atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General Telecom News Why America's Telecom System Stinks

At times, it has seemed like there was no point in assailing the enemies of Net neutrality. Even the FCC itself seemed to believe that Washington wasn't ready for a coordinated effort to free us from the shackles of the carriers. No matter the logic, the proof, or the reality of the situation, the companies who pour buckets of money into Washington seem to have it all locked down so tight there's no room even for discussion.

As Lessig points out, that's true inside the Beltway -- but those of us on the outside can keep pushing the issue. In fact, that may be the only way to turn this tide. And oh, but does that need to happen.

Some of the more shocking points in Lessig's talk revolved around the reality of broadband access speeds, pricing, and openness around the world. Oft-used comparisons between the United States and South Korea or Japan are generally dismissed as non-comparable given the population density of those countries -- so Lessig chose to examine France.

In France, Internet access generally costs $33 a month, provides 20Mbps fixed broadband to the home, and includes unlimited local and long-distance calling to 70 countries, plus HDTV and even wireless voice and data access through cooperative agreements. That's about what AT&T charges just for the 3G data plan on an iPhone in the United States. France also has open network legislation in place. Yeah, that's right: France. (Désolé.)

I added up what I pay for access here in the States. Between HDTV and data through Time Warner, voice through FairPoint, and wireless through AT&T, I pay over $350 a month for slower access, though some of that cost is due to a business-class Internet circuit. If I delete that extra cost (yet it's 10Mbps -- half of the French example), I'm still at $275 per month. Worse, the carriers are looking for a way to charge higher rates for certain data and retain carte blanche to do whatever they like with my traffic. That's just insane. Yet it's reality in the United States.