It's not the customer's fault these monopolies own more than what they can financially manage.

Except that prices are also lower (and service is much better) in huge, sparsely populated countries with far-flung rural communities like Norway, which has fewer than half as many people per km2.

Also in heavily NIMBY countries like Germany, where it's difficult to place new transmitters and the existing ones are rarely upgraded. We have poor mobile service and higher prices compared to most of Europe here, but it's still pennies compared to the US.

Just look at Canada if you want to see the end state USA is moving towards. Surprisingly, their cell prices are somehow even more insane than ours

Prices are not lower in Europe. I've lived in 5 countries in Europe. I paid about 10EUR in France for the same plan I have in the US on Tello for $7.

What we do have, is the availability of more expensive plans and companies.

It's the same argument I keep hearing people make about "dur dur college is expensive in the states." It's not. 2 years of community college for gen-eds, 2 years state school, BS costs $25k over 4 years, and if you finish in 3, it costs less. You can also take college courses or get a full year of college credits in high school if you study. You can get a bachelor's for under $20k total from a good state school. But yes, my little brother spent 40k/year and has 6-figure debt and a 5-figure salary.

Stupid people, make stupid choices. In the land of the free, we make the guidance and information available, and let them fail. Good.

Norway is sparely populated? That country the size of Montana (one of many states), with five times the population? Dare I say, have you ever Driven across the US?

Loaning $160K to someone who was unlikely to be able to pay that back was also a stupid mistake, no? Given that the debt is non-dischargeable not everyone is allowed to fail.

those are contradictory statements. all student loans are eventually payed back. giving a zero-risk loan that is guaranteed to be payed back, with no chance of losing the money, and 100% chance of making money via interest is not a mistake for a bank. the only person failing is the one who destroys their life by taking the loan. since you like throwing out an unfounded "stupid" unlike my "founded stupid," let me also let you know about how loans work, since you don't, but are opinionated on the subject on which you lack knowledge. Only about 10k/year is a direct loan to the student. The rest need a cosigner who passes a credit check.

not everyone is allowed to fail. the banks for example are not. it appears people who failed basic civics were also allowed to pass high school.

So you are suggesting that lending money to someone where prospective income is unlikely to cover principal and interest is not stupid because the creditors (who may be banks) have been able to structure the system that they won’t ever face the consequences of their decisions?

No, I am not suggesting the non-existent strawman you made up where people don't eventually repay their non-forgivable loans. Yes, I am suggesting that taking on a guaranteed profit with zero risk is not stupid. I am not sure what you don't understand about that.

I’m suggesting that making loans to people who can’t reasonably be expected to pay shouldn’t be the business of banks. Banks making loans to people who can’t pay is just charity with extra steps.

Making loans to people who are reasonably likely to pay the loan back used to be the primary business of banks. I guess you are correct and I don’t understand why banks are now in the business of making loans to people who can’t pay.

you keep making up that strawman "making loans to people who can't pay." they literally pay, and they literally always pay, by the definition of the phrase "unforgivable loan." It is not the bank's job to make sure you take out a loan and live comfortably, instead of taking out a loan and have to sleep on a bunk bed with a roomate for a decade, while eating lentils and the cheapest of ground beef.

I'm not going to bother reading your reply, because you seem to regurgitate the same thing over and over again, without understanding that what you are saying is factually wrong. All I can say is, good luck in life without comprehension of simple things. You're gonna need it.

> Prices are not lower in Europe. I've lived in 5 countries in Europe. I paid about 10EUR in France for the same plan I have in the US on Tello for $7.

I don't believe you. Find me any plan in the USA that is cheaper than what can be had in France. And I won't even bring up how terrible mobile coverage is in the USA, even in big cities.

> Dare I say, have you ever Driven across the US?

Yep, the long way (four days virtually nonstop) and the slow way (a couple months).

When I last was in the US reception (especially TM-Mobile) was pretty terrible outside of urban areas and we were mainly visiting national parks in California that were full of people…

I generally found reception to be better in the very sparsely populated areas in the Alps etc.

Also at least in some of Europe roaming between operators (for domestic users) is not really a thing and generally companies have independent subsidiaries in every country. Surely that would lead to higher operating costs to some extent?