama. Any conservative who votes for someone other than Romney is helping 0bama. Any liberal who votes for someone other than 0bama is helping Romney.

It is nice to dream of a perfect world in which we'd always get the candidates we wanted, but that doesn't exist and never will. Sometimes it boils down to 2 choices.
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

Re: How Sad is that

Outside of abortion and gays, there's not a fundamental difference between Romney and Obama on foreign or economic policy.

The actions speak louder than the words.

It would be nice to realistically even have 2 choices. Who's challenging deregulation, corporatism, corruption or austerity?

And that is the problem.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK

Premium Member

Re: How Sad is that

Who's challenging deregulation, corporatism, corruption or austerity?

No one!
Trencher
join:2007-02-12
Etobicoke, ON

1 recommendation

Trencher to pnh102

Member

to pnh102
Romney/Ryan 2012 - Put a couple of idiots in charge.

Fixed your Sig for you.

Oh and btw... having a 3 party (and in some ways 4 party) system in Canada seems to work perfectly fine up here.

andyb
Premium Member
join:2003-05-29
SW Ontario

andyb

Premium Member

Re: How Sad is that

It seems to keep them in check sorta.The 3rd place team actually came in 2nd last election with huge numbers.Surprised the shit out of everyone.People want change for real.No more promises just action and I dont think our border would stop that same want of change for your people.
PDXPLT
join:2003-12-04
Banks, OR

PDXPLT to pnh102

Member

to pnh102
said by pnh102:

But this still doesn't change the fact that a vote for a third party is the same as voting for the candidate you want least to win. It is just math at work.

You're right on that one. Ralph Nadar, GW Bush's most effective ally.
Terabit
join:2008-12-19

Terabit to Os

Member

to Os
said by Os:

Democrats are fundamentally the same, their healthcare bill is basically a lobbyist giveaway to Big Pharma.

Personally, every time a republican politician votes poorly, the first thing I hear from a repubclian is that "Government "is to blame. Never ever the actual voting record of the politician they elected to represent them.

Voting records are public record and not negotiable. For example, Ryan voted for every single Budget-Busting policy of Bush. To claim he is the same as someone who voted against these very policies is incorrect.

People fail to realize that we have 3 branches of government here. The president is not some CEO, General, or Prime Minister that gets to call the shots. In fact, as per the Constitution, congress is responsible for the majority of policies.

There is a reason after all the the rest of the developed world uses the modern Parliamentarian system instead. Stalemates and finger pointing like we conveniently have under our system is simply not possible. The buck stops with the prime minster and his cabinet; who are also actual elected senators.
bentbike1
join:2012-09-11

bentbike1 to Os

Member

to Os
find a documentary sex lies i can remember the rest it was about voter fraud in one county basically a supposedly secure voting machine can have a hidden partition in the flash card and with in it is script that can had or subtract votes this was in ohio and even when confronted with the truth the county election board whent with the machines any ways

cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

cork1958 to skurfa4

Premium Member

to skurfa4
said by skurfa4:

Really? Because someone says a negative about Republicans they automatically support Democrats? Wrong...some of us, unfortunately far too few can see that the Donkey and Elephant may be different animals but they produce the exact same manure. garyjohnson2012.com

"Wrong...some of us, unfortunately far too few can see that the Donkey and Elephant may be different animals but they produce the exact same manure."

Man! Ain't that the truth?!!
Doesn't matter what branch of government either.

Doesn't matter what you are either, meaning Republican, Democrat, Liberal, Stupid, Intelligent, etc....................
Terabit
join:2008-12-19

1 recommendation

Terabit to pnh102

Member

to pnh102
For starters, he never had a super-majority, so it's almost impossible to pass anything. Especially with these blue-dogs pretending to be Democrats.

Second of all he was fixing your mess. Bush handed him a economy in deficit of a whopping $1.4 Trillion dollars, that was years in the making. However, you guys now blame him for not fixing your mess fast enough.

