Net neutrality update

[Undertoad]

Because I can't prove a negative, it can be only time that may possibly prove me right on this; so I must post again as time passes.

My regular reminders will also remind everyone to post any violations they find.

[Dude111]

Its good nothing has happend...... Its surprising though seeing how greedy US companies are,you think they would have jumped right on it!!

[xoxoxoBruce]

It put another arrow in their quiver.

[Dude111]

Yes I suppose it did!!!

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

If AT&T cut off YouTube for the hell of it, then sure, we could switch to Spectrum internet instead. But what happens when AT&T negotiates an exclusivity contract that says the other guys can't have YouTube?

Originally Posted by Undertoad

T-Mobile

Holy shit, new answer: I hadn't been following this, but there will be 2200 low-orbit satellites up by 2024. Test launch of the first 60 is Wednesday! (Elon Musk expects it to fail so they can learn from it.)

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reveals radical Starlink redesign for 60-satellite launch

[xoxoxoBruce]

In a couple of years they won't be able to launch Falcon-9 or any rocket without hitting some of this crap orbiting Earth.

[tw]

From Consumer Reports:

Cord cutters are buying antennas to save money by cutting their monthly pay-TV services—and they’re doing it in large numbers. Consumer research from Parks Associates shows that the percentage of U.S. broadband households that use digital antennas in their home has steadily increased, reaching 20 percent by the end of 2017, up from 16 percent in early 2015.

So why are Comcast profits increasing when number of customers is decreasing? Harm to net neutrality has increases profits of the duopolies. Consumers typically only have two choices for internet service. So internet prices have slowly increased. And profits from internet services has increased significantly thanks to less free market competition.

Comcast had 22 million customers in 2018. Down from 24 million in 2016. And now down to 21.8 million in 2019. So profits should be dropping. Nope. Harm to net neutrality and the resulting increase in prices as well as now changing the content providers have caused profits from their internet business to increase by 10% to 4.4 billion. Did profits increase because they provided better service or more innovation? Nope. As net neutrality is undermined, then the duopoly (ie Comcast) realize increased profits.

Just another example of why harm to free market competition is bad for consumers; good for the corporate elites.

[henry quirk]

A free market is good for everyone: too bad we don't have one (and can't have one as long as state capitalism chokes out free enterprise).

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by tw

So why are Comcast profits increasing when number of customers is decreasing?

Maybe because, during the quarter, for the first time, Comcast added the profits of the Sky network to their financial statements?

no! that couldn't be it! they made money from some kind of net neutrality thing that nobody has reported on and I can't exactly explain because I don't understand it!!

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Maybe because, ...

Wrong again, as usual.

[Undertoad]

Maybe because people upgraded their speed and routers to get HD Netflix and HBO Go?

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Maybe because people upgraded their speed and routers to get HD Netflix and HBO Go?

Or as accurately predicted, quashing net neutrality is eliminating free market choices, entrenching the duopoly, and is sticking consumers with constantly increasing prices. In free markets, prices remain same as electronics gets faster. It is what business school graduates never grasp - innovation means a resulting drop of costs. Net neutrality and resulting free market competition is necessary to have/promote/encourage innovation.

Why are so many ending their TV cable contracts? It has become too expensive as rates continue to rise due to no competition (while company expenses decrease). Consumers (and data providers) have no internet choice. Comcast et al is now charging higher at both ends. Both prices and profits increase every year.

Their profits so massive and increasing as to even buy movie studios, NBC TV network, satellite services, mobile phone companies, the tallest skyscrapers, etc. All trophies to increased consumer costs while destruction of net neutrality also means less competition - decreasing free market choices that increase profits.

Consumers, who once had tens of choices that cost less, now have only two choices that cost significantly more. Even data providers are now being charged to contribute to those obscene profit margins.

Extremists in the Republican party have ordered us to believe net neutrality is evil - destroyed free market competition. Many who listen and recite their propaganda machine repeat that lie.

[Undertoad]

quashing net neutrality is eliminating free market choices

Wow, that's moving the goalposts to another stadium! How does it do that, exactly?

[Undertoad]

something else struck me just now. the vice versa of the above is actually true: eliminating free market choices should actually permit net neutrality violations!

If Comcast and Verizon believe that they have a competitive "lock-in" condition with their customers -- then they have no reason not to implement actual blocking and filtering for their own profits, right now.

If customers can't leave, there is no reason not to charge them for access to sections of the Internet. If customers can't leave, there is no reason not to block competitors.

We're close to the one year anniversary of the end of net neutrality rules. Comcast charges its customers for telephone services. tw, why is Comcast NOT blocking other voice services? We know they have the ability. They now have the legislative conditions, AND, according to you, the market conditions, where they could do that at any time.

So why haven't they?







Hint: SpaceX's test launch did not fail and did successfully launch their first 60 low-orbit satellites.

[tw]

We keep having to discuss the same reality repeatedly. When destructive economic behavior throughout the 1920s eventually created a stock market crash in 1929, then when did fact (maasive job losses) eventually appear in nation? 1933. Stupid behavior such tariffs created a massive recession throughout in the next decade. Not one year. One year might as well be a minute - when discussing economics.

When Clinton finally liberated 1981 broadband technology in 1996, when did it finally become defacto standard in the economy? 2000s. It takes that long for markets to respond.

When George Jr created a tax cut in 2001, when did the resulting recession occur. 2006/7.

When William Clay Ford finally let engineers start designing the cars in 2001, when did profits finally happen? 2009.

We know Comcast et al tried and were eventually caught trynig to subvert internet traffic. We know. IEEE Spectrum said it was happening. The FCC exposed and censured Comcast for doing that.

So the duopoly learned to do subversion slower. Resulting degradation to American internet, that started under George Jr (Micheal Powell), created these duopolies. America fell from the top internet provider to somewhere in or below the top ten. They will now continue the subversion now that Obama is gone.

It will not happen in a microsecond as UT would have us believe. But already rates have climbed so high that a strong movement has resulted in less Comcast customers (numbers provided previously) and a surge in antenna sales.

Funny how UT constantly ignores the constant price increases and obscene profit margins. Somehow inferior service justifies that increasing prices and profits.

Consumers have TV options. So the every increasing cable prices are creating less customers. The market of internet providers, once maybe 20, has been whittled down to two by a central committee to enrich the rich and to increase campaign contributions. UT (and Fox News) says this is good.

He always see economics in terms of microsecond results. Under the 'we have contempt for the consumer' administration, even Robo calls have increaes massively - by hundreds of percents. Apparently UT also thinks this is good. Or foolishly assumes a 'woe is me - we cannot do anything' mantra.

Just like George Jr's tax cut and as I predicted by learning from history. His 2001 tax cut created the resulting recession five or six years later.

How long does it take an innovation to finally result in profits? At least four years. For cars (example cited above), closer to ten. Only a bean counter thinks what he does today results in profits this year. One should learn from history.

When Nixon wasted all that money on Nam in and after 1968, when did the resulting recession occur? Mid and later 70s. We have not yet seen and should not expect to see yet the damage created by subverting the net. As UT is constantly told even back when he just knew George Jr's 2001 Tax Cut would be a good thing.

Have we seen the massive economic damage from The Don's destruction to trade? Obviously not. That resulting recession is coming - many years later. This is still an Obama economy - where net neutrality was not being subverted.