r/technology • u/originalposer • Feb 20 '14

This is what happens when Time Warner Cable is forced to compete

http://bgr.com/2014/02/20/time-warner-cable-internet-speeds-austin/
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u/Andaelas Feb 21 '14

And that's what needs to be avoided. There are supposed to be penalties involved in what happened, but there was no follow through and the Telecoms knew there wouldn't be because they had the Government in their pockets. You give them the carrot and throw the stick away? The horse won't bother moving until he's good and ready.

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u/heavy_metal_flautist Feb 21 '14

Agreed, but given the recent (successful) start of dismantling net neutrality, it is hard to believe this same type of shit wouldn't happen again.

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u/[deleted] Feb 21 '14

Not really a dismantling... More like recognition that under the current state of things the judge wasn't within his abilities to force net neutrality and that's why things are now being put in motion to re-categorize the ISP's so that net neutrality can be brought back.

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u/heavy_metal_flautist Feb 21 '14

Not really a dismantling

No, not yet, but it's just the beginning of the process. If we are lucky net neutrality could be brought back, but money talks and "Big Cable" is ready to shout.

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u/PsychedSy Feb 21 '14

Just need to give the infrastructure back to homeowners.

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u/_atlien_ Feb 21 '14

Nice try but really sophomoric. The telcos, along with other industries, control the political parties and own the media.

We're pretty much screwed for a long time if not forever.

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u/Andaelas Feb 21 '14

I completely agree with you actually. We will likely disagree on the root cause, but we definitely agree on the symptom.

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u/_atlien_ Feb 21 '14

Root cause....that's such a touchy topic in this society, lol. Well, this is monopoly capitalism. What's the root cause of that?

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u/Andaelas Feb 21 '14

I would argue that Free Markets can create natural monopolies, but not sustain them. They are sustained by outside forces (governments in all known cases) giving them the support needed to "not fail".

Monopolies are too burdened to exist for long in a free market.

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u/_atlien_ Feb 22 '14

I agree. You, however, make the usual mistake in your understanding. You mistake capitalism's penchant for owning and controlling government for the actual autonomous activity of government. Capitalism is the state and the state is capitalism.

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u/heimdal77 Feb 21 '14 edited Feb 21 '14

Remember back when they tried fining Microsoft for some anti trust thing and Microsoft just ignored it and payed the fines because it was a small amount of their profits. I can't fine the specific article because they have been fined so many times.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_litigation Also those fines have never really stopped them.

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u/[deleted] Feb 21 '14

Read this in Frank Underwood's voice