TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Death Sentence for Independent ISPs?

Re: Death Sentence for Independent ISPs?

Matt Simpson (msimpson@uky.edu)
Mon, 08 Aug 2005 13:13:22 -0400

In article <telecom24.355.8@telecom-digest.org>, jmeissen@aracnet.com
wrote:

> I fail to see how enabling a monopoly reduces prices and improves
> service. :-/

Since any service is an improvement over no service at all, this MIGHT
improve service if it really does encourage the "monopolies" to begin
serving areas which currently have no service.

Speaking as someone who can get neither cable nor DSL (and doesn't
consider satellite a viable option), I get a little tired of my
friends who currently have access to both cable and DSL whining about
their choices being limited. At this point, I'd be pretty damn happy
if I could get just one option.

I'm not convinced that legislation favoring the "big guys" is
necessarily the answer, but until I have at least one vendor offering
to sell me broadband, I'm not going to whine about legislation
limiting other ISPs' ability to undercut the big guys in the
profitable urban markets, unless those ISPs also want to sell their
service to me.

I would be happier if the legislation actually provided some
incentives, or even requirements, to the big guys to expand service in
exchange for strangling the competition, instead of vague suggestions
that they'll feel more free to expand if competition isn't a threat.

For example, my telephone service is provided by Bell South. Bell
South won't sell me DSL. From a technical point of view, I don't know
what would be required for them to do so. I've heard rumors that
maybe DSL equipment could be added to that SLC box at the end of my
road. It would be nice to see a ruling that Bell South doesn't have
to give competitors access to their lines IF AND WHEN they offer DSL
to all their residential phone customers.

Post Followup Article Use your browser's quoting feature to quote article into reply
Go to Next message: I am a Sock Puppet: "Re: FAX vs VOIP"
Go to Previous message: Carl Navarro: "Re: Pay Phone Providers"
May be in reply to: jmeissen@aracnet.com: "Death Sentence for Independent ISPs?"
TELECOM Digest: Home Page