How delusional and brainwashed can a person be? To ignore the ramifications of handing someone years of projected deficits, then actually blaming them for not fixing your problem fast enough. Let alone having any time to fix anything else.

Your TEAnutters came in and promised the world. However, all they have done is filibustered a good 200+ times and killed off that "evil" EPA.
PDXPLT
join:2003-12-04
Banks, OR

PDXPLT to pnh102

Member

to pnh102
said by pnh102:

Not to mention those solid Republican majorities in Congress from 2009 to 2011.

There never was a solid Dem majority in the Senate. You need 60 votes in the Senate to get anything done. The most the Dems ever had in the Senate was 58, plus two independents that would caucus with them. That gave each of the conservative independent Lieberman, and the Blue Dog Dems, veto power. Hardly "solid" to get anything done. Add that only lasted for about 70 days, between when Franken finally got seated to when Kennedy died. Add to that Mitch's stated goal of blocking everything, and you can't put sole blame on the Dems for not getting things done.

Eddy120876
join:2009-02-16
Bronx, NY

Eddy120876

Member

Re: How Sad is that

My friend you hit the nail in the head. Those were some odd times for congress. Also another reason why the Democratic majority allow Ex President Bush to do anything in his power was because they were scared, since the 9/11 families and americans didn't listen to reason instead just went ahead with war plans . Mind you I was in favor of going to Afghanistan but not in favor or Iraq.

TheHelpful1
Premium Member
join:2002-01-11
Upper Marlboro, MD

TheHelpful1 to Terabit

Premium Member

to Terabit
said by Terabit:

Overseas, taxes are simplified and you can literally see where your money is going: schools, roads, modernizing towns and cities, modern transportation, R&D, etc; actual job-creations that the entire nation gets to use.

THIS! That is the whole point. They don't want you to know where your money is going so they can send kickbacks to the lobbyist and PACs that got them their cushy job in D.C. If you could easily see where the money went, then they couldn't hide the payoffs under pork-barrel spending.
mlcarson
join:2001-09-20
Santa Maria, CA

mlcarson to Terabit

Member

to Terabit
Republicans don't want to raise taxes until the deficit problem is solved. Balance the budget by cutting government spending and then we can talk about raising taxes for worthy projects. Until then every dime of additional tax revenue will go to social welfare programs since the Dems need them for reeelection.

whiteshp
join:2002-03-05
Xenia, OH

whiteshp

Member

Re: How Sad is that

Every $1 in income tax .6 cents on the dollar go to welfare (.9 depending if you count TARP). The lions share of every income tax dollar goes to defense and social security for seniors. Republicans love to scream if they could cut programs to help the poor it would save like 99% of our budget. Far from it. It's just hype to keep the sheep angry and stomping their feet.

»myesoteric.hubpages.com/ ··· mericans

Eddy120876
join:2009-02-16
Bronx, NY

Eddy120876

Member

Re: How Sad is that

Just like Mitt said those 47% won't vote for me .....Well thats because those 47% are not his Rich friends. Like I told this guy at work at lest his honest about hating the middle class and the poor. Only real thing about Mitt.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK to Terabit

Premium Member

to Terabit
Amen!
bentbike1
join:2012-09-11

bentbike1 to Terabit

Member

to Terabit
all though i don't believe in big government but the idea of the government is not to far off from hiring a manager for your business how ever since money is involved no politician wants to do anything watch a frontline documentary on obama care while he may have meant well only the drug companies and doctors had any input in japan there is a cap on medical cost and japan has better medical tech in Germany doctors are taken care of yet they have a salary cap recently a documentary came out on the drugs companies they have a 90% profit margin spend only 10% on research recently my county is spending several million dollars running a fiber optic cable up the mnt how ever if some one were to read articles on the broad band companies all three of the big ones dropped fiber optic cable like a hot potato in fact frontier went so far as to break a contract with a city and up there installation cost 500% additional we the taxpayers are paying twice once for the line to be run up the highway then to have it run into the home owners house and every article i have read even government websites make no mention as to how one can access dark fiber as to big business a economics professes stated in a lecture that our recent economic melt down is a crises of capitalism which has its roots in the 70s i am remember in the 80s when the banks collapsed and when wall the government tried to force wall street to play by the rules if the government had stop wall street perhaps Bernie madoffe would not be in jail i think over all we as john Q public cant easily get ride of the government if you cant fire some one for doing a bad job were is the incentive to do better

