Because Everything Thrives in the Free Market!
September 22, 2016 6:12 AM Subscribe
The ruling that state laws trump FCC efforts to expand broadband access means that Pinetops' current service ends October 28, 2016. The city of Wilson, fearing jeopardizing the service they can currently legally offer, won't appeal. Meanwhile, AT&T has something classy to say about a competitor.
Wow. Someone in AT&T PR is going through a really shitty breakup.
posted by Etrigan at 6:25 AM on September 22, 2016 [10 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 6:25 AM on September 22, 2016 [10 favorites]
Is it just a matter of time before some House member introduces a bill authorizing the renaming of the United States to Ferenginar?
posted by Thorzdad at 6:41 AM on September 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 6:41 AM on September 22, 2016 [14 favorites]
They need to get that Tower of Commerce built first.
Last I heard, they were still looking at bids.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 6:44 AM on September 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
Last I heard, they were still looking at bids.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 6:44 AM on September 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
AT&T is also suing Louisville and soon, Nashville to block their attempts to get around AT&T's foot-dragging interference with Google Fiber rollouts. AT&T did not, of course, bother to offer a residential fiber product in Nashville until Google's entry was announced.
posted by ghharr at 6:44 AM on September 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by ghharr at 6:44 AM on September 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
From the article:
> The legal issue the FCC ran into is that it just doesn't have the specific, clearly defined authority to overturn state laws.
That's funny, I thought that's what the "F" stood for.
posted by fragmede at 7:15 AM on September 22, 2016 [34 favorites]
> The legal issue the FCC ran into is that it just doesn't have the specific, clearly defined authority to overturn state laws.
That's funny, I thought that's what the "F" stood for.
posted by fragmede at 7:15 AM on September 22, 2016 [34 favorites]
That's ridiculous. I'd seize the poles if I were king.
The flip side though is that Google Fiber is basically realizing the business is a non-starter supposedly and is massively slowing down investment. Because hey - natural monopolies need monopolies to survive.
posted by JPD at 7:17 AM on September 22, 2016
The flip side though is that Google Fiber is basically realizing the business is a non-starter supposedly and is massively slowing down investment. Because hey - natural monopolies need monopolies to survive.
posted by JPD at 7:17 AM on September 22, 2016
You may think phone service stinks since deregulation, but don't mess with us, because we're all you've got. In fact, if we fold, you'll have no damn phones.
posted by amnesia and magnets at 7:56 AM on September 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by amnesia and magnets at 7:56 AM on September 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
You would have figured lessons about natural monopolies would have sunk in after considering the history of roads, rail, water, sewers, power, gas, garbage collection, canals, levees, dams, bridges, airports and the entire history of AT&T itself, which is still essentially the same company Alexander Graham Bell founded in 1877.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 8:02 AM on September 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by [expletive deleted] at 8:02 AM on September 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
You would have figured lessons about natural monopolies would have sunk in...
The way I figure it, society is one of those special classes of things that only exist if enough people believe in it--it's a real thing, but a thing we actively construct by holding certain beliefs and values that guide our social interactions. But *a lot* of people have given up on that construction project out of frustration. The result is there's no longer a stable and coherent enough concept of what society in America is for that society to incorporate lessons learned from historical experience. There's too much skepticism about the nature of truth and other people's motives (with some pretty fair justification at this point). That's a problem that's been worrying me probably a little excessively for some years now...
posted by saulgoodman at 8:14 AM on September 22, 2016 [21 favorites]
The way I figure it, society is one of those special classes of things that only exist if enough people believe in it--it's a real thing, but a thing we actively construct by holding certain beliefs and values that guide our social interactions. But *a lot* of people have given up on that construction project out of frustration. The result is there's no longer a stable and coherent enough concept of what society in America is for that society to incorporate lessons learned from historical experience. There's too much skepticism about the nature of truth and other people's motives (with some pretty fair justification at this point). That's a problem that's been worrying me probably a little excessively for some years now...
posted by saulgoodman at 8:14 AM on September 22, 2016 [21 favorites]
Dear GOP:
You stupid motherfuckers have caused the United States to lose this century's "kitchen debate" to the European Union. The broadband issue is just one more example of how. Kindly FOAD now.
