[PLUG-TALK] Government owned monopoly networks

Russell Senior russell at personaltelco.net
Tue Jul 31 15:06:06 UTC 2012


>>>>> "Keith" == Keith Lofstrom <keithl at gate.kl-ic.com> writes:

Keith> [...] Unlike copper pair,
Keith> there is no way to punch my fiber down to a different bundle to
Keith> Aracnet or whoever, unless they deploy a entire fiber network
Keith> to every neighborhood WDM.

For reference, when I connect to Aracnet now, my copper loop is not
getting punched down to Aracnet hardware.  It is terminating on a
CenturyLink/Qwest/PNWBell DSLAM, converted to some merged stream of
bits and delivered through the CenturyLink fabric to Aracnet, who then
routes it to the Intertubes for me.

There are a limited number of CLECs (competitive companies, allowed to
lease space at supposedly non-discriminatory rates) that have DSLAMs
in CenturyLink facilities.  The only ones I know about are Integra and
Covad.  If you're on DSL and your ISP isn't using one of those, then
they are using CenturyLink DSLAMs (talking exclusively about
CenturyLink service territory here).  If you are in a
fiber-to-the-node neighborhood, then your copper terminates at a DSLAM
in a cabinet sitting on a sidewalk or on a pole, and other ISPs have
no access to those at all.  It's qwest.net and its TOS for you, no
options.

Coming out of the dialup days, Portland had dozens and dozens of ISPs,
all competing on price, service and TOS.  When DSL rolled out, they
all had access to the infrastructure and could continue competing.
However, Comcast and its cable infrastructure and CenturyLink and its
newer, faster DSL (where it's even available), is exclusively theirs.
If you want to use their service, you choose what they choose to offer
along with their rigid TOS with no options.  Competition in Portland
has been seriously eroded from dozens and dozens, to (unless something
changes): one cable company (if you want decent bandwidth); or one
telephone company if you want slow-but-steady bandwidth; or a wireless
company if you don't mind expensive and highly variable bandwidth,
depending on the time of day and the number of subscribers they happen
to have signed up.

That is the dystopian present and future of telecommunications here.
I want to change that to a (near) future of inexpensive abundance.
There is a technology staring us all in the face that does that.
There is a governance structure and ownership model that will leave
the users in control.  I merely suggest we grasp on to those two
opportunites and run with them.


-- 
Russell Senior, President
russell at personaltelco.net



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