TheHelpful1
Premium Member
join:2002-01-11
Upper Marlboro, MD

TheHelpful1 to Eddy120876

Premium Member

to Eddy120876
said by Eddy120876:

...Good God this is the reason why we keep falling lower and lower because we let corporations get away with this kind of crap. so much Fail.

But Corporations are people too!

Eddy120876
join:2009-02-16
Bronx, NY

Eddy120876

Member

Re: How Sad is that

Fine fine if the GOP and faux news say it. Then is true my apologies

/S LOL
severach
join:2002-09-12
Jackson, MI

severach to TheHelpful1

Member

to TheHelpful1

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· KkXtxDRA
sparks
join:2001-07-08
Little Rock, AR

sparks

Member

wish it would make a difference but it wont

too bad its so close to the election.
IF it had been done so they could chest beat and shout not me it might make a difference.
You know telling the truth and sounding like you give a F.

After November it won't make any difference to shout about the truth so this will all be forgotten and nothing will change.
SAD in the now socialistic america of today.

••••
MaynardKrebs
We did it. We heaved Steve. Yipee.
Premium Member
join:2009-06-17

MaynardKrebs

Premium Member

Public kept in the dark like mushrooms

And we're supposed to be surprised at this 'revelation'?

Maybe when the author of the book gets on Maddow/Daily Show/Colbert/Maher & the MSM shows like the Sunday morning political shows and nightly business report on PBS (I'm writing off the rest of the networks), perhaps then there might begin to be some traction for reform.
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

Re: Public kept in the dark like mushrooms

But you've found the precise problem.

The mainstream media doesn't want to live in this world, and I wouldn't consider Maher part of it on HBO.

The Sunday morning shows are inside the Beltway gabfests which spread nothing but consensus viewpoints which show the two parties don't differ at all.

And such a book would challenge the ridiculous notion of American exceptionalism, which basically just means if we say we're the best, we are, regardless of the actual dynamics.
mob (banned)
On the next level..
join:2000-10-07
San Jose, CA

mob (banned)

Member

Good video

People should be reminded of exactly how much money communications companies have legislated out of our pockets, and how often the companies fail to provide their promised services.

Twaddle
@sbcglobal.net

Twaddle

Anon

W.A.S.S.

This author will never be picked up by any of the outlets that can make a difference because its too sensitive. I wouldn't be surprised if an "executive" order in the name of national security was invoked to keep this information form being distributed and investigated by someone with cojones ( I know, there is no such beast in power willing to do the right thing). Move on people to the Kool-Aid stand where you will be force-fed the Kool-aid and you too will believe US communications is the best in terms of speed reliability and costs. Corporations are not making bundles of money and those cables and wires attached to those poles and buried under the streets were not subsidized by your tax dollars. Lack of market competition is good for everyone and there is absolutely no hint of collusion and willful illegal practices by the corporations. I wonder how Karl has escaped severe physical and financial repercussions form his whistle-blowing?

•••

The Limit
Premium Member
join:2007-09-25
Denver, CO

1 recommendation

The Limit

Premium Member

Surprised...

...that none of the pro big business users have said a word regarding this "new" find. Then again, I don't expect them to either. Damned if we want to somehow improve our situation, damned if we just don't have the time to do it.

