See, France is better than us.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by DanS


I don't think it's representative of anything in the US. Where did I say that? Rather, the point is that some places in the US do have broadband for a reasonable price and that this is probably due to competition.

Well, I might have misunderstood this :

That seems on the fast side for anywhere except maybe Japan and Korea.

You may have a high speed connection wich of course always is possible if you pay - difference is that it isn't common in US where it is in other countries.

[Last Conformist]

On the Swedish p2p scene, a "fast" connection often means 20/20 or more.

[BlackCat]

It seems that my lousy 2 Mb is actually a worthless 4Mb connection. Well, I can live with it since my company pays for both the internet and my phone bill

[GePap]

Originally posted by Adam Smith
uhhh...Gepap.... did you happen to miss this part?



Telecom was considered a natural monopoly when the technology consisted of copper wire strung over poles. But now that the technology has shifted to fiber optic or cable in a shallow trench, the evidence appears to indicate that telecom (including internet access) is no longer a natural monopoly. (See, e.g. Krouse and Park, "Competition in the Interexchange Telecomunication Market", Journal of Law and Economics, April, 2003, pp. 85-101.) That means there is no economic rationale for the existing local monopolies, and they should be gotten rid of.

I don't actually see how that makes any difference to my point- laizze affaire systems would allow for monopolies anyways, as they already did in the Gilded Age. Government regulation (anti-trust laws) is still government regulation.

[Provost Harrison]

Before we go any further, I feel compelled to point out it's 'laissez-faire'

[GePap]

Spelling Nazi!

Damn Frogs and their funky language

I blame everyone but myself! That's the American way

[Adam Smith]

Originally posted by GePap
I don't actually see how that makes any difference to my point- laizze affaire systems would allow for monopolies anyways, as they already did in the Gilded Age. Government regulation (anti-trust laws) is still government regulation.

Other firms are ready, willing, and able to enter the market. The technology is such that it is not a natural monopoly. It is only a monopoly because it is a government protected monopoly.

[Drake Tungsten]

Japan does indeed kick the **** out of America in broadband. I doubt the national broadband policy is the sole reason for that, however.

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I read all that!

Great article and I agree with the conclusions. Community Internet projects should be encouraged. The Cable and DSL companies can entice people with faster service if they want business. And open acess should definetly extend to broadband. The author is absolutely right that it led to the decline of long distance rates (along with cell phones).

I agree with Siddiqui


The broadband network is forming the backbone of our economy and it needs to be strong, much in the same way the railroads and freeway system became the backbone of interstate shipping. (See Civ 2 duh).

It is imperative that we address this issue now, and we are falling behind other countries in this area. Everyone should be able to get access, especially in the richest country in the world.

The rewards in a nationwide network FAR exceed the investments.

If the globalization whores want to tout how we are so lucky that we are a services/information based economy, then they need to BACK IT UP by providing the means to grow this economy and keep it moving.

GOOD LAWD JUST DO IT DUH

[Niptium]

Yeah ! One hell of a chance France got on your side in the American Revolution or else you might still be speaking cockney...

[Dinner]

We've taken major steps backwards in broadband recently. In some states towns which couldn't get corporations to wire their towns for broadband attempted to use tax dollars to introduce broadband service in those towns yet the corporations bought state level politicians to prevent municipalities from rolling out their own broadband. The claim was that governments could compete unfairly with corporations but the truth is these towns have been begging for broadband yet the corporations have ignored them since they're to small of a market.

We need to use every resource available to introduce broadband and to have as many competitors as possible. These anti-competitive laws don't help anyone but a select few share holders of big corporations.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Last Conformist
I have 10 Mb/s both ways, ~$20/month.

That's cheap. I have a 3m line in Hong Kong and pay $26, including HBO and Cinemax TV.

[Ted Striker]

That's freaking crazy, 10mbs BOTH WAYS?


That is LAN speed, good lawd. For $20????

I'm paying $50 for 4 down, I think 256 up.


I feel sorry for all the n00bs I pwn out there though, they should cap my speed at 900 baud to make it fair.

[Dinner]

My DSL is fast since my house is so close to the hub but it isn't near that fast. Plus it doesn't cover cable or phone service.

[Thorgal]

Currently 2Mb + phone calls at about 35€, in a couple of weeks 20Mb+ phone calls at about 45€.