Why Do We Pay So Much For Crappy Internet?

[Veilex]

[DeSwiss]

1. I'll take:

''What is a MONOPOLY?, for $1000, Alex.''



K&R

[elleng]

2. Monopolies pay politicians.

[tooeyeten]

3. Payoffs

By lobbyists who write the actual legislation for Congress and they pass it.

[longship]

4. Broadband Internet?

There's absolutely no broadband Internet where I live. No cable TV either.

I have a 35 year old Winegard fringe TV antenna on my roof with an equally old Channel Master rotor. Both still work. That's my television. I get two PBS stations, one which broadcasts MHz Worldview (international news and, during evenings, foreign language drama) 24 hours a day on a sub-channel. NHK (Japan), DW (Germany) and Al Jazeera are the best, the latter with certain caveats. Russia Today is like Fox, worthless, but with lots of Skyped-in crazy conspiracy theorist bloggers.

I like the Swedish murder mysteries though. Wallander, especially, was great. (No. Not Kenneth Branaugh, but produced by the same outfit.)

My Internet here is an iPhone with a 3GB monthly limit -- NO VIDEO FOR YOU! Plus, an iPad with 5GB limit -- Ditto. Both on cell, which is hit and miss, often the latter.

The only alternative is satellite service which is hardly better in reliability and still has the same stupid download limits, plus costs a lot more.

I thought Obama campaigned on the rural Internet initiative. Oopsie. I guess the GOP did not think that was a good idea. Too bad, Mr. President. I guess us rural folks should just suffer, or pay more for less. Thanks, GOP!

[Plucketeer]

5. Yup!

While we have satellite TV (and DO we PAY to watch all those commercials!), the satellite internet is throttled as you use it more. We have been thru 5 or 6 internet providers in 20 years. We'd like to do Netflix and other such, but it's too much of a dance at wavering speeds just barely above dialup. Sprint recently bought up our provider, but the only increase I look for is in price - not quality. Yeah USA! We're number ONE!

[freshwest]

23. Still sounds like an idyllic lifestyle to me... Hope it's not going to be terribly cold this year.

How's the voting in the area going?

[longship]

26. Well, west rural MI is pretty damned conservative.

And Grand Rapids, 45 miles south, is heavily Calvanist (Dutch Reformed Church). Of course, that city is pretty much owned by AmWay.

So this whole area is heavily GOP.

Still, there's hope in the statewide races. The US senate race here will remain in the Dem column, and Governor Snyder may be in a little trouble. Snyder is ahead in the opinion polls, but it is close enough that he is running plenty of adverts.

[MindMover]

6. Because Americans keep paying for shitty service ...nt

[BlueJazz]

7. True, other countries have much faster speeds and offer their product at an inexpensive price...

..but, as a loyal patriotic American, ask yourself this...do they also have our horrible, lousy service?

[Callmecrazy]

8. What's the alternative?

It's not like you have a choice. Internet? Yes or no. Here's the price. It's not like you're gonna boycott.
We can rant all we want, but it won't do any good. And without internet, who's gonna hear you?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

11. "What's the alternative?"

Global wifi for free.

Hey,....you asked.

That's where the planet is heading and everyone knows it.

[Callmecrazy]

12. Is it available now?

If it is, send us a link. I'll sign up for free access in a heartbeat. No? Then we pay what they demand.
I agree that we pay too much. We have no choice.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. You could always hang out at McDonald's.

Granted, that's not the best place to build on a porn collection.

Try Starbucks.

[Callmecrazy]

17. Mc Donalds free Wifi times out after 15 minutes...

and is insecure. Can't do any banking there.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

18. That sounds like a wild bank.

[Callmecrazy]

20. Heh heh...

I meant online banking, silly.

[aggiesal]

9. Because Clinton signed the Telecommunication Act! n/t

[MrMickeysMom]

27. Bingo!

At least, partial bingo, but bingo, non-the-less

[missmo1951]

10. A step above dial up, $40.00 per month

Took almost 16 hours to download a movie. I tried it once. Could have satellite, but over $100. Per month.

[Callmecrazy]

13. Satellite internet is not broadband.

Speeds are comparable to dial-up.

[ColesCountyDem]

24. My satellite internet just tested at 2.88 Mb.

I get mine from Frontier (Hughesnet).

[Veilex]

22. I pay about $70/ month just for cable internet through comcast.

No alternatives in my area... its Comcast or nothing.

[RebelOne]

31. I have Comcast and pay $150/month for Internet, cable and land line phone.

I had satellite but was not happy with it. I must have the land line because I have a life alert system that must be connected through the phone.

[LiberalArkie]

25. My 3meg dsl that clocks in at .45meg is only $66 a month

I switched to evolution package from exede at the same price (still outrageous) and even throttled back is 6 meg dl and normally 12-15 meg download speed.

[16thMission]

14. Don't worry, after Net Neutrality is blown up

It will only get worse!

[yourmovemonkey]

16. Infrastructure investment was once something Republicans cared about too.

During the 40s and 50s we brought paved roads, clean water and electricity to rural areas because a majority believed that it was an investment in the future. Now, it's "every man for himself", and we're falling behind. We've probably already lost a whole generation because the PTB were too afraid to do anything that would compromise their short-term profits. We need true progressives to smash these monopolies.

Personally, I'd rather see the infrastructure seized and nationalized, but I'm a dreamer.

[RadicalGeek]

28. --THAT-- might be why it is cheaper and faster elsewhere

I'd rather see the infrastructure seized and nationalized, but I'm a dreamer.

But then Beck, etc would really cry "Socialism!"

[Doctor_J]

19. same reason we pay so much for crappy healthcare

Lobbyists have bought the government

[EEO]

21. This government is controlled by rich assholes.

[Overseas]

29. K&R.

[demigoddess]

30. K&R

I hate the monopoly bit. They work at keeping competition out and then they say they believe in free market!!!!