Re: Thank you
I agree, a single provider is a problem. No competition, so it won't get better.
In the early days of the phones, bell could not provide phones to the rural customers. The build out cost would never get a return. So the government subsidized by either giving them tax money collected from phone customers or exclusive areas of operations. Cities did the same for cable builds.
Even tho now everyone that wanted a phone line has one, where is the Tax money been going for the last couple of decades? During the Obama era there were grants given to provide access for everyone to fast internet to their homes. This money went to the best proposals from the ISPs. Problem was, in typical government fashion,the only proposals approved were the ones between Cities, which we already had plenty of an competition in abundance. The proposals for the "Last Mile" were never funded keeping the local ISP free of competition and us with crappy service - and don't forget, the taxes are still on the phone bill.
Things have change the cost model a lot recently. With the advent of 4g services and fiber to the cell sites, we now have another option for rural America. I built a 2 hop long haul connection (27 miles) so I could have service 2 years ago. I don't even attempt to maintain it now because I have a AT$T hot spot for $25 per month that provides me with 25mbps on a regular basis. They say it is unlimited and although I don't believe it, but I have not seen it throttled yet.
The ISPs big city markets are tapped out so major changes have happened in the last year. They are now going after the smaller and rural cities. They are fighting among themselves for the last scraps of the market and it is in their best interest to have the government in control of the internet, which they can control via the courts or politics. (using your tax money by the way) If we can just keep the government out of the internet for another year it will be too late for them to stop the competition.
That said, there was a good article the Reg did where one of the guys tested the Verizon claim of speed and access.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
