new thread: QoS, latency, bandwidth and the FCC/net neutrality debate

[Steve Litt]

On Sat, 25 Nov 2017 22:30:25 -0700
"Herminio Hernandez, Jr." <herminio.hernandezjr at gmail.com> wrote:

> Here is a good presentation by Bryan Lunduke on NN
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csK3KspB-6A

I got to time marker 7:20 on that video, which is already more than I
had time for, and just based on 0-7:20, I call bullshit. The guy first
says, "yeah, there was throttling by the big ISPs, but through public
outcry and lawsuits they were stopped."

Maybe we don't want to resume lawsuits and public outcry every few
weeks when one deep pocket ISP or another throttles or sabotages a
competitor or web presence they don't like. Maybe some of us don't like
paying lawyers.

Then, around the seven minute mark, he says something to the effect
that when ISPs throttled, customers switched ISPs. Out of touch much?
Where I live, you have a choice of Spectrum, or the Centurylink phone
company who can give me about 2MBit down, without satellite latency,
because I'm more than 10K feet from their nearest plant. Much more of
the populace is like me (or in a worse situation) than like wherever
Lunduke lives. 

When I want a tool, I can go to Home Depot, Lowes, True Value, Ace,
Harbor Freight, and if I want a cheap junk tool, Walmart. When I want
broadband with 21st century uplink and downlink speed that doesn't go
down in rainstorms, I've got Spectrum, Spectrum and Spectrum. Six tool
vendors I can get to compete for my business, but one broadband vendor.

So Lunduke says they throttle if they can get away with it, and he
implies a falsehood when he speaks of switching vendors. This is
exactly my point. If every American had six possible ISPs, and if the
US enforced their antitrust laws and prosecuted collusion, there would
be no need for net neutrality. I hope to someday see such a situation,
but til then, ISPs need to be regulated like utilities.

One more thing. Lunduke keeps referring to the golden age before 2015.
Well, in 2014, there were still paper alternatives if you couldn't use
the Internet. You could still fill out paper job applications. You
could still buy goods in a vibrant brick and mortar marketplace. Those
days are gone: The Internet is now a necessity, and in most locations
Internet providers are a monopoly. They need to be regulated as
utilities: Same as electricity.

If you want to take a stand, why not write to congress telling them to
pass a law invalidating all the state laws preventing municipalities
from providing Internet to their citizens. Take a stand for competition.

SteveT

Steve Litt 
November 2017 featured book: Troubleshooting: Just the Facts
http://www.troubleshooters.com/tjust