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Starband Files for Chapter 11

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the satellite-will-save-us-from-DSL-monopolies dept.

PalmKiller writes "Well it looks like Starband is going into chapter 11. I got the email a few days ago. And just when I got CYGWIN with squid proxy working beautifully. With winproxy I rarely got any thoughput on my clients (20-50KBytes/sec or 160-360Kbits/sec), on squid I finally am getting 80-95KBytes/sec (640-760Kbits/sec continuously) and some faster bursts. Well, I guess I will ride her till she falls over and dies." Looks like Echostar's tactics have been successful. And we just did an article a few weeks ago on Starband's service, where most commenters weren't very happy.

2 of 123 comments (clear)

  1. Gee! EchoStar is evil! by DrSbaitso · · Score: 0, Troll

    Who cares about cost/benefit analysis.. how dare EchoStar leave an industry when people in rural areas NEED high-speed internet!

    If anyone can't recognize my sarcasm, this quote sounds exactly like one of many from Rand's Atlas Shrugged, which despite being full of (in my view) oversimplifications and flaws is a decent enough critique of governmental control over a lot of stuff. The government had no problem with local phone monopolies, and seems to have no problem with cable monopolies, but can't accept a satellite monopoly. Being a monopoly is in itself fine, the illegal part is when the monopoly uses its power to quash competition (by, for example, tying its browser software to the operating system, or forcing vendors to install its OS on every box they sell if they want to be able to sell it at all :). Charlie Ergen is trying to show the government they can't have it both ways: a competitive satellite TV marketplace and cost-effective satellite broadband, even if the broadband service loses money.

    Besides, if Ergen thought the rural internet provider industry was so successful, would he really jump out of it for the fairly shortsighted goal of pressuring the government to approve his merger? *sigh* Is it just me or does the FCC rarely ever have its act together? I'm moving to Sealand!

    --
    beware the jabberwock, my son! the jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
  2. Re:About damn time by tempmpi · · Score: 1, Troll

    well, starband files chapter 11 wasn't the real news. Messing around with squid is what was important here.
    Without some opensource reference (or anti-ms) this isn't worth a story.

    --
    Jan