Baby Bells win big, monopoly rules back in effect

[MegaRock]

Verizon Communications and other U.S. local telephone companies will be freed from numerous regulations on their high-speed Internet services, the Federal Communications Commission decided Friday.

The agency unanimously agreed to treat the service, known as digital subscriber line (DSL), as an "information service," which insulates it from many traditional telephone rules, such as requirements to lease network access to competitors.

The designation would allow the big local telephone companies, called the Baby Bells, to cut off or potentially negotiate new terms for Internet service providers such as EarthLink Inc. (Research) to use their networks for broadband.

The United States has fallen to 16th in world rankings of broadband deployment per capita, leading Republican FCC Chairman Kevin Martin to make rolling out high-speed Internet service to consumers a top priority.

Cable and telephone carriers are battling to provide customers with a suite of broadband services, like fast Internet access, video and voice service, already serving about 37.5 million customers.

The FCC's decision came after several days of intense negotiations among commissioners.

Because there is a vacant Republican seat on the five- member FCC, Martin had to convince at least one of the agency's two Democrats to agree to the new DSL designation.

Martin has been trying to equalize the rules for DSL providers and cable companies such as Comcast Corp (Research). The decision follows a Supreme Court ruling that backed the FCC's ruling to label cable broadband an information service.

Verizon and SBC Communications Inc. (Research), the two biggest local telephone carriers, have complained they are at a disadvantage in competing against the cable operators because their service has been subject to stricter rules.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/05/technology/verizon_fcc.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes

Another big score for the Republicans, one dumbass Democrat and of course the major corporations which practically rule our country now. Suppose if you get your service from anyone else but the Bells you're pretty much screwed now.

Anyone want to buy Boardwalk and Park Place from me while prices are good?

[k_rock923]

I'll take the Electric Company.

[ElChevelle]

Originally posted by MegaRock
The United States has fallen to 16th in world rankings of broadband deployment per capita

Fucking disgusting.

[MegaRock]

What they fail to mention is even with a monopoly for almost a hundred years when the Bell's had no competition they did not innovate at all - they could take their sweet ass time depoying new technology because no one had any choice.

Once the monopoly was broke up and competition was allowed in the Bells had no choice - either innovate and deploy the technology or get left in the dust. Broadband started being depolyed at record speeds - until of course they regained enough power to lobby our fine government to start giving them that same power back - and since then telephone based broadband has again come to the point where their is little new technology being deployed.

At the same time cable operators continue to raise speeds, lower price and insure as many of their customers have service as possible. There are areas in my town - one of the four largest cities in the state - that still have absolutely no access to DSL service - but they do have cable internet access. Hell, they're lucck to have lines of a good enough quality to get reliable dial-up access. We have been paying taxes to maintain these lines for years and years yet the local Bell monopoly doesn't use a dime of that money to maintain any of the lines nor replace any of them with wires that aren't 50 years old or older.

The Bells are simply trying to get their monopoly back and with the GOP lawmakers behind them it's happening bit by bit until we will again have no choice at all but a Bell company. When that happens innovation will come to a halt, prices will rise and we will be back where we were in the late 80's.

Problem is (and this is true with both Cable and Telephone) is that no one is allowed to run new lines anywhere so unless the cable and telephone lines are opened up to competitors the incumbents can slowly but surely squash out all competitors and when there are no more they can charge what they want, do what they want and no one will have any choice.

Sad thing is as much as the Bells have slowed down things for any competitors technology will bite them in the ass in the end. WiFi metro access isn't too far away and when that happens the Bells will have no way to stop competition and will face the fate that's been headed their way for over a hundred years.

[Jay]

i don't see that as an issue. You still have competition via cable and soon (as mentioned above) from your electric company. There are many ways to provide internet service not just through the phone line.

[shakey_snake]

Originally posted by KXRM
i don't see that as an issue. You still have competition via cable and soon (as mentioned above) from your electric company. There are many ways to provide internet service not just through the phone line. While I agree with you that Mega has completely fallen off his rocker on this one, I'd like to mention that BBoPL hasn't panned out to be everything it was hyped to be a year ago.

[Omega X]

Originally posted by ElChevelle
Fucking disgusting.

Wow Chevelle your on a roll. :up:

You think that since Japan and Korea can wire itself up in less than a year that we can wire up atleast 13 states in about that time frame.

BUT instead its being done CITIES at a time in certain parts of them. HELL the old telephone lines should have been replaced a LONG time ago for something more sutable for today's uses.


*remembers AT&T's old 1980's videophone commercial*

...I want my videophone...... :hang: