Quote:
Originally Posted by RWebb
so do you support or oppose govt. "meddling" in this?
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Cable companies are vastly different than other ISPs. For home use, other ISPs are often DSL providers, and there is a fair amount of competition there because the phone companies can't limit access to the phone lines.
Cable companies differ in that they have locally granted monopolies to provide cable service to a community. These monopolies are established by local governments and technically come up for review periodically.
The cable companies have no obligation to share "their" cable plant with other providers. In the past, it wasn't technically possible for more than one cable operator to run a cable system in an area. However, new set top boxes and technologies make this possible.
However, local government hacks have no interest in deregulating their cable services. In fact, the cable companies are in cahoots and won't bid to share cable plants either. They'll cite technical limitations, but it's BS.
So, the problem as James identifies it, really stems from government intervention. Comcast (a cable company/ISP) has a local monopoly on their service. They're charging what they want, and they are aided and abetted by their lobbied (i.e. "bought off") local political hacks.
When cable TV lines become shared, then we'll have competition.
PS those cable lines are run on public property with easements, and right of way given by the people. There is no reason that they should be able to act as if they own those lines (which have been bought and paid for over decades by now).