Companies, Government and Community Fiber Rollouts

hype7 writes "Wired is running an interesting article about a number of communities which are dissatisfied with the present communications infrastructure that they are being offered, and are deciding to do something about it. However, many of the corporates who had previously been offering services to these communities have resisted this, with Pennsylvania going so far as to draft law to prevent competition for the communications providers. What is most interesting is that in the communities where the roll outs have taken place, the incumbent providers have "dropped prices to be more competitive ... while not changing rates in areas where it continues to have a monopoly". What I don't understand is why can't a public utilities company provide a public utility if their rate payers want it? What's wrong with additional competition? And why should legislative bodies protect telecommunications monopolies?"

Comments

Simple...

[http101]

The reason we have to protect monopolies is so we can receive our "under-the-desk", "kickbacks" for pushing to have a certain company service a certain area. With guaranteed sales, why shouldn't the person in office, who fights so hard to have the monopoly there in the first place, get a little somethin' somethin'? ;-) This is also referred to as being "in-bed-with" the company. As long as we can promote a monopolistic practice in a large area - leaving no options to the general public for a product made in China by 10-year old kids and supported by half-assed, camel-jockeys in India, I'm cool as long as I get my extra $5,000 a year. :-P Go Corporate America!

Re:I'll Be Doing My Part

[goldspider]

I live in PA too, but I don't see what's so idiotic about that bill. All it says is that government won't compete with private industry.

Newsflash: Government isn't a business. Government should not be out using our tax dollars to divert money away from private industry.

Government should only provide an environment where private industry can thrive within acceptable legal boundaries. The reason our legislators squeeze our nuts at every opportunity is because government has encroached on services that private industry already provides.