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AT&T's Slow 1.5Mbps Internet In Poor Neighborhoods Sparks Complaint To FCC (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: AT&T is facing a complaint alleging that it discriminates against poor people by providing fast service in wealthier communities and speeds as low as 1.5Mbps in low-income neighborhoods. The formal complaint filed today with the Federal Communications Commission says that AT&T is violating the Communications Act's prohibition against unjust and unreasonable discrimination. That ban is part of Title II, which is best known as the authority used by the FCC to impose net neutrality rules. But as we've explained before, Title II also contains important consumer protections that go beyond net neutrality, such as a ban on discrimination in rates, practices, and offerings of services.
"This complaint, brought by Joanne Elkins, Hattie Lanfair, and Rachelle Lee, three African-American, low-income residents of Cleveland, Ohio alleges that AT&T's offerings of high-speed broadband service violate the Communications Act's prohibition against unjust and unreasonable discrimination," the complaint says. AT&T is not immune to the ban on discrimination "merely because its discrimination is based on investment decisions," the complaint also says.
"This complaint, brought by Joanne Elkins, Hattie Lanfair, and Rachelle Lee, three African-American, low-income residents of Cleveland, Ohio alleges that AT&T's offerings of high-speed broadband service violate the Communications Act's prohibition against unjust and unreasonable discrimination," the complaint says. AT&T is not immune to the ban on discrimination "merely because its discrimination is based on investment decisions," the complaint also says.
Poor people can't just "get" a job. There aren't any jobs. None. Rich people have all the money and they don't feel like paying poor people to do jobs. Rich people still advertise plenty of jobs to keep the HR departments busy. All the jobs are fake though. Every job application gets deleted immediately. Fake jobs are never filled but the same jobs get posted every month so they look like they're still open. But really there aren't any jobs. Poor people just waste their time applying to fake jobs until they starve to death.
there's lots of folks who learn by watching and video makes that possible for them to learn on the cheap. My brother's a lousy guitarist and while he probably never would have been great he coulda been a lot better if he had youtube back in the day. And that's just something kinda frivolous. I learned angularjs from videos because the written stuff I'd found was kind of a mess.
It's kinda tough to get tough to do all that at 1.5mbps, especially if you're sharing a connection. How many geniuses have we lost out on because they didn't have knowledge in their formative years. Despite what you want to believe adversity doesn't really make people better, it gives them PTSD. Support and nurture makes people better.
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No, but there is an issue if you walk into the local Lexus dealership with enough to buy an LS600 and they will only sell you an ES350 used because of your zip code.
And do you really think a Lexus dealership will do that if you have the money? No they won't. Your example is ridiculous and stupid.
The fact is if you can't afford it, why should a business provide it? What is the obligation except for some left wing progressive notion that everyone should get whatever they want off the backs of those who can provide it.
how about this - pony up the cash or fuck off. Does that work for you? If you want what I have, you can either pay for it or try to take it. I dare you.
Except you're assuming that AT&T is arbitrarily discriminating rather than choosing to not invest in infrastructure where the risk of attempting to make their investment back is too great. The OP's analogy is no where even remotely similar... as you can drive your car anywhere. Using AT&T's internet connection from home requires their infrastructure to be in place... if the infrastructure is there (unlikely) and they're just choosing to sell it, that's a slightly different story. This story is about people complaining AT&T isn't willing to gamble millions on infrastructure it is unlikely to recoup its investments on.