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Net neutrality is in jeopardy again

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Re: Net neutrality is in jeopardy again

#4

How much of this can just be fixed by the free market? If I feel an ISP is limiting my choices wouldn't I just switch?

It could work like that if you have a choice in ISPs in your area. Many people don't and are subject to the whims of the single ISP that serves their area.

Re: Net neutrality is in jeopardy again

#5

How much of this can just be fixed by the free market? If I feel an ISP is limiting my choices wouldn't I just switch?

In some places, you don't have a choice of which ISP you use. It's comcast or nothing. The free market doesn't automatically fix everything, because of the high cost to entry related to infrastructure.

Re: Net neutrality is in jeopardy again

#7

How much of this can just be fixed by the free market? If I feel an ISP is limiting my choices wouldn't I just switch?

Because the telcos in America have legislated the market away. If you live in a major city like New York, you probably have many options - which boil down to the big 3 telcos and their resellers. If you live in a city of under 3 million, you likely don't even get this illusion of choice.

Re: Net neutrality is in jeopardy again

#8

How much of this can just be fixed by the free market? If I feel an ISP is limiting my choices wouldn't I just switch?

More and more people are moving into condos in cities where a board picks one ISP and that's what you get. Are you really going to move just to switch ISP's?

Re: Net neutrality is in jeopardy again

#9

How much of this can just be fixed by the free market? If I feel an ISP is limiting my choices wouldn't I just switch?

How many ISPs do you have to choose from? Personally, I have two: Comcast and AT&T. Comcast has been a nightmare recently, with almost weekly outages and frequent periods of severely degraded bandwidth. AT&T (even their supposed "Fiber" offering) requires a working copper twisted-pair RJ11 outlet where the gateway is to be installed, which I don't have and which would require an electrician and multiple holes in my walls to supply.

So I'm on Comcast. Reluctantly. Now what if Comcast decided to charge more for access to HN?

Where's your free market god now?

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