In reference to my question about other countries .. this was an interesting read ..
http://venturebeat.com/2014/11/12/what-france-has-taught-me-americans-are-suckers-who-have-themselves-to-blame-for-crappy-broadband/
"Government has played a strong role in ensuring competition, and that has increased choice and driven down prices for consumers.
Go ahead, America. Read that last sentence a few times. I know it probably makes your head hurt.
The problem is that in current U.S. economic policy, politics, and culture, Americans have been told that they have a choice. Either you believe in government regulation, or you believe in free markets. Government intervention is the enemy of innovation and competition.
It’s a choice that is as simple as it is false. Unfortunately, a gullible American public has swallowed it whole.
...
Of course, it would seem impossible that someone will stand up in the near future and demand that the U.S. government play a stronger role. Politicians and regulators would be cowered by an army of telecom lobbyists and pundits who would chew their heads off.
But the real problem is that the average American has bought into this false choice: government vs. competition. And so, they are not going to insist on the new regulations and stronger enforcement that might a lead to more competition."
Brutal honesty. We've been duped several times in this country. I think I've posted this one before:
http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2007/pulpit_20070810_002683.htmlNot my statement, but one I agree with:
"If you look at the history of telecommunications in the US in great detail with regards to the cable and telephone companies, you will see they do this over and over again.
Whenever they need a government concession or tax break, they claim if they don't get it they will not provide universal service. When they want to keep their monopolies and destroy competitors, they claim that competition would weaken them and make universal service impossible. When they Argue against laws enabling technologies that threaten their revenue stream, they actually state that anything that reduces the amount of money they take in hurts their company, making it impossible for them to deliver universal service.
Telecom companies in the US are pretty much a case study in corporations corrupting the government, lying to the public, and getting away with it."