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from the if-you-build-it-they-will-come dept.
TechDirt reports
Grassroots revolution [such as cities building fiber networks themselves or striking public/private partnerships with companies like Google Fiber or Ting/Tucows] is precisely why large ISPs like Charter, Comcast, and AT&T have spent the last decade lobbying for (and in most instances directly writing) protectionist bills across twenty different states banning local citizens from making these kinds of decisions for themselves. If you want to see precisely why these regional monopolists are so afraid, you need look no further than Huntsville, Alabama.
City-owned Huntsville Utilities has been building a fiber broadband network that should service the lion's share of the city's homes and businesses over the next few years. What's more, the network will be open access--meaning that ISPs can come in and compete with each other over the regional infrastructure. Google Fiber has already signed up to be one of at least three ISPs taking advantage of the build, and should begin offering service there by the middle of this year.
Have any Soylentils had this happen in their area?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 18 2017, @05:56PM
Have any Soylentils had this happen in their area?
Yeah, but I'm in Europe, where this is normal.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by bzipitidoo on Saturday February 18 2017, @07:21PM
Need to edit the motto on US money: s/o/ree . Or perhaps not. Greed is our God.
It's a big problem, and old. How do you stop greedy businesses from trying to create a monopoly with themselves as the monopolist? Stop them from rent seeking? There has to be a market for market forces to function. This constant lobbying and corruption of government officials is corrosive. Sports looks like a good corollary. How to stop cheating in sports? Everyone has an interest in squelching extreme cheating such as attempts to murder competitors before the competition. Disabling injury is frowned upon too, but that one is sometimes attempted, as when Harding had a hit man try to damage rival skater Kerrigan's knee, and a New Orleans Saints coach told his players to hurt the opposing team members with gems like "We want his head sideways." We don't see stuff like the CEO of Comcast putting out hits on AT&T Uverse leaders or employees, they know they can't get away with that. One would hope they also have enough shreds of humanity not to want to compete that extremely even if they could get away with it.
But softer crimes? Oh yes. When the ref makes a questionable call, used to be nothing could be done about it until it was too late and the game was over. Sure, they could fire the ref afterwards, but that wouldn't change the outcome of the game. Now we have instant replay. Referees can still shade things to favor one team, but it is harder now. More transparency really helped. And it can help with political corruption. The recent victory affirming the right to film cops on duty is a good step.
Sometimes that level of proof isn't needed. For instance, Munich thinking of moving back to Windows is obviously prompted by corruption. But it's still good to have more proof, as some people can be awfully dense.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 18 2017, @10:30PM
How do you stop greedy businesses from trying to create a monopoly with themselves as the monopolist?
The other motto on U.S. money is "e pluribus unum" meaning "from many, one."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 20 2017, @02:27AM
(in other words, a monopoly)
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday February 19 2017, @01:03AM
It becomes trickier when there's infrastructure involved. Here, locally, there's nothing worse than the feeling of your monopolist corporate utility arbitrarily jacking up power and gas rates 10% year after year for no reason other than muh shareholders and because they can.
Cable monopolies ain't got nothin' on those motherfucking bastard snakes.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 18 2017, @06:50PM
The problem is there are not enough laws to keep companies like Comcast acting in the public interest. When you have a natural monopoly it is important for the state to step in, or else you get a situation like this.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday February 20 2017, @04:29AM
"natural monopoly"
Actually, I think that government has created most of the monopolies in America. Utilities and cable, telcos, and probably more that I'm overlooking. The last time the US government seriously went after a monopolistic company, was when Clinton was in office. Then, Bush took over, and the suit against Microsoft was dropped. Obama apparently never saw a monopoly that he didn't like - he knew which side his bread was buttered on. And now, Trump. The only monopoly that Trump might go after, is one which competes with his own interests.
No, I really don't think there is such a thing as a "natural monopoly".
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 18 2017, @07:36PM
Huntsville's got a lot of technical jobs fueled by defense contracts. So, as cities in the deep south go, its highly educated and pretty liberal.
Its no Austin or Boulder. But it is significantly different from the rest of the state.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 18 2017, @11:16PM
I'd like to see your numbers on that.
defense contracts
In my experience, defense suppliers don't tend to have demographics greatly different from the general population (of the USA--not of Alabama).
Where there is a skew among defense suppliers, again, IME, it's toward the Reactionary/Authoritarian portion of the political palate.
Since you chose to mention the Military-Industrial Complex instead of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, [indeed.com] I'm going to assume that your statement isn't based on firsthand observation.
Again, I'd like to see your numbers.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 19 2017, @12:27AM
> first-hand observation
Actually, that is exactly what my observation is. I am a former defense contractor and we used to deal with people out of huntsville ALL the time.
Your reference to NASA is hair-splitting. But my personal experience was not with NASA people either.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday February 20 2017, @04:37AM
Let me try to understand your "first hand experience". You had some contact with some people in Huntsville, and you were impressed with their education/communication/efficiency/whateverelse. Since this ran counter to your expectations of drawling backwoods hicks in Alabama, who would have trouble reading a simple electric schematic, you ASSUMED that Huntsville is an exception to the norm.
How much time have you spent in Alabama? How well do you know the people of Alabama?
In my own experience, Alabama has it's fair share of idiots, as well as it's fair share of very bright people. The worst I can say for Alabama is, they have more than their fair share of racist sons of bitches - but, I wager even that isn't as bad as you think it is.
Oh - the liberal bastion shit. Yeah, you're an elitest. People who don't share your political views have to be ignorant savages, on par with the great apes living in the jungle. Got it. Politics, as usual.
Abortion is the number one killed of children in the United States.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Saturday February 18 2017, @07:36PM
It has a high density of people with post-graduate degrees. If they get a lot out of their municipal broadband and communicate specifics of the implementation and experience, it might seed dissatisfaction among other areas.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 18 2017, @10:32PM
We need to contain this. How about a physical barrier?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 18 2017, @11:23PM
What's this "we" shit, paleface? [google.com]
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 19 2017, @12:29AM
you are about as tiresome as efueld tonight
(Score: 5, Interesting) by moondoctor on Saturday February 18 2017, @08:07PM
*Stop The Presses*
A free market breaks out in the USA.
At this point it's like The Onion of The Onion or some shit.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 18 2017, @08:56PM
At this point it's like The Onion of The Onion
Incept-Onion
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Nobuddy on Sunday February 19 2017, @06:33AM
It is great. 12 isp compete. No caps, no limits, no throttling. Gigabit up and down. customer service is fantastic.
Why? Because changing isp is a simple phone call. Instantaneous and no interruption of service at all. True competition.
Comcast and Clearwire keep running disinformation campaigns every time an expansion is proposed . They were invited to use the fiber on the same terms as everyone else, but refused. Last thing they want is a free market.