NationStates Jolt Archive


Telecoms: Trying to screw you over since 1885

The_pantless_hero
13-07-2007, 17:59
http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=B592E3C6-E5F3-4ECA-93C1-3A5A3392024A
http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-wed_fccjul11,1,1375187.story?coll=chi-techtopheds-hed

If you didn't know already...
With the conversion of the general airwaves to digital from analog, the government is going to auction off the chunk of vacated airwaves which Democrats and tech companies, mainly Google, are trying to get laid out in such a way that they would be public access, for people to use their phones and blackberries and such without having to have a deal with a specific carrier. Gee, sounds great, who would oppose that? Mother fucking telecoms (and Republicans in the big business lobby's pocket).

Verizon, and no doubt others, are going into high gear throwing around their usual bullshit statements about how it is so hard on the poor telecoms to have to accommodate people and not screw them over. They want to be handed this chunk of airwaves under the table so they can stop groups like Google or small start ups from preventing the telecomopoly they have on wireless service and preventing them from screwing you, the customer.

My favorite statement of all..
"The one-size-fits-all mentality that characterizes open access regimes for the wireless industry would begin the process of stifling innovation and creativity in our industry," Verizon Wireless general counsel Steven Zipperstein said to the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. Zipperstein said that while congress and the FCC had been "barraged" with requests to regulate the spectrum with open-access requirements, there is no evidence of how the current closed wireless market has failed consumers.

[...]

AT&T also said an open-access network would deprive taxpayers of billions of dollars, and inhibit the growth of wireless broadband in the country.
AT&T/Verizon/Cingular (go go gadget remake the old monopoly) saying that allowing Google or some other well-meaning group to have an open access network would inhibit growth of wireless broadband. These are the same people who have been dragging their heels for years to not have to expand and activate the fiber network because it would cost them too much money and have instigated a number of court cases shutting down Google and smaller groups unable to fight from being able to have free-to-the-public, pay-for-business wireless broadband in areas where they have coverage because it would compete with them and in doing so have stalled the expansion and upgrading of the broadband network in America (we are years behind even Canada in broadband speed and reach).

I would bet everything I had on the FCC handing the telecoms the keys to the new kingdom of airwaves and them shutting it down refusing to even develop it.

I don't like smilies, but this is appropriate:
Verizon/AT&T/Cingular and the rest of the telecoms - :upyours:
Vetalia
13-07-2007, 18:11
Telecoms don't own the airwaves, do they? I would think that the government has the power to develop guidelines on how to use them, and I definitely think opening the market to more competition from non-telecom sources is exactly what the industry needs.

Besides, if telecoms allow open-access use of those networks, they'd be in a better position to convince regulators that further M&A activity in the telecom sector will not constitute a monopoly or anti-competitive action. I think that might save them far more money and open up far more business opportunities than keeping the system as it is. If someone wants to invest in the sector, they should be allowed to. The concept of closed wireless access is ludicrous as is and needs to be scrapped to encourage innovation and investment.
The_pantless_hero
13-07-2007, 20:54
Apathy, it lets big business win.
Remote Observer
13-07-2007, 21:06
Apathy, it lets big business win.

Here's a better pic than the smiley

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b283/jtkwon/cyclic.gif