Re:An eloquent comment about FCC's Net Neutrality proposal
by superdude264 on Tuesday July 15, 2014 @06:28PM
(#8039504)
I have to agree. This gentleman seems a bit confused. I imagine a virtual livestock auction is something you'd want to utilize all the bandwidth you've paid your provider for and not risk being on a slow lane if the auction provider hasn't paid off your particular ISP. He seems to be advocating a market-based solution, but doesn't conceed that here is no competition.
Re:An eloquent comment about FCC's Net Neutrality proposal
by roganp on Tuesday July 15, 2014 @07:02PM
(#8039656)
I have to disagree. The "last mile" problem will require deep pockets, and investments like those are not made when the upside is restricted by regulation. There are those on HN who get excited by Google Fiber. Reclassification of broad band makes that investment by Google less profitable and therefor less likely.
Re:An eloquent comment about FCC's Net Neutrality proposal
by thaumaturgy on Tuesday July 15, 2014 @09:22PM
(#8040112)
You seem to assume that private companies are willing to invest in the last mile.
They are not.
I live in an area that's been trying to solve its last mile problem for over a decade now. It looks like it might finally be happening, too!
...thanks to a federal grant.
Curt Overcash seems to be acting as a mouthpiece for Broadband Illinois (a PAC for the broadband industry) by restating their party line: Any regulation will kill investments in the Internet. This is just coded language for "Net Neutrality will hamper our ability to milk profits from our near-monopoly on broadband."
His only other argument is that "you don't want the Internet to become another utility like the outdated phone company, do you?"
Why, yes we do. The phone company can't charge you more if you decide to talk about one thing vs. another. Also, the phone company is required to lease bandwidth on their lines at competitive rates so that 3rd parties can innovate and compete for your business, something that scares the pants off of broadband providers.