5 ms·

If net neutrality fails, would it makes sense aggressively pursue a legal effort to break up "big cable"? Back in the long distance/DSL days, the local telcos

by _d8fd 9y ago

If net neutrality fails, would it makes sense aggressively pursue a legal effort to break up "big cable"? Back in the long distance/DSL days, the local telcos were forced into allowing alternate vendors to sell long distance & Internet service over the copper wire running to one's house. Can we bust up Comcast's strangehold on the Internet service available to my apartment by forcing them to allow any vendor to sell Internet over that single Comcast-owned coax line? They lobbied against neutrality, so take away their monopoly!

pwnage 9y ago
Did this make sense in 2014 before the regulations?
guelo 9y ago
The legal authority to regulate the telcos is partly based on their common carrier status, which is the exactly the regulatory category that Ajit Pai wants to remove from ISPs.
randogogogo 9y ago
This is exactly the way it was until W's FCC changed it removing wholesale line sharing regulations by declaring ISPs information services. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2007/10/appeals-court-upholds-fcc-anti-line-sharing-rules/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2007/10/appeals-court-up...
wyager 9y ago
We don’t even need to bust up telcos. All that needs to happen is the FCC needs to switch from huge, infrequent bandwidth sales to frequent regional bandwidth auctions. This will basically solve any last-mile oligopoly woes.
- dsr_ 9y ago
  You appear to be mixing up cellphones and last-mile access.
thomastjeffery 9y ago
> If net neutrality fails, would it makes sense aggressively pursue a legal effort to break up "big cable"? It already makes sense. If there were a competitive free market, then there would be a rational argument against net neutrality rules, but that simply isn't the case unless you live in North Dakota. It's ironic that Ajit Pai acts like he can back up his argument against net neutrality with nothing but a short-sighted libertarian stance, yet he is so clearly helping support the current oligopoly, rather than fighting for a competitive free market.
- colordrops 9y ago
  Ajit Pai knows exactly what he's doing.

by _d8fd 9y ago

pwnage 9y ago

Did this make sense in 2014 before the regulations?

guelo 9y ago

The legal authority to regulate the telcos is partly based on their common carrier status, which is the exactly the regulatory category that Ajit Pai wants to remove from ISPs.

randogogogo 9y ago

This is exactly the way it was until W's FCC changed it removing wholesale line sharing regulations by declaring ISPs information services. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2007/10/appeals-court-upholds-fcc-anti-line-sharing-rules/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2007/10/appeals-court-up...

wyager 9y ago

We don’t even need to bust up telcos. All that needs to happen is the FCC needs to switch from huge, infrequent bandwidth sales to frequent regional bandwidth auctions. This will basically solve any last-mile oligopoly woes.

dsr_ 9y ago
You appear to be mixing up cellphones and last-mile access.

thomastjeffery 9y ago

> If net neutrality fails, would it makes sense aggressively pursue a legal effort to break up "big cable"? It already makes sense. If there were a competitive free market, then there would be a rational argument against net neutrality rules, but that simply isn't the case unless you live in North Dakota. It's ironic that Ajit Pai acts like he can back up his argument against net neutrality with nothing but a short-sighted libertarian stance, yet he is so clearly helping support the current oligopoly, rather than fighting for a competitive free market.

colordrops 9y ago
Ajit Pai knows exactly what he's doing.