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It's not really a choice. AT&T in my area of SF is still crap compared to Comcast. So yes, I could choose to use AT&T, but I would be getting substantially wor

It's not really a choice. AT&T in my area of SF is still crap compared to Comcast. So yes, I could choose to use AT&T, but I would be getting substantially worse service. All cities should be investing in building out infrastructure themselves, as it would increase the desire for companies and people to live and work where they have better connectivity.

djsumdog 10y ago
You can't get Fibre in your part of SF?
- rosser 10y ago
  The only place in the city residential FTTP is an option (other than to larger apartment buildings) is, AFAIK, Sonic's FTTP trial in the Sunset. The NIMBY is strong in San Francisco. Apparently, even the imposition of the above-ground junction boxes are too much for people here, and so, once again, "We are why we can't have nice things." Even — if not especially — in a place like San Francisco. My choices, where I live, are Comcast and DSL (I'm just out of LoS for Monkeybrains). So I give Sonic money every month for a pretty hideous dollar:bandwidth ratio, comparatively, because that's still better than Comcast, in my book.
- bluejekyll 10y ago
  nope.
rayiner 10y ago
Cities have no money. All across the country, they're insolvent and drowning in pension and other liabilities. SF is flush right now, which makes it particularly outrageous that it doesn't invest in infrastructure. But SF's behavior also tells you how cities got so deeply in debt with nothing to show for it.
- pseudalopex 10y ago
  A number of cities have tried to build fiber networks only to be thwarted by ISP lobbying at the state level. Some had their eyes on Google Fiber. SF is studying municipal fiber, although I don't know how seriously.
  - rayiner 10y ago
    I supported the Obama FCC's attempts to preempt those state laws, but most states have no such laws to begin with: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/the-21-laws-states-use-to-crush-broadband-competition https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/the-21-laws-state.... E.g. in Maryland, nothing precludes Baltimore from building its own broadband network. It just has no money. Ditto Chicago, or New York. The laws applying to Philadelphia or anywhere in California shouldn't really stop construction either.

djsumdog 10y ago

You can't get Fibre in your part of SF?

rosser 10y ago
The only place in the city residential FTTP is an option (other than to larger apartment buildings) is, AFAIK, Sonic's FTTP trial in the Sunset. The NIMBY is strong in San Francisco. Apparently, even the imposition of the above-ground junction boxes are too much for people here, and so, once again, "We are why we can't have nice things." Even — if not especially — in a place like San Francisco. My choices, where I live, are Comcast and DSL (I'm just out of LoS for Monkeybrains). So I give Sonic money every month for a pretty hideous dollar:bandwidth ratio, comparatively, because that's still better than Comcast, in my book.
bluejekyll 10y ago
nope.

rayiner 10y ago

Cities have no money. All across the country, they're insolvent and drowning in pension and other liabilities. SF is flush right now, which makes it particularly outrageous that it doesn't invest in infrastructure. But SF's behavior also tells you how cities got so deeply in debt with nothing to show for it.

pseudalopex 10y ago
A number of cities have tried to build fiber networks only to be thwarted by ISP lobbying at the state level. Some had their eyes on Google Fiber. SF is studying municipal fiber, although I don't know how seriously.
- rayiner 10y ago
  I supported the Obama FCC's attempts to preempt those state laws, but most states have no such laws to begin with: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/the-21-laws-states-use-to-crush-broadband-competition https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/the-21-laws-state.... E.g. in Maryland, nothing precludes Baltimore from building its own broadband network. It just has no money. Ditto Chicago, or New York. The laws applying to Philadelphia or anywhere in California shouldn't really stop construction either.