back to article Bernie Sanders wants FCC to probe broadband prices (but wait, is there an election coming?)

A group of US Senators led by presidential candidate Bernie Sanders want the USA's broadband regulator FCC to investigate whether Americans are being overcharged for internet access. In a letter (PDF) to FCC chairman Tom Wheeler, Sanders (I-VT), along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Al Franken (D-MN), and Ed Markey (D- …

  1. W Donelson

    This is true of most of America. Look at the media business.... From over 50 companies controlling the media in 1983, down to just 5 companies today.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      actually

      My experience in continental Europe was there was just as many monopolies (but often with explicit state support) as in the US. But yeah the FCC really screwed up the media ownership thing bad in 2003 (not such a great year for American governance).

  2. Lars Silver badge
    Go

    Bernie Sanders

    Is the only candidate worth listening to, which sounds good in a way, but there should be several and that is not the case. I do hope Americans will vote for him.

    As for the topic, I get more for about 30% and no caps.

    1. Ian Bush

      Re: Bernie Sanders

      Indeed - he's the last vestige of civilised society in US politics. Good luck to him!

      1. Mark 85

        Re: Bernie Sanders

        True, but this means that in the world of politics and media soundbites, his campaign is doomed and he'll be tossed into the dustbin. A pity really. I like his logic and willingness to listen to both sides of an argument instead of shouting down anyone who disagrees with him.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I frankly don't see how the FCC can execute its mission of analyzing the market impact of mergers (I.e., like the TW Comcast one) without knowing this information. The FCC should know this stuff already, at least for those companies which have requested big mergers of their broadband businesses. And if the FCC technically doesn't, the FCC board members, which are all lobbyists/CEOs of major telecoms, certainly do.

  4. Version 1.0 Silver badge

    What a Troll!

    Overcharged? What rubbish! We're only paying $250 a month for 3Mbs/500kbs in Louisiana - OK, so we're a business and we don't stream video or music all day long - I guess that's why our service is a little more expensive than the home rate.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What a Troll!

      Condolences on living in Louisiana. The one good thing about Louisiana is Bourbon Street is the one street in the US you don't feel that guilty puking on.

  5. commandersprocket

    http://www.c-span.org/video/?324193-1/senators-markey-booker-franken-sanders-net-neutrality-proposal Sanders has been a proponent of rural broadband going back to 2010 if not before. This isn't new territory for him and I don't think this is a "chicken in every pot" presidential issue.

    We (US citizens) have already paid for fiber and the last mile of connectivity: http://newnetworks.com/ShortSCANDALSummary.htm to the tune of 400 Billion dollars through tax breaks and extra fees (Federal Subscriber Line + Access Recovery Charge = ~$9/mo * 12mo * 100 million households = $10.8 Billion/year) to the phone companies (enough money to build out the infrastructure every 2-3 years). This started in the Clinton administration and continues through today. In the Clinton administration the "baby bells" were given a mandate along with incentives to make the US #1 in broadband via fiber optic to the curb and coaxial to the home. What happened is that the "baby bells" took the money and instead of providing better service they merged... and merged... and merged. They were lying about the great things they would do when they merged along the way, saying they would spend $16 Billion on infrastructure in California, and taking capital tax write offs as if they did…but never putting the (to the curb and home) infrastructure in place. Now we're in nearly the same position that we were before Ma Bell was taken apart as a monopoly.

    I am not, as a rule, in favor of nationalizing businesses (we have fair markets in most consumer goods), but it is abundantly clear that our telcos have a strangle hold on both our politicians and (until very recently) the FCC. When a private entity takes so much control (through deceit and bribery... I mean campaign contributions) of a UTILITY infrastructure so basic to the economy, and wields monopoly power (or duopoly, or oligopoly) to the detriment of more than 99% of our country, we need to give those entities the death sentence.

    Why do I feel they've caused so much harm? "Arthur D. Little and Chalmers University of Technology in 33 OECD countries, quantifies the isolated impact of broadband speed, showing that doubling the broadband speed for an economy increases GDP by 0.3%”. Given the speeds promised in 1993/1994 by the baby bells (25MB bi directional by 2000, with promises of 45MB bi directional by 2006) we've been robbed out of (conservatively) 1.2%-1.5% GDP growth over 14 years (a total approaching 3 Trillion dollars). So… in exchange for paying (in tax breaks and subsidies) more than $400 Billion dollars, they’ve effectively stolen more than $2,500,000,000,000 or about $8333 for every man, woman and child in the US.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      sorry to do this but ...

