Google is running its own fiber in several test cities, is it not?
There are also solutions with wireless broadband, which IS easy to roll out into other areas.
All this means that there really is competition that the cable companies have to heed.
Here in Canada, the big content providers tried to put a usage cap on internet bandwidth - the public uproar caused them to recant. Even though they are given government-mandated monopolies on cable over wide swaths of population, they still had to behave as if they are in a competitive market - because they are. You can get high-speed internet from the cable company or from the phone company. If you don’t like either of them, you can get 3G wireless from numerous wireless providers.
The internet is what it is today because it isn’t regulated. It’s dynamic and innovative because barriers to entry are low. I don’t want to screw that up. You let the government in the door through Net Neutrality, and the next thing you know they’ll be regulating content and demanding that web sites pass ADA regulations and file traffic statements with the government or some damned thing.
Any potential problems with cable providers favoring certain content can be fixed through existing RICO laws or antitrust laws. Collusion can be stopped without resorting to new sweeping regulatory controls.
Bear in mind that the same government that wants to impose net neutrality also wants a new copyright crackdown that would make file sharing and streaming copywritten content a felony. If you’re worried about special interests controlling the internet, your biggest fear should be the government using the force of law to regulate the internet on behalf of the big political contributors in the entertainment industry.
Yes, and they are one of the companies wanting to favor certain content.
and thosesolutions are painfully slow.
In the same sense a bicycle can comete with a car
3g, and 4g wireless internet is very very slow compared to cable. As more and more of the internet usage will be streaming video, this makes them not really in the same leage.
Websites already do have to met ada requirements.
Not even close. if if time warners is favoring content, and google is favoring content, and they bother are independantly getting checks to do so, there is nothing in rico or anti-trust laws that covers that.
I fear big money 100 times more than big government. I at least get a vote in government.