
Google Fiber: A lesson on free market failure - evo_9
http://www.extremetech.com/internet/135687-google-fiber-a-lesson-on-free-market-failure
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endersshadow
This is a puff piece with a linkbait headline. In no way is Google Fiber a
"lesson on free market failure." Moreover, the article concludes we need the
all too broad "simplified" regulation for fiber/cable networks. This is all
launched off of generating a straw man argument of a conservative and then
going from there.

Laying down a network is a huge undertaking. Not only is it expensive in terms
of infrastructure costs, but it turns out that you can't just dig up people's
yards in order to lay your cable down. You have to (rightly) go through _a
lot_ of red tape to do so. No person in their right minds would _ever_ back
complete deregulation of a market which essentially requires imminent domain
to be imbued.

Moreover, Kansas City did not deregulate. Kansas City is granting Google part
in the oligopoly--Google did not arise as a fiber competitor without help from
the city. Kansas City did, however, seek Google out and entice them to come to
their city to provide competition.

This article is a long-winded straw man argument without much substance. I was
hoping it would expound on some of the ways that cities can adopt broadband-
friendly policies, or at least figure out why Google Fiber was a free market
failure.

