We talked about Chinese hackers stealing our industrial secrets over the internet. Well, at least we still have secrets worth stealing. We are currently way behind other countries in affordable internet access, the key to information exchange which stimulates creativity in all fields. We may soon have to steal secrets from the Chinese and other countries which have invested in their information infrastructure.
In last week's Bill Moyers & Company, Susan Crawford reveals that other countries pay far less for much better internet service, and that our future industrial base may suffer. This is a long known problem, but does not have high priority on our political agenda. I guess we need to complain more about how bad our internet service has become. Or you can sign this petition on the White House website.
Given the revolving door between industry and the regulators the odds favor the status quo. And when I read the following:
ReplyDeleteSUSAN CRAWFORD: I know that it's important to let these municipalities make decisions for themselves. That's going to take a bill in Congress preempting the terrible state laws like the one that happened in North Carolina. We need to make self-determination possible for cities.
I thought the odds got even longer because many in Congress want to limit the power of the federal government and would never pass a law that preempted state law.
Are we being gouged? When the price gets too high people stop buying, profits fall, prices get readjusted downward (temporarily) and the cycle continues.
Prices will go down when there is true competition. Thank goodness that the Feds stopped the merger between ATT and T-Mobile. There may be some chance that T-Mobile will force the big boys to lower there prices.
DeleteI agree we have real problems esp. with cost.
ReplyDelete