Obama wants to make the internet a utility

[MattinBama]

Sorry, been at work all day. I live in Montgomery. We have 2 cable providers ( spectrum and wow). We also have Dish and Directv and one of them uses at&t. Mostly the prices and competition I think is due to the free market but I must admit to one thing. About 11 or 12 years ago (cannot remember exactly) there was an article in the newspaper. Apparently cities have contracts with cable companies that expire after so many years. Our mayor wanted to get more out of one of the cable companies that was called knology then ( now bought out by WOW). He however said in an interview that he was not willing to pressure them so much as to force them out of Montgomery because 2 cable companies in a city is a good thing. So we can give some small credit to the local government for not screwing that up.

Montgomery has seen increased speeds being offered as well recently but the surrounding areas aren't as lucky. Most have AT&T and one cable company or just AT&T.

Spectrum (previously Brighthouse) has been in Wetumpka for a while. Where we live we are stuck with just AT&T. Spectrum has to drive past our home to service other homes further down the road but have refused to run their lines up further because "AT&T has all of the lines up there." Since it's only AT&T my choices are extremely limited. They won't extend the DSL to my next door neighbor 50 feet from the box - they promised him 5 years ago that they'd be running Uverse up here within a year & would include his house. They have us on a crappy data cap plan that charges extra once you pass the limit while giving other customers unlimited data, and they really love to "accidentally" overcharge me 3 or 4 times a year.

I have hated AT&T with the passion of a burning sun for years even before moving here but have no other realistic options that'll work for my business, etc.

Both Dish and Directv here are AT&T users. Not sure if it's the same in Montgomery.

 

[uafanataum]

Montgomery has seen increased speeds being offered as well recently but the surrounding areas aren't as lucky. Most have AT&T and one cable company or just AT&T.

Spectrum (previously Brighthouse) has been in Wetumpka for a while. Where we live we are stuck with just AT&T. Spectrum has to drive past our home to service other homes further down the road but have refused to run their lines up further because "AT&T has all of the lines up there." Since it's only AT&T my choices are extremely limited. They won't extend the DSL to my next door neighbor 50 feet from the box - they promised him 5 years ago that they'd be running Uverse up here within a year & would include his house. They have us on a crappy data cap plan that charges extra once you pass the limit while giving other customers unlimited data, and they really love to "accidentally" overcharge me 3 or 4 times a year.

I have hated AT&T with the passion of a burning sun for years even before moving here but have no other realistic options that'll work for my business, etc.

Both Dish and Directv here are AT&T users. Not sure if it's the same in Montgomery.

You live in Wetumpka actually or outside of Wetumpka and it is the closest town? I lived 30 miles away from a real city for 2 years before. We could only have Dish or Directv. It seems the lower the population of your area the worse choices you get.

 

[rgw]

look at what happened in Spain and Portugal. Only a matter of time here with this FCC

https://qz.com/1114690/why-is-net-neutrality-important-look-to-portugal-and-spain-to-understand/

I will literally try to kill politicians if this happens in America. No blue text but actually blue text.

 

[MattinBama]

You live in Wetumpka actually or outside of Wetumpka and it is the closest town? I lived 30 miles away from a real city for 2 years before. We could only have Dish or Directv. It seems the lower the population of your area the worse choices you get.

Was in Wetumpka for years then moved a couple of miles down the road to Titus. Didn't realize when we moved that our house was in a pocket not covered by Brighthouse. We had assumed since we had seen their vans up there a lot that they did.

 

[rgw]

Rural internet blows and it always will unless they federalize the telecom system. There is no financial motivation to build out infrastructure to low population areas. But it creates a chicken and egg problem because modern economic opportunities can't come to these areas without modernization of telecom infrastructure.

 

[NationalTitles18]

Rural internet blows and it always will unless they federalize the telecom system. There is no financial motivation to build out infrastructure to low population areas. But it creates a chicken and egg problem because modern economic opportunities can't come to these areas without modernization of telecom infrastructure.

Ir doesn't get much more rural than my locale. For 1.5 years I carried both Frontier and TNet. Just dropped Frontier because they are the worst and I could no longer justify when speeds dropped to 1.5mbps (easier when it was 10 or even 5). With TNet I'm at 15mbps. Frontier is DSL. TNet is microwave, which works here due to the nature of the terrain.

Competition is what's needed. That breeds innovation. It doesn't hurt to give incentive to cover areas that wouldn't otherwise be covered, but it must be done in a way that encourages innovative approaches that fit the area. I don't know that one answer fits all situations.

I wish we had more choices and faster speeds. I think 25mbps just became available so will likely upgrade to that. If Frontier ever gets it together (doubtful) I may add them back. I'm hoping when the hospital is built (if that happens like it is supposed to) 1/2 a mile down the road that new lines will be laid and we'll have improved service.

 

[CharminTide]

I will literally try to kill politicians if this happens in America. No blue text but actually blue text.

Or you could just vote out Republicans, since they seem to be the party pushing us in this direction.

 

[uafanataum]

Or you could just vote out Republicans, since they seem to be the party pushing us in this direction.

Whenever too many Republicans hold office we have one list of problems, and whenever too many democrats hold office we have a separate list of problems. I think we need more parties so that no one party can ever hold the majority.

