Republican assault on broadband access continues

[deckeda]

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021...across-us/

The bill has no hope of passing but they need to put forth these turds regardless. Just another data point that illustrates voters don't want meaningful help, just more ideology not based in reality.

ars wrote:
The bill "would promote competition by limiting government-run broadband networks throughout the country and encouraging private investment," the Commerce Committee Republicans said in their announcement, without explaining how limiting the number of broadband networks would increase competition.

But we all know the drill: Corporate ISPs innovate all the time, that's why they offer such great service and compete for your business. Maybe not "today," but tomorrow they will ... just wait and see, don't stifle the free market!

[Ted King]

Reminds me of the first cable TV provider I had - it was owned by the small city we lived in at the time. They sold it to a private outfit that charged more and provided a few more channels that I had no interest in watching - like Home Shopping Network stuff. And then that outfit sold out to a bigger outfit and they charged more and I don't think they even increased the number of useless channels. And then that outfit was bought by Comcast which, of course, raised the price again. And if I had any problems it kept getting harder to talk to a person to get it fixed. Progress!!

[Filliam H. Muffman]

Come on Starlink!

I hope these satellites are fairly hack-proof and eviscerates the soft white underbelly of the current broadband and cellular markets.

[pdq]

Why do we allow private monopolies (or semi-monopolies) on things like internet access and cable TV, and deregulate and encourage a race to the bottom (without guardrails) in things like electric power?

Pipes don’t freeze and burst when one’s internet or cable TV goes down...