InvalidError :
czar1020 :
Exactly, because each of them have a monopoly in every area they are located.
Just like nearly all other forms of infrastructure. Duplicating infrastructure is very expensive and splitting potential revenue quickly undermines the potential return on investment so infrastructure tends towards natural monopoly.
If major ISPs wanted to increase their profits while lowering prices, they would set their arrogance aside and merge their infrastructure to eliminate infrastructure duplication: half or possibly less of the total outside plant investments to serve the same subscriber base for about twice the overall ROI.
This is why the current system is inherently flawed. If municipal fiber was run across the US we wouldn't have this problem...companies can fight over providing better services over the same infrastructure or the local governments can run it.
Even if you want to argue with fair competition and other US capitalism b.s. Comcast and Time Warner pay off politicians to stop other companies from laying new lines in their areas.
I have a great form letter all you have to do is fill in your name and submit it to the FCC here: http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/upload/display;
Here is the source of the form letter:
https://teksyndicate.com/forum/general-discussion/fcc-letter-1-page-version-draft/176563
Here is a quick copy/paste version of the letter:
From: RIPPED
To: Chairman Tom Wheeler & the FCC Leaders
Subject: Proposed Internet “Fast Lane” FCC Rules
Mr. Tom Wheeler & FCC Commission,
I am writing to you today as a ___________. I have an acute understanding of the current situation with the proposed “internet fast lane” rules and I am aware of the technical and circumstantial details around the recent Netflix/Comcast event.
I must say that I was not expecting this from your office at this time; the proposed rules do not make sense and do not follow the FCC charter. In 2009 the FCC drafted similar rules because of the events surrounding Comcast and Comcast’s arbitrary throttling of peer-to-peer traffic; in that case the FCC lost their case when the DC district court ruled that Comcast is classified as an “information service.” Recently, the FCC finished writing the “Open Internet” rules and once again the FCC was sued by Verizon. The FCC lost their case once again – in both of these cases the court urged the FCC to reclassify these ISPs as a Title II communications company if the office of the FCC was serious about drafting rules that these companies must follow.
I’m aware that Title II has some stringent rules and that these rules may not all be applicable to internet service providers like Verizon, AT&T and Comcast. However, I would remind you that the FCC has the power of forbearance; the office can choose what rules will be imposed. Were these internet service providers classified as “telecommunications services”, as the FCC has been encouraged to do by these two court cases, then it does not have to enforce all the rules under Title II.
Certainly I have been surprised by these proposed “internet fast lane” rules; they were entirely unexpected at this time. I do not see how they are substantially different than the rules put forth in the previous two failed court cases. Also, I would not expect to entertain such a proposal unless and until the FCC reclassifies these ISPs as telecommunications companies under Title II.
In point of fact, Comcast has already negotiated a “fast lane” deal with Netflix. However, Comcast is selling service tiers to customers that specify a speed (e.g. 50 megabits per second) and a byte cap (250 gigabytes, as specified in the terms-of-service). As a customer of Comcast, I may elect to use some or all of the capacity I have purchased on Netflix services.
I am confident that should the FCC investigate the particulars of Comcast’s activities in this case, they would have an open-and-shut antitrust case. To use a telephone analogy, this is no different than a cellular telephone provider charging a call recipient "extra" to "help prevent the call from being dropped."
This is exactly the same type of abusive conduct that the FCC tried to deal with in the court cases in 2009 and again with Verizon more recently.
Please, halt what is being done with these “internet fast lane” rules, and simply reclassify internet service providers as Telecommunications companies under Title II of the 1996 telecommunications act. It is a faster, simpler, and more effective way to accomplish your goals.
Sincerely,
RIPPED
__________________________________________
If you are still reading here is some more information on why we have been screwed by these companies from the start:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIOcbclh370
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