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I hate the anti competitive structure we have in the USA now but I can't see how government run ISPs could ever be w good thing. 1. Network tech advances at br

I hate the anti competitive structure we have in the USA now but I can't see how government run ISPs could ever be w good thing. 1. Network tech advances at breakneck pace. Do you really think government is going to update aging infrastructure every few years? Sure the current ISPs might not to that now. Proper competiton might fix that. Government ISPs will make that even worse. 2. Censorship seems far more likely on government ISPs . Someone will lobby "the government shouldn't allow X on government run things". You'll have no recourse. Proper competiton would solve this. Government ISPs won't. 3. Spying: governemts want to spy. What better way to spy than with their own systems. Yes there is a problem with the current local monopolies but I don't see how government run ISPs is the right solution.

brians 10y ago
I think on 2 and 3 you're mistaken: it is often much harder today for law enforcement or intelligence parts of the government to get data from other parts of the government, who can ignore them or tie them up in bureaucracy, than from companies. On the first point—yes, I think you're quite right. But maybe FTTH is enough for many years to come?
adrianratnapala 10y ago
Re 2. if it makes you feel better even a competitive market won't do much to fix this. Even a small ISP is is always going to be big and connected enough to fear having some license or service yanked if it does not toe the line. Re 3. a diverse market for ISPs might improve this a bit though. Depending on the whims of the courts. A "renegade" ISP might decide to make a name for itself by getting into trouble for not helping out in spying.
sliverstorm 10y ago
Wrt 1, I buy that for switches and such, but the pipes themselves- fiber seems pretty future proof. Nothing faster than light. All that could really change would be a tighter spec for slightly higher bandwidth ala cat5e vs cat6, OR eventually 1 fiber strand isn't enough and we start needing to bundle ftth.
amazon_not 10y ago
Re: #1 The government does not have to run the ISP. They can just own the wires and let commercial ISPs compete. The ISPs can upgrade their equipment connected to the fiber whenever they want.

brians 10y ago

I think on 2 and 3 you're mistaken: it is often much harder today for law enforcement or intelligence parts of the government to get data from other parts of the government, who can ignore them or tie them up in bureaucracy, than from companies. On the first point—yes, I think you're quite right. But maybe FTTH is enough for many years to come?

adrianratnapala 10y ago

Re 2. if it makes you feel better even a competitive market won't do much to fix this. Even a small ISP is is always going to be big and connected enough to fear having some license or service yanked if it does not toe the line. Re 3. a diverse market for ISPs might improve this a bit though. Depending on the whims of the courts. A "renegade" ISP might decide to make a name for itself by getting into trouble for not helping out in spying.

sliverstorm 10y ago

Wrt 1, I buy that for switches and such, but the pipes themselves- fiber seems pretty future proof. Nothing faster than light. All that could really change would be a tighter spec for slightly higher bandwidth ala cat5e vs cat6, OR eventually 1 fiber strand isn't enough and we start needing to bundle ftth.

amazon_not 10y ago

Re: #1 The government does not have to run the ISP. They can just own the wires and let commercial ISPs compete. The ISPs can upgrade their equipment connected to the fiber whenever they want.