 

[rgw]

Ir doesn't get much more rural than my locale. For 1.5 years I carried both Frontier and TNet. Just dropped Frontier because they are the worst and I could no longer justify when speeds dropped to 1.5mbps (easier when it was 10 or even 5). With TNet I'm at 15mbps. Frontier is DSL. TNet is microwave, which works here due to the nature of the terrain.

Competition is what's needed. That breeds innovation. It doesn't hurt to give incentive to cover areas that wouldn't otherwise be covered, but it must be done in a way that encourages innovative approaches that fit the area. I don't know that one answer fits all situations.

I wish we had more choices and faster speeds. I think 25mbps just became available so will likely upgrade to that. If Frontier ever gets it together (doubtful) I may add them back. I'm hoping when the hospital is built (if that happens like it is supposed to) 1/2 a mile down the road that new lines will be laid and we'll have improved service.

It is just really hard for competition to exist in a costly commodity which is why they want to monetize their dumb pipe by service-izing access to content. I'd rather keep the dumb-pipe mentality because the alternative will destroy any possibility of making money on the internet if you're not a billionaire that can flip content access deals with providers.

 

[CharminTide]

I truly cannot overstate how destructive this will be. Once again, GOP policies support corporations and their billionaire donors at the expense of normal Americans.

The FCC is planning to give the death blow to Obama's open internet rules in December

The head of the Federal Communications Commission is set to unveil plans next week for a final vote to reverse a landmark 2015 net neutrality order barring the blocking or slowing of web content, two people briefed on the plans said.

In May, the FCC voted 2-1 to advance Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's plan to withdraw the former Obama administration's order reclassifying internet service providers as if they were utilities. Pai now plans to hold a final vote on the proposal at the FCC's Dec. 14 meeting, the people said, and roll out details of the plans next week.

 

[92tide]

I truly cannot overstate how destructive this will be. Once again, GOP policies support corporations and their billionaire donors at the expense of normal Americans.

The FCC is planning to give the death blow to Obama's open internet rules in December

we're living in the new gilded age

 

[CharminTide]

FCC votes to limit program funding internet access for low income communities

 

[CharminTide]

I have a more visceral reaction to Ajit Pai than to anyone else in Washington.

FCC plans total repeal of net neutrality rules

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai will reveal plans to his fellow commissioners on Tuesday to fully dismantle the agency's Obama-era net neutrality regulations, people familiar with the plans said, in a major victory for the telecom industry in the long-running policy debate.

The commission will vote on the proposal in December, some seven months after it laid the groundwork for scuttling the rules that require internet service providers like Comcast or AT&T to treat web traffic equally.

President Donald Trump-appointed Pai’s plan would jettison rules that prohibit internet service providers from blocking or slowing web traffic or creating so-called paid internet fast lanes, the people familiar with the changes said.

 

[Jon]

 

[CrimsonNagus]

Nice video but there is absolutely nothing we can do at this point except sit back and watch this FCC chairman give a bj to millionaire telecom owners. This battle was lost last November.

 

[Jon]

Nice video but there is absolutely nothing we can do at this point except sit back and watch this FCC chairman give a bj to millionaire telecom owners. This battle was lost last November.

sadly, I agree.

and it's a heck of a Beej too. The FCC is also blocking States from implementing their own net neutrality rules. No idea what Ajit Pai is being paid to sell out 300 Million + people for the benefit of a handful of companies but I hope it is worth it to him

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...crap-plans-for-their-own-net-neutrality-laws/

In addition to ditching its own net neutrality rules, the Federal Communications Commission also plans to tell state and local governments that they cannot impose local laws regulating broadband service.

This detail was revealed by senior FCC officials in a phone briefing with reporters today, and it is a victory for broadband providers that asked for widespread preemption of state laws. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's proposed order finds that state and local laws must be preempted if they conflict with the US government's policy of deregulating broadband Internet service, FCC officials said. The FCC will vote on the order at its December 14 meeting.

 

[CharminTide]

Nice video but there is absolutely nothing we can do at this point except sit back and watch this FCC chairman give a bj to millionaire telecom owners. This battle was lost last November.

About the only thing we can do to combat this is vote for a Democratic administration who pledges to reverse this travesty. The GOP doesn't give two Schieße about consumers.

And to that point, my favorite part is how Ajit completely disregarded the public's comments on this decision. Considering that the FCC is suppose to act in the public interest, that should feel like a slap to the face of every American.

98.5% of unique net neutrality comments oppose Ajit Pai’s anti-Title II plan

 

[uafanataum]

sadly, I agree.

and it's a heck of a Beej too. The FCC is also blocking States from implementing their own net neutrality rules. No idea what Ajit Pai is being paid to sell out 300 Million + people for the benefit of a handful of companies but I hope it is worth it to him

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...crap-plans-for-their-own-net-neutrality-laws/

What law in a court can they cite to block states from making their own net neutrality laws?

 

[rgw]

Dems are so in the pocket of corporations that once this deed is done, they won't be able to reverse it because corporate donors freshly minted with new cash will spend a tiny bit of it to silence dissent.

 

[jthomas666]

and it's a heck of a Beej too. The FCC is also blocking States from implementing their own net neutrality rules.

So much for the party of "States' Rights".