https://www.fastcompany.com/90319916/the-anti-competitive-forces-that-foil-speedy-affordable-broadband
7 replies (most recent on top)
"Nobody will run fiber unless ther is a positive return on the investment."
And yet high speed internet is an essential service to other commercial interests these days. No one makes roads unless there is a return either. That's why for the most part roads are seen as a public good that enables commerce and is thus providing by government. We are on the cusp of big changes in public perception of the value of government. For 40 years we have propagandized to see government as inefficient and private industry as supremely competent and efficient. When people spout that nonsense to me I just grin and say: "You never worked for the phucking phone company did ya!" Then i cackle with delight at the look on their silly little free market besotted face.
Why is wireless so profitable? Because people demand it.. And why do people demand it? Because most people are a bunch of low IQ dum@ss stupid animals who are perfectly happy frying their internal organs with dangerous RF radiation who will believe the media who says it is safe.
Just because it's profitable, doesn't mean it should be done. And on the contrary, just because it isnt profitable, doesn't mean it shouldn't be done.
I guess most of you forgot how the bell system worked. There was a phone to every home. If companies continue to ignore consumers and can not figure out how to make mass deployments more cost effective with further reach then there is always the possibility of people wanting to go back to a similar model for the outside plant portion of the network. I was simply implying that the perception is that the incumbent carriers are holding back real progress on connecting the nation. That unfortunately means that people get p-ss-d and it possibly becomes a political platform for someone, and all the sudden broadband is regulated...stranger things have happened.
Anyone checked the cost per foot to put fiber in the ground. Owens doesn’t give it away, and those plastic companies that supply conduit don’t do that for free and don’t forget the humans that have to bear the weather to do the work. And people complain about monthly cost of broadband. Nobody will run fiber unless ther is a positive return on the investment.
In many areas it's the city councils that grants exclusive rights for broadband service providers in exchange for an annual fee. If the city councils would grant open access to all broadband providers there would be some competition which then result in faster service and more competitive pricing.
so the government should force something that isn't profitable? sounds like a government program to me!
yep broadband is in terrible shape considering all the rich and powerful ceos we have in the country.
We should all have at least 2 or 3 choices of fiber to our houses. What do we have one at best and most of the folks have none. That is pitiful. The American telecommunications company should be ashamed and embarrassed. I know I would be if I was a CEO of one of the giants.
I think the government should start a program like they did with the highways in the 50's and start laying fiber everywhere and make it pervasive and redundant.
The telecommunications companies won't do it because it doesn't have a 2000% profit like wireless cellphone service.
The telecommunication industry is a joke a sham and the should all be ashamed.