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AT&T Pretends It, Too, Will Build A 1 Gigabit Network

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Re: AT&T Pretends It, Too, Will Build A 1 Gigabit Network

#21

Post by zanny »

kalleboo wrote: post #12
robflynn wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think its bias. I cannot get DSL, CABLE, Fiber-anything... My choices are: Dialup, Satellite, or wireless internet. I can get 3G cell coverage -- sometimes. My street does have cable television, they just refuse to service the area with internet access. My country has an exclusivity agreement with this cable provider, so no other providers can come into the area. The sickening factor for me is the fact that I…

> My county has an exclusivity agreement with this cable provider, so no other providers can come into the area I see this over and over, and I don't understand WHY a local government would ever do this. What do they get out of these exclusivity deals? Meanwhile in my old town in Sweden, the city-owned power company built a supplier-neutral fiber network to promote competition (and a price war).

This is how you do internet. Public wire, competitive gateways into the backbone run by private competitors.

Hell, the majority of US phone / cable wire was already paid by taxpayers over the course of a hundred years, local governments just did short term gains for long term screwing by selling them off to big telecos.

Re: AT&T Pretends It, Too, Will Build A 1 Gigabit Network

#22

Post by kalleboo »

CaptainZapp wrote: post #14

This reminds me a bit of the situation we had in Zurich. The (city owned) electric utility had a few hundred million reserves and decided to invest it into a fiber network. Actually - since the utility was owned by the city - the decision was based on a popular referendum, which sailed through. Needless to say that the established telcos and cable providers fought tooth and nail to kill the referendum. The interestin…

> The network is managed, and I think wisely so, in a way that EWZ grants equal access to private ISPs which then compete for customers. They don't act as an ISP.

This is the model I see as ideal and it always baffles me why it's so rarely mentioned as an option. Make the fiber network a public grid like roads, water, sewer, power. Then sell access to private companies to deal with the connectivity, services (TV/VoIP) and support. I'd say the technology is mature enough that we don't need competition to pick what kind of network works best anymore.

edit: Rephrased: I don't understand why the cities would give so much free stuff to Google for them to set up their fiber network instead of just... setting up their own fiber network that's then actually owned by the public.

Re: AT&T Pretends It, Too, Will Build A 1 Gigabit Network

#23

Post by slacka »

> "this press release confirms exactly the message that AT&T has been trying to deny for years: that when there's real competition, then AT&T will invest in making a better service."

In this cyber week in Congress, I wish our loyal representatives would pay more attention to this instead of focusing on taking away our rights or ramming another CISPA/SOPA down our throats.

Re: AT&T Pretends It, Too, Will Build A 1 Gigabit Network

#24

Post by noonespecial »

As I recall, the telcos already got their chance to hook everyone up with fiber with super favorable terms from governments and huge tax breaks in the 90's. They made the promise, took the money and ran.

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20060131/2021240_F.shtml

Google's turn.

Re: AT&T Pretends It, Too, Will Build A 1 Gigabit Network

#25

Post by zanny »

mschuster91 wrote: post #5

Is it just European bias or is the US largely near a 3rd world country in terms of internet broadband access?

I have Verizon DSL with 3mbps up / 1mbps down a hundred miles north of Philly. Local cable co would be an option, but my mother watches a lot of netflix and I download youtube videos by night (because I can't concurrently watch anything across 2 screens) and the cable company due to their monopoly puts up 50 gig caps. And that is the $60 a month 15/1 plan.

I used 195 GB in January, for example.

So I'm stuck on Verizon. They have jacked the rates up from $25 in 2004 to $40 today for the exact same (nonexistent) service. No other options in the area. At least they don't put bandwidth caps on their DSL service. Yet.

If that happens, I'm moving to Kansas City or Austin. I'll take a plane and go door to door at startups or tech companies to find work from a hotel room. My college had crap internet too, but back home it is so bad it is like the dark ages.

Re: AT&T Pretends It, Too, Will Build A 1 Gigabit Network

#26

Post by tiglionabbit »

cmelbye wrote: post #17
mschuster91 wrote: post #5

Is it just European bias or is the US largely near a 3rd world country in terms of internet broadband access?

I'm getting 81 Mbps download speeds right now on my laptop and have 4G on my phone wherever I go, not really near a 3rd world country as far as I know.

How? Are you in Google Kansas?

Re: AT&T Pretends It, Too, Will Build A 1 Gigabit Network

#27

Post by mschuster91 »

CaptainZapp wrote: post #14

This reminds me a bit of the situation we had in Zurich. The (city owned) electric utility had a few hundred million reserves and decided to invest it into a fiber network. Actually - since the utility was owned by the city - the decision was based on a popular referendum, which sailed through. Needless to say that the established telcos and cable providers fought tooth and nail to kill the referendum. The interestin…

The city of Munich in Germany does something similar (though without the battles) with FTTB service provided by M-Net (regional provider, closely affiliated with local utility Stadtwerke München)

Re: AT&T Pretends It, Too, Will Build A 1 Gigabit Network

#28

Post by ck2 »

All marketing lies.

Make any company seeking such guarantees put up a $1 Billion bond that will be forfeit if they don't complete in a few years and watch AT&T back down.

And for pete's sake stop giving tax deferments on the FRONT END. If a company claims they are going to make jobs or supply a service do not give them the tax break until that actually happens.

Re: AT&T Pretends It, Too, Will Build A 1 Gigabit Network

#30

Post by raldi »

jtchang wrote: post #2

I am so glad Google is putting AT&T (and the other broadband providers) in the hot seat. Sadly I don't think San Francisco will get Google Fiber anytime soon. Why is it we don't even have Verizon FIOS?!

Because this is what happens when you try to do stuff like that in the Bay Area:

http://sfcitizen.com/blog/2011/11/15/no-att-lightspeed-inter...

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