posted by ocschwar at 8:15 AM on September 22, 2016 [15 favorites]
You stupid motherfuckers have caused the United States to lose this century's "kitchen debate" to the European Union. The broadband issue is just one more example of how. Kindly FOAD now.
posted by ocschwar at 8:15 AM on September 22, 2016 [15 favorites]
I'm no great fan of Google, but they are rubber and AT&T is glue. The history of AT&T is a history of corporate favoritism. They have consistently--and I mean consistently as in "let's just try to count the times they haven't done this"--made specific, concrete promises in exchange for preferential treatment, gotten exactly what they wanted, and then just never followed through on their end.
They're full of shit, and they just shouldn't be allowed to talk anymore or something. I don't know. Dissolve them and turn their corporate assets over to the public. Make them go back and make good on every single unfulfilled promise and every violation they've ever committed. Something.
Fucking assbutts.
posted by ernielundquist at 8:58 AM on September 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
They're full of shit, and they just shouldn't be allowed to talk anymore or something. I don't know. Dissolve them and turn their corporate assets over to the public. Make them go back and make good on every single unfulfilled promise and every violation they've ever committed. Something.
Fucking assbutts.
posted by ernielundquist at 8:58 AM on September 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
Because Everything Thrives in the Free Market!
Yes, especially in situations where market failure is guaranteed . . .
posted by flug at 9:01 AM on September 22, 2016
Yes, especially in situations where market failure is guaranteed . . .
posted by flug at 9:01 AM on September 22, 2016
I'd like for the USA to at least get a cool corporate sponsorship name. Like, The States from 3M.
Or Walmart's American Experience.
posted by mccarty.tim at 9:42 AM on September 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
Or Walmart's American Experience.
posted by mccarty.tim at 9:42 AM on September 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
Perhaps "Country of the Depend Adult Undergarment"
posted by Death and Gravity at 10:02 AM on September 22, 2016
posted by Death and Gravity at 10:02 AM on September 22, 2016
Yet another turd on the pile that used to be known as North Carolina.
posted by yoga at 10:41 AM on September 22, 2016
posted by yoga at 10:41 AM on September 22, 2016
I'm They've been slime for a long time.
1996, AT&T got interested. As part of a bill to squash municipal internet systems (here and in other states simultaneously) they introduced bills to the Mo. House to kill our small system and to make all future efforts illegal.
House Bill 620 said in part: ”No political subdivision of this state shall provide or offer for sale, either to the public or to a telecommunications provider, a telecommunications service or telecommunications facility used to provide a telecommunications service for which a certificate of convenience and necessity is required pursuant to this section.”
The cities of Missouri and the municipal utilities, who had the most to lose, were clueless and hapless. They did nothing to oppose AT&T....
posted by ridgerunner at 12:18 PM on September 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
1996, AT&T got interested. As part of a bill to squash municipal internet systems (here and in other states simultaneously) they introduced bills to the Mo. House to kill our small system and to make all future efforts illegal.
House Bill 620 said in part: ”No political subdivision of this state shall provide or offer for sale, either to the public or to a telecommunications provider, a telecommunications service or telecommunications facility used to provide a telecommunications service for which a certificate of convenience and necessity is required pursuant to this section.”
The cities of Missouri and the municipal utilities, who had the most to lose, were clueless and hapless. They did nothing to oppose AT&T....
posted by ridgerunner at 12:18 PM on September 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Meanwhile a non-profit organization working to promote open, uncensored, and unmonitored internet is providing a year of unlimited 4G mobile internet to everyone that makes a $500 tax-deductible charitable contribution.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 2:27 PM on September 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 2:27 PM on September 22, 2016 [4 favorites]
A 45 minute drive from the capital. How embarrassing.
posted by oceanjesse at 5:58 PM on September 22, 2016
posted by oceanjesse at 5:58 PM on September 22, 2016
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Faint of Heartcorporations unwilling to really climb into the dark, moist pockets of the corrupt and venal swine in power, all the while whisting a merry tune to drown out the sounds of suffering and outrage that grow ever louderposted by selfnoise at 6:20 AM on September 22, 2016 [2 favorites]