6 ms·
The real solution to the problem, as I see it, is not even Net Neutrality (though I strongly support Net Neutrality). The solution is to break the monopolistic
by ruffrey 9y ago
The real solution to the problem, as I see it, is not even Net Neutrality (though I strongly support Net Neutrality).
The solution is to break the monopolistic stranglehold on last-mile internet service.
If it were possible to have competition in the last-mile ISP space, then consumers could vote with their wallets and choose those ISPs who supported Net Neutrality.
An alternate partial solution would be to force companies breaking net neutrality to report it on their customer's bill.
- jimktrains2 9y agoThese are orthogonal issues. Net neutrality is important regardless of isp options. Not only on principle either, not everywhere will naturally have competition.
- dominotw 9y ago> not everywhere will naturally have competition. Many rural areas have only one grocery store.
- Afforess 9y agoAnd this is universally agreed to be a bad situation.[1] Do not play word games. [1]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/09/what-happened-when-walmart-left https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/09/what-happene...
- dominotw 9y agoI didn't say it wasn't bad. We aren't discussing good and bad. We are discussing a specific situation that requires govt intervention. I am implying this is a equivalent situation where govt didn't create rules for grocery stores to call all brands of goods equally. Also, that is not what a word game is.
- Afforess 9y agoFalse dichotomies and appeal to the middle are absolutely types of word games. I am sick and tired of "moderate"-sounding weasley arguments that excuse corporatocracy and cronyism as "free competition". There's only one grocery store in many towns, because the moment another chain opens, the dominant one lowers prices to below what the market can bear. The dominant chain takes temporary losses to drive competition out of business, then raises prices sky-high and returns to business as usual. This exact behavior occurs in many broadband markets.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- orthecreedence 9y agoI am a big supporter of municipal fiber/broadband as a means to provide enough market competition such that net neutrality regulation is no longer needed. You bring up a great point though, even if 100 of the biggest cities have municipal internet infrastructure, there are still lots of areas that wouldn't be covered and could benefit from basic NN regulation. I don't necessarily think the issues are orthogonal, but I do think basic "don't be a dick" ISP regulations should be in place.
- bassman9000 9y agoThese are orthogonal issues They're not. If NN is a user sought feature, true competition will bring it. E.g. a few years ago cell phone plans sucked in the US. TMobile started some real competition. The other big ones had to follow. Unlimited data plans, demanded ages ago, have been recently introduced.
- SamReidHughes 9y agoWe've already got cellular data service that's much better than the first DSL line my family got. That stranglehold is weaker than you might think.
- athenot 9y agoWhile RF transmissions keep getting better and better, sending data over a link where you own the entire spectrum (Copper, fiber) is always going to be faster to maket a given speed than doing so in an environment where you share spectrum and interferences with the rest of the world. This week I'm upgrading my connection to gigabit up/down over DOCSIS 3.1. While my own wifi supports near gigabit speeds, it will be a while before whole neighborhoods can enjoy the same over cellular service.
- AFNobody 9y ago> We've already got cellular data service that's much better than the first DSL line my family got. That stranglehold is weaker than you might think. Good luck using 500GB of cellular in a month.
- SamReidHughes 9y agoTen years from now, I will.
- kelnos 9y agoSo what do we do for the next 10 years?
- Afforess 9y agoIf cellular data services were not capped (or throttled down, past an imaginary line the phone company rarely shares), then you might have an argument. As it stands, 4g phone service is only a replacement for cable or dsl services for the rarest of individuals. Windows software updates alone will blow you through your cap.
- 9y ago
- russdill 9y agoMunicipal broadband.
- Rumudiez 9y agoAmen -- treat it as a utility and just focus on maintaining dumb pipes.
- s73ver_ 9y agoNeither one of those is a true solution. For one, we currently do not live in a climate where competition is happening. Every NN supporter would love for that to happen, but for now it's not. Second, not every place can support competing ISPs. Do the people who live in the inner city or out in rural areas not deserve a neutral net?
- walshemj 9y agoLocal loop unbundling as in the UK does.
- simplify 9y agoCan you explain?
- walshemj 9y agoIn the UK any ISP can use the last mile typically BT/GPO plant. For example we use BT for POT and Demon for ADSL. You have a lot of choice in your ISP in the uk
- kelnos 9y agoWe tried that in the US. The incumbents did weaselly things to make life difficult for the CLECs, and eventually lobbied Congress to remove the requirement.
- 9y ago