[NNagain] On "Throttling" behaviors

[dan]

On Tue, Oct 3, 2023 at 11:55 AM Sebastian Moeller via Nnagain <
nnagain at lists.bufferbloat.net> wrote:

> ...
> >
> > The idea of municipal ownership of access networks in the U.S. was
> pushed in 2000 after the 1996 Telco act. It didn't work out.
>

My state specifically bans municipalities from building or owning networks
involved in internet delivery.  I think about a dozen states do this.  In
my state, I think this was a specific charity by the governor to his
buddies at spectrum so cities didn't compete against spectrum....



>
> >
> > The U.S. railroads were natural monopolies. They were given massive land
> grants to build out. They ran as private companies for about one century.
> They lost their monopoly position after third generations who inherited
> them used these monopolies to price guoge government during WWI and WWII.
> That's part of the reason most DoT type govt agencies today are "roads &
> airports" vs "roads, rail & airports." Rail has been re privatized and
> under invested - perfect for Warren Buffett but no so good for everyone
> else nor for the climate.
>
I don't know that this is an appropriate conclusion.  I don't think that
any railroads were monopolies  until the government gave out land grants
and monies to build those monopolies and now they are absolutely government
backed monopolies.  Yes, railroads gouged for use of their lines, but that
was more price collusion than monopoly.

>
> > Governments will respond to monopoly abuse after it occurs, not before.
>
>         [SM] Indeed, that is often the case...
>
and often WAY after and only when the government itself feels the pain of
it.


>
> > First, the infrastructure needs massive funding to be installed

, however that can get done. Municipal revenue bonds & networks sound nice
> in theory but haven't worked over the last two decades. Time to try
> something different.
>

There is existing dark fiber through or within a few miles of something
like 95% of US towns, down to tiny villages.  The government has already
paid lots of money out to get fiber everywhere, but then that fiber is not
readily available to purchase.  This goes back to the microIX model
discussed on the bufferbloat list and matrix chat.   We only need to find a
way to require this fiber be sold and at reasonable rates to allow for
competition.  This really isn't a big infrastructure spend because that was
spent 2 decades ago.
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