[ale] Comcast Caps Data at 250G/Month

[James Sumners]

Comcast paid to have the wires put in place. They get to decide who
uses them. That doesn't make them a monopoly in regard to internet
service; which is what this thread is about. If you don't like the
fact that only Comcast provides cable internet access in your area,
and want to use cable for internet access, ask another company to run
some wires in your area. If they can't do it because of a contract
between your local government and Comcast, then you need to complain
to your local government. Or do something about it yourself.

Listen, I'm not trying to stand up for Comcast here. By all accounts,
that I have read, they are a despicable company. But being a horrible
company doesn't give them a monopoly on providing internet service.
You have who knows how many dial-up companies, several different DSL
companies, and a couple satellite providers from which to choose. And,
if you are in the right part of the country, you also have fiber
services and possibly (in the future) BPL[1] available.

Maybe you don't like most of those options. But they _are_ options.

[1] -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_line_communication#Internet_access_.28broadband_over_powerlines.2C_BPL.29

On Sun, Sep 7, 2008 at 1:17 AM, aaron <aaron at pd.org> wrote:
> On Sunday 07 September 2008 00:25, James Sumners wrote:
>> How can you call Comcast a monopoly? You might be able to make the
>> case that it is part of an oligopoly[1], but not a monopoly. There are
>> plenty of alternatives out there.
>
> So who, besides Commiecast, can utilize the coax wires that we
> allow the company to run through our public rights of way??
>
> I think Georgia Power has a marginal monopoly on the electric cables
> we grant them permission to run through those same public rights of
> way as well, but there are some gray areas due to buyback rules for
> private and co-op generated electricity.
>
> Both the phone lines and the natural gas pipes have been regulated
> to promote competitive access to the delivery system, and I would
> argue that the same needs to be done to the same extent with Cable
> TV and Power grids. (Of course, AT&T is aggressively seeking to
> halt competitive access to phone lines on the argument that the
> same rules aren't being applied to communications delivery by the
> cable monopolies -- the monopoly pair is very good at playing one
> hand washes the other).
>
> There also needs to be a clear wall of separation between content
> suppliers and delivery service providers or you end up with the
> anti-competitive stunts we are seeing from Commiecast.
>
> peace
> aaron
>

-- 
James Sumners
http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/

"All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."

Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
CH:D 59