Somehow, it's always the consumer's fault, never big business. We should accept the fact that businesses only look after themselves, not us as well. Just as a simple reminder, businesses wouldn't exist without consumers. Take all the time you need to think about this.
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

Re: Surprised...

Amen, brother.

Where are they?

Businesses will look out for consumers. When they're forced to. When you deregulate them and let them rent seek, then you get the nightmare we have now.
34764170 (banned)
join:2007-09-06
Etobicoke, ON

34764170 (banned) to The Limit

Member

to The Limit
said by The Limit:

...that none of the pro big business users have said a word regarding this "new" find. Then again, I don't expect them to either.

Just wait a bit. I'm sure they'll be around with their typical clueless douchebagiriness.
Sukunai
Premium Member
join:2008-05-07

Sukunai

Premium Member

And no lube either

Yep the USA and I suspect Canada equally so if you ask me, seem to like being largely bent over and screwed without the benefit of lube even.

If not for operations like Teksavvy or Nexicom (that I at least know about personally), I suspect I would not have internet access (and likely cable as well), and I would be doing what very little internet shopping I could manage while drinking a hot chocolate at Tim Hortons.

I doubt I would be in a position to give a damn what Bell had to say about anything, and whether Hollywood has a clue or not. I'd likely be incapable of needing to care about the state of internet neutrality or any of the assinine laws that seem all the rage in North America.

Because it is likely I would not be able to justify the expense all so I could find porn to relax with and rant and scream on forums about whatever. I'd have to grin and bear it and take a pass on Netflix and learn to like reading paper based hardcovers like I did in the 70s.

No, I am NOT going to give you (Bell), an idiotic sum, for lame levels of service with limitations that make us the joke of the online world.
Sad to say it, by Alexander Graham Bell's name just doesn't have any real value like it used to.

skeechan
Ai Otsukaholic
Premium Member
join:2012-01-26
AA169|170

skeechan

Premium Member

The Internetz isn't the key to economic growth

Letting people keep more of the money they earn is the key to economic growth.

If fast Internet were the key, France and the United States would have far higher per capita GDP numbers than the US does...and we blow them out of the water despite our highly diversified and somewhat lazy entitlement minded population.

We trounce France in GDP growth as well and are beaten by Japan only because of the post Tsunami reconstruction (they were put back in recession in 2011).

So where is the ECONOMIC benefit of having 45Mb internet over 5Mb internet? The money spent on this stuff says in the US to consumers spending it elsewhere doesn't do anything (except keeping those dollars from going to China or the Middle East for lead based toys and oil). Verizon pays dividends to evil investors like pensioners and old people.

If we are concerned about the cost of things, it would be way more advantageous to "invest" in refining capacity to cut the price of gasoline in 1/2 or end the stupid ethanol subsidies which bring food and feed corn prices down.

I'd love to have my 50Mb service for $30 instead of $100 but I'd rather have cheaper Pringles.

•••••••••••
old_wiz_60
join:2005-06-03
Bedford, MA

old_wiz_60

Member

Bribery talks

Money gets you pretty much anything you want, from laws protecting your business to decisions on the Supreme Court. I keep wondering if there are any honest politicians.

Twaddle
@sbcglobal.net

Twaddle

Anon

Re: Bribery talks

Bingo! Follow the money if you dare. If you get close enough you just might get audited (or worse). Ask the Kennedy family how safe the Attorney General and President of the US is! Conspiracy nut ??? No, just VERY wary of our form of government and the power of the corrupt.
NYGiants0
join:2012-08-31
united state

NYGiants0

Member

Don't it seem noticeable NAW!

Read these reviews

Hughesnet: »User reviews - HughesNet
Centurylink: »User reviews - CenturyLink

and look for more

Why are we paying 30 dollars per megabit/s in rural areas, and in the city the only option is to bundle crap (FiOS, Comcast, Cox, and more). We want internet from you and TV from them. Not both! All I want is to be able to access the web and watch netflix. I dont need to pay DirecTV 120$ and Verizon 130$ (phone and internet). That's CRAZY. #Stupid internet caps
mmay149q
Premium Member
join:2009-03-05
Dallas, TX

1 recommendation

mmay149q

Premium Member

This is really all you need to know

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· 6mKxtOlQ


Pretty accurate reason as to the majority of issues with our country...

