

AT&T targeting Google Voice to stop "traffic pumping"? - stcredzero
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/10/att-accused-of-regulatory-capitalism-as-fcc-probes-google-voice.ars

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tumult
_The quote comes from ex-FCC Chair William Kennard, who argued that this kind
of capitalism is triggered "when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and
politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service."_

Good line.

I think the overall impression most tech people get (because we've all seen
this before, in various industries) is that AT&T and other communications
carriers are content to sit on their asses (after taxpayers subsidized the
creation of their networks) and do whatever it takes to avoid actually
working. It sounds stupid when I write it, but that's what it seems like – a
lazy dude with no drive to improve. Things are good now, the people in charge
make enough money. Why change if we have to? They'll drag their feet, wave
their hands, do _anything_ except improve and deliver products, because that
shit is _hard_. Let's just dick around with the system to impede everyone
else's progress as much as possible, so that we aren't made obsolete as
quickly.

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jrockway
Good point. I am honestly surprised that the US has any 3G networks at all.

Maybe some day I will be able to buy a data plan that lets me use more than 5G
a month.

