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A comment on Join the Battle for Net Neutrality. Parent comment

Re:Join the Battle for Net Neutrality by mindcrime on Wednesday November 22, 2017 @01:08AM (#15754673)
1) ISPs agree not to compete; and --> probably not. Cartels don't work in practice, because there's always an incentive to cheat. Look how often OPEC nations pump more oil than they agreed to pump.

2) It is expensive for new entrants to build infrastructure. --> Yes, but if the ROI is sufficient, it can still get done.

3) Local / state government "franchise" agreements which grant incumbents monopoly (or near monopoly) status. --> the real killer. If the local government regulates you out of the market, it's game over.

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Re:Join the Battle for Net Neutrality by kelnos on Wednesday November 22, 2017 @05:28AM (#15755779)
> 1) ISPs agree not to compete; and --> probably not.

Except they currently do this, so... yes.

> 2) It is expensive for new entrants to build infrastructure. --> Yes, but if the ROI is sufficient, it can still get done.

> 3) Local / state government "franchise" agreements which grant incumbents monopoly (or near monopoly) status. --> the real killer. If the local government regulates you out of the market, it's game over.

It's not in the public's interest to allow a bunch of random companies to dig up our roadsides to lay a ton of fiber, over and over and over. So I don't see this changing.

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