Matt

Twaddle
@sbcglobal.net

Twaddle

Anon

Re: This is really all you need to know

What a down and dirty(Thank God) explanation of why We are So Screwed (W.A.S.S.) Thanks mmay149q
for this post.Got my blood pressure up but damn it was worth it!
axus
join:2001-06-18
Washington, DC

axus

Member

We can't force Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, etc. to lower prices

Price caps sound like a terrible idea. It certainly won't help broadband expansion. And, it's true that subsidies were diverted to cell phone service instead of broadband by the big guys.

My big question, if there is money to be made at half the price of the incumbents, why aren't competitors springing up? I think it's very difficult to become a wired broadband provider. Government giving subsidies to new companies could help, but there's the risk of it being wasted on fraudulent groups whose only talent is taking subsidies.

The best I can think of is protect the small competitors who are trying, and put a freeze on acquisitions for those having more than 35% market share in an area. If Google makes a nice profit in Kansas City, there could be copycats following the same formula. The support of city government there certainly played a role, would be nice to have that for other small companies.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK

Premium Member

Unfortunately, it's NOT a Newsflash

... It's just the clue train passing people by.

Everything is fine, just fine.

NO. We've been saying for years, we're getting screwed and it's getting worse as we slide down the spiral of fail.

kara
@comcast.net

kara

Anon

goverment does not care about us

We pay their salary just so they can screws us over. And take money for greed ISP. Its simple math

Tom Doughy
@suddenlink.net

Tom Doughy

Anon

costs

We don't have 'free markets'. We have crony capitalism writ large, where a circle jerk of conniving providers couple with canoodling politicians to ensure a never ending flow of profit and 'contributions'.

Govt set the stage for the industry crooks and we will re-elect the same scabulous thugs to office every two, four or six years. Do not expect change until we flush the toilet we call govt.

BTW, did central casting gin up the character Jamie Dimon? Dressed like a mobster, named like a mobster, and running the most crooked finance scams in the nation.

Are we a great country or what?

moko
join:2002-12-22
Fayetteville, GA

moko

Member

one Karl to another

one Karl to another....your totally right Karl
civicturbo
join:2009-11-08
USA

civicturbo

Member

#1

But you all forget, We live in the greatest country in the Wuuuuuuuuurld!!!!
We're #1 in everything!
-sarcasm off

jfleni
@bhn.net

jfleni

Anon

All done with DSL

The post lists French accomplishments:
•Americans pay four times as much as the French for an Internet triple-play package—phone, cable TV and Internet—at an average of $160 per month versus $38 per month.
•The French get global free calling and worldwide live television. Their Internet is also 10 times faster at downloading information and 20 times faster uploading it.

It was done at first there by various phone companies and private ISPs using DSL. They ran lines through the sewers if they had to. They paid the phone techs to fix the problems instead of trying to lay them off so the plutocrats could get bigger bonuses. They made agreements designed to increase and serve their customers whom they did not view as swindle-bait.

They took care of business, instead of trying to steal the eyes out of the customers. Eventually they made so much money by lusty European (certainly not American??) competition that further upgrades to fiber were easy and even more profitable. They always looked for real revenue, not theft.

All this yelling from the Potomac swamp about "Free enterprise" was just so much MBA plutocrat bilge so they could steal more, while paying off the politicians. And they and we are all much worse off.

WAKE UP Bubba! They done you wrong!

POB
Res Firma Mitescere Nescit
Premium Member
join:2003-02-13
Stepford, CA

POB

Premium Member

Calling it like it is for over a decade

Excellent reporting, Karl. As always.