ke4pym directs our attention to a report in the Charlotte Observer that notes that Charlotte users pay the highest prices for broadband anywhere in the United States. "TWC is dominant here and AT&T's footprint is crappy," laments the user. "I live in the city and can't get DSL - according to AT&T." The article is pulling data from a firm called WhiteFence, which notes the average Charlottean paid $51.18 for high-speed internet services in October.

There's no data presented by the firm, so it's not clear how their data deals with bundle promotions and artificially expensive standalone broadband.

ke4pym also directs our attention to the fact that locals have some hope for improvement courtesy of a company names RST Global Communications, who is laying underground fiber and promising locals symmetrical 50 Mbps connections for $60 a month:It's important to note that Time Warner Cable, CenturyLink and AT&T have lobbied hard to have barriers put in place to making it more difficult for towns and cities to improve the current state of pricey, uncompetitive and slow market infrastructure.