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Are America's Big Telecom Companies Suppressing Fiber? (salon.com)
Salon just published a new interview with Susan Crawford, the author of "Fiber: The Coming Tech Revolution -- And Why America Might Miss It."
Crawford has spent years studying the business of these underground fiber optic cables that make fast internet possible. As it turns out, the internet infrastructure situation in the United States is almost hopelessly compromised by the oligopolistic telecom industry, which, due to lack of competition and deregulation, is hesitant to invest in their aging infrastructure... This is going to pose a huge problem for the future, Crawford warns, noting that politicians as well as the telecom industry are largely inept when it comes to prepping us for a well-connected future...
"The decay started in 2004 when -- maybe out of gullibility, maybe out of naivety, maybe out of calculation -- then-chairman of the FCC, Michael Powell, now the head of cable association -- was persuaded that the telcos would battle it out with the cable companies, that their cable modem services would battle it out with wireless, and all of that competition would do a much better job than any regulatory structure could at ensuring that every American had a cheap and fantastic connection of the internet. That's just turned out that's just not true. Since then, he deregulated the entire sector -- and as a result, we got this very stagnant status quo where in most urban areas -- usually the local cable monopoly has a lock in the market and can charge whatever it wants for whatever type of quality services they're providing, leaving a lot of people out."
"Because Americans don't travel," she adds, "you don't get the sense of what a third-world country the U.S. is becoming when it comes to communications."
"The decay started in 2004 when -- maybe out of gullibility, maybe out of naivety, maybe out of calculation -- then-chairman of the FCC, Michael Powell, now the head of cable association -- was persuaded that the telcos would battle it out with the cable companies, that their cable modem services would battle it out with wireless, and all of that competition would do a much better job than any regulatory structure could at ensuring that every American had a cheap and fantastic connection of the internet. That's just turned out that's just not true. Since then, he deregulated the entire sector -- and as a result, we got this very stagnant status quo where in most urban areas -- usually the local cable monopoly has a lock in the market and can charge whatever it wants for whatever type of quality services they're providing, leaving a lot of people out."
"Because Americans don't travel," she adds, "you don't get the sense of what a third-world country the U.S. is becoming when it comes to communications."
what about health care?
We have health care system that is the envy of most of the world. There is a reason why the kings of the middle east come here and say not the UK or Canada when they need life saving care.
Taking care of your poor?
Abject poverty is at its lowest level in history. Nobody is starving to death in America ANYWHERE.
Having a proper democracy?
Yes voter id laws would help a lot.
Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
Spin up your fantasies, guy.
Let's not forget that the most outrageous case of electoral fraud in the 2018 midterms was perpetrated by the GOP,
How can we remember something that is your frothy fantasy? You need to cite, not just assert.
A small percentage of Americans actually leave the country. And while our broadband option may have decent speed it likely costs twice as much as most other countries.
"Action without philosophy is a lethal weapon; philosophy without action is worthless."
The Muslim invasion of Europe is absolutely shocking. Angela Merkle should be hanged for TREASON and SEDITION; she's nearly accomplished what Hitler couldn't complete: destroying Germany and the European continent beyond repair.
The Slashdot mods muxt be on the bad crack today, because this is modded "Troll.
Modding based on political preference must stop, or Slashdot will die. "Troll" means "insincere post designed to provoke emotion" (like a GNAA post) not "disagrees with my politics". Slashdot is swirling the drain at this point, and it's our collective fault. We must do better.
Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.