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Google Fiber's Latest FCC Filing: Comcast's Nightmare Come To Life
An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from BGR: What's every incumbent ISP's worst nightmare? If we had to guess, it looks something like the filing that Google just made with the Federal Communications Commission. As The Wall Street Journal reports, Google this week told the FCC that reclassifying broadband providers under Title II of the Telecommunications Act would have a big side benefit for Google Fiber because it would give Google Fiber the same access to utility poles and other key infrastructure currently enjoyed by Comcast, AT&T and other big-name ISPs.
Where's the monopoly rent in that setup?
The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
Gee... sounds almost like Ma Bell after the breakup.
I'm not being derogatory. Other countries which have similar schemes have better internet for less money than most of the U.S. That's part of what Title II is all about: having a semi-"public" infrastructure, with equal access to it. In other words, actual competition.
REAL proponents of free market capitalism should have no problem with that idea. Those who do are those who either (A) don't understand that currently we have an oligopoly not a free market, or (B) want to protect their privileged position.
then allow various vendors access
Because that would eliminate the monopoly control outfits like Comcast have over the last mile. Cable TV would devolve into each service like HBO having their own streaming site available on the 'Net. And Comcast would have no reason to exist.
It's not like they (Comcast) still don't have a major head start over Google in terms of installed equipment that they could use and go into this same business. But they are too slow to shift their business plan over to the new model. Google knows this and is licking its chops like a tiger watching a crippled deer.
Have gnu, will travel.
... it can only be good for us...
What city do you live in where its acceptable to go 2 months without city provided services? Do you live in some third world country or something? No city thats is going to have fiber is going to behave like that for critical infrastructure.
Heres the reality: The important things get fixed quickly, regardless of how shitty you think you city performs. Your phone gets repaired quickly now not because the phone company wants to, but because they are legally REQUIRED TO ... BECAUSE of the way they are classified. Same goes for power and water. Guess who requires them too ... DA EBIL GUBMENT.
Some things aren't important so going extended periods without fixing them is intelligent management of resources. Sorry the pothole that pisses you off didn't get filled quick enough or the street light that went out takes a while to get repaired, but critical services just don't work that way in any city in America. Villages, maybe. Towns ... not likely. Cities, no fucking way.
Persistent Volume manager for Kubernetes - https://github.com/dwimsey/openshift-pvmanager
Why does anyone have to be classified, by the government, as a provider, under title, yada yada?
Poles, conduits, rights-of-way should belong to the local authority, managed and maintained by the lowest bidding contractor. Anyone or any company then has the right to use, for any commercial or non-commercial purpose, said infrastructure to run their cable or fiber, upon payment of a reasonable fee to cover the upkeep.
I am not a fan of eminent domain, but if the incumbent says "We installed these poles, they belong to us" then they should be bought out.
Prove anything by multiplying Huge Number times Tiny Number
Sure. The only problem with that world is that literally the immediately obvious next step is to degrade service pending a payment. This is already happening in literally every place that has such a scheme as the one you describe. That's the problem with non-neutrality - once an ISP realizes they can get paid for better service, they will do everything in their not inconsiderable power to force every provider's hand.
I have developed a truly marvelous proof of this comment, which this signature is too narrow to contain.
Level 3 has had the same problems with Verizon and Comcast.
Here we see an ignorant net neutrality drone that doesnt know the whole history....
Cogent wanted a free peering arrangement with Level 3 when Cogent was sending more data to Level 3 than Level 3 was sending to Cogent. Level 3 outright refused.
Now Level 3 wants a free peering arrangement with other people when Level 3 is sending more data to them than they are sending to Level 3. These others are refusing.
You wonder what caused Level 3 to completely change direction on the issue? Well I'm going to clue you the fuck in. When Level 3 was against arbitrary free peering they werent the ISP of Netflix. In fact, the ISP they had issue with, Cogent, *was* the Netflix ISP.
The facts of this matter are specifically that no ISP has charged Netflix enough to cover the costs of being Netflix's ISP without issues, and that includes Level 3 and Cogent before them. Its Netflix that benefits from cheaper costs, so its Netflix that in the end is ultimately responsible for footing the bill for the consequences of going with the cheapest option.
The end result of all this however is not bad, because Netflix putting equipment on your local ISP's network is more efficient than Netflix paying their own ISP a rate that supports the extra interconnects that they would otherwise need with your local ISP. Increased efficiency benefits everyone involved, including Netflix, Level 3, Verizon/Comcast, and You. All of you benefit. The prior arrangement (the one that Net Neutrality proponents want to perpetuate) is one where only Netflix benefits by allowing them to continue to underpay for their level of service in perpetuity. Not only does that only benefit Netflix, it hurts everyone else including You.
"His name was James Damore."
And you bet your ass the city won't lift a finger to fix anything unless they are generating revenue from it
Cities have something that private companies don't - a degree of accountability to the voters. Around here, if city-maintained infrastructure (water, sewer, etc.) went down and wasn't fixed within a very short time, the mayor, city manager, and city council would start hearing about it, and they're well aware that a substantial portion of the folks here do vote in local elections. If that's not the case where you live, you have larger problems than the city taking too long to fix stuff.
What GP has not mentioned is that someone has to own and maintain this "public" line and if it's the city, you bet your ass they are going to charge you for it one way or another.
I'm not sure I see a problem with that, so long as all ISPs are charged pole rent on an equal basis.
Please stand clear of the doors, por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas
Just ask the Australian Electricity Industry.
There's significant coin to be made in renting poles and charging municipalities large sums for "maintenance costs"
eg: http://www.smh.com.au/business...
"We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over." - Aneurin Bevan
Most places have one cable provider. There were supposed to be two per market. Due in no small part to the cost of running cables over existing infrastructure. It's expensive and nobody else thought it was worth the investment so far. But none of them were Google.
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
Funny you mention street lights and potholes. I've found anytime I've called to report a street light out, it gets replaced within 48 hours max. Potholes are generally a little slower, but within a week. The reason they generally go untouched is because people don't actually report it. They bitch and moan about it on their commute, but by the time they get home they can't be bothered to pick up the phone and let someone know.
Poles? Are you nuts? One good ice storm and your internet could be out for days. Infrastructure like that should be buried - out of reach of weather, reckless drivers, etc.
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
^ This, times ten...
In my city, you call about a street light out (the power company is responsible for them actually), they are usually fixed within a day.
City trash? I've called them before about items not picked up (bulk trash days), the same afternoon a guy in a truck came out and took care of it.
Fire and police? 3 min response time, personal experience with this due to accident of child falling down and not breathing, the fire dept had paramedics there in like 3 minutes, it was wonderful... (living 1 mile from them helps)
We have great city services, even sidewalks get fixed within a week or two, just call and ask.