      Cool story bro. Do you actually think the %1ers care or will allow Sanders to get elected or for anything to really change? Here quick watch some SEC football and TMZ and everything will be ok. If you do get politically riled up again there is some Trump on TV to distract you.

      1. Lars Silver badge
        Go

        Re: sorry to do this but ...

        "allow Sanders to get elected or for anything to really change?". That is all up too you Americans. Wow, have I suddenly become an optimist.

        1. asdf

          Re: sorry to do this but ...

          >That is all up too you Americans.

          The country that finally just realized this year the Confederacy lost. Yeah good luck with that.

    2. earl grey
      WTF?

      sorry

      I can only upvote you once. Back-stabbing, double-dealing, baby-eating monopolies..ugh

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The FCC and FTC are a disgrace!

    The cable/telco companies have been raping U.S. consumers and blatantly violating law for years while the FCC and FTC do nothing to enforce U.S. laws or to stop the massive violations of law.

    How many people know that Comcast Cable has been illegally blocking legitimate international e-mail sent to U.S. Comcast subscribers for close to TWO YEARS? How many people know that Comcast Cable has been illegally blocking ALL e-mail from hundreds of ISPs around the globe? How many people and businesses are unable to communicate with U.S. Comcast subscribers because their e-mail is being illegally blocked by Comcast? How many U.S. Comcast customers are unable to connect with friends, family, business associates, hotels, etc. outside the U.S. because Comcast has been illegally blocking e-mail sent to U.S. Comcast subscribers?

    The FTC and FCC has had irrefutable evidence to prove that Comcast Cable has been illegally blocking legitimate international e-mail and ALL e-mail from some ISPs outside the U.S. - even though these ISPs have been "white listed" by industry as being clean servers and not the source of excessive SPAM that Comcast claims in their ruse to dupe the FTC and FCC into believing that blanket blockage of all e-mail from legitimate ISPs who are not sending out excessive Spam, is justified. Comcast Cable has been caught red handed lying to the FCC, FTC and Comcast subscribers who are paying for delivery of ALL legitimate e-mail and Comcast is refusing to do so even when Comcast customers demand in writing that Comcast cease and desist their illegal blockage of legitimate international e-mail sent to the U.S. Comcast customers.

    So anyone who thinks the FCC or FTC is protecting U.S. consumers from fraud or other violations of law, had better think again. The FCC and FTC are guilty of dereliction of duty and all of the chair persons should be censured and terminated while losing ALL retirement benefits as they have violated their oath to protect the U.S. populace from criminals.

    I'd suggest any Comcast customers who want to be able to connect with friends, family, associates or businesses outside the U.S. to terminate their Comcast account and go with an ISP who does not illegally block legitimate e-mail from Europe, Asian, Australia, etc. You should also file a consumer complaint with the FTC and FCC regarding the illegal e-mail blockage so that there is an extensive record of the failure of the FCC and FTC to have responded properly and forced Comcast to cease and desists their illegal blockage of legitimate international e-mail sent to U.S. subscribers.

    1. Mark 85

      Re: The FCC and FTC are a disgrace!

      Nice rant right up to the last paragraph and this: I'd suggest any Comcast customers who want to be able to connect with friends, family, associates or businesses outside the U.S. to terminate their Comcast account and go with an ISP who does not illegally block legitimate e-mail from Europe, Asian, Australia, etc.

      Right... the problem is... there IS NO OTHER ISP!!!!! There's 5 players in the US and each has monopoly on given area. Thus, your statement to go with another is meaningless.

  7. Sherrie Ludwig

    What is this "broadband"

    you speak of? I live two hours north of Chicago, and the best I can get (granted, I don't pay a lot for it, about $20/month) is labeled "up to 5Mbps", but tests on a good day at POINT5Mbps download, point3 upload. No streaming anything, all my communication by html, Skype is fugeddaboutit, and a one minute video is a three to five minute coffee break to buffer and see without interruption. Would cheerfully pay more for service that would at least allow Netflix streaming on one device.

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