Open Letter to FCC Chairman Powell

Adina Levin writes "An open letter to FCC chairman Michael Powell signed by internet and tech industry pioneers explains why the government shouldn't prop up the ailing telecom behemoths. Telecom companies bought expensive network technology with long bonds. That technology has been made obsolete by gear getting faster and cheaper all the time by Moore's law and Metcalfe's law. The telecom companies are asking for the equivalent of a bailout for their investments in sailing ships after the advent of steam. The way to speed the deployment of broadband to homes isn't to prop up businesses based on old technology, but to let uncompetitive businesses 'fail fast', and let new competitors play."

Comments

Re:Legitimate reason for bailout?

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I don't know of any rights granted to me by the constitution.

Read it again.

Compare the government of the United States with governments typical 250 years ago and with various contemporary governments in other parts of the world such as North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Iraq, Zimbabwe, etc.

Most U.S. citizens are spoiled by not having direct first-hand experience with a big league oppressive regime. Take a 6 month bus tour of Central America and tell me when you get back that we aren't lucky to have the luxury to be actually arguing over something like a ballistics database.

Personally, I rather enjoy the right to not be woke up in the middle of the night by jack-booted thugs displeased with my criticism of some leader in government.