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corruption.



Just to elaborate on this since he's getting downvoted..

Internet access, like a lot of "free market" items in the USA are really a "capture" market. You grab your share and then get the government to keep out competitors.


exactly. thank you.


Yup. Good old corruption. Funny fact I learned recently: The US is one of the most corrupt countries in the first world, especially at the state and municipal level.


I tend to agree. Although it's my opinion there is a significant barrier to entry in the US. Corruption is accessible only to those with wealth or influence. In other countries low level corruption is available to the common man.


To people who downvoted op - it's absolutely corruption.

Comcast lobbies the government, sues competitors and hogs taxpayer money to remain in power.


In my home town, Comcast actually FINALLY got the approval to buy up a cable provider's lines a couple of years ago. The old cable provider only provided television. They would also never would expand their lines. I had a friend who's house was built between two others who had TV provided by this company, and they wouldn't run the line to their house.

In my town and I'm assuming most, whoever laid the lines, gets the monopoly. Maybe Comcast could have gone around and buried new lines, but it would have been too cost prohibitive, so they waited for this company to finally die (people would switch to DirectTV and AT&T DSL), and now everyone in town can get actual high speed internet and television.

This is the biggest problem I have with cable companies, they go into a town, lock it up, and don't innovate.

But I also understand wanting to protect your investment of 10s-100s of millions of dollars in a town, expecting to earn it back over 30+ years.




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