Say goodbye to Speakeasy

[david at thekramers.net (David Kramer)]

Anthony Gabrielson wrote:
> At 07:45 PM 8/7/2005, you wrote:
>> How does taking away options, and making it so only utility companies 
>> can be ISPs, give us more options?
>>
>> I very much doubt this will benefit the consumer.  The only good ISPs 
>> are ISPs first, not utilities that also offer ISP.  I would fight long 
>> and hard before having to rely on my power or phone company for all 
>> seven network layers.
> 
> It gives companies more incentive to develop there infrastructure.  In 

They have had plenty of incentive to do so all along.  Speakeasy, Earthlink, 
et al never would have existed in the first place if the telecoms had gotten 
off their asses and done data right.  Their reaction to the very start of 
the internet boom should have been "You mean we can use dark capacity to 
charge more money?  Using a protocol that doesn't lock up a circuit 
end-to-end for the entire length of usage?  Where do I sign?"

I've talked to Telecom people back then.
They didn't "get" the internet.
They didn't "get" data to people's homes.
They didn't like it because it was very different than voice.

Had the telcos modernized at the right time, nobody would have even heard of 
cable broadband, because there would have been no need for it.  They got 
complacent and missed the boat, just like US Steel and the auto industry. 
Now they're up against nimble competition that "gets" what today's needs are.