Don't forget...
... to separate the network backbone and last mile ISPs from CONTENT and breakup the bundling. By removing owner$hip of the content the from the ISPs, (Comcast & Time Warner in particular), ISPs have fewer rea$on$ to monopolize bandwidth for them$elve$. Meanwhile the content owner$ and provider$ have reason to squeal like stuck pigs by removing their bundling controls and enabling the endpoint content purcha$er$ to choose on their own. This will provoke BOTH providers AND consumers to all scream for MORE bandwidth, if only to benefit themselves!
The situation WILL get worse. But by reclassifying ISPs as a utility it will get better eventually. POTS is doomed to be be replaced in the U.S.A. Real Soon Now... however, in many areas, (including mine), POTS is far more reliable than ANY ISP, but sometimes 19.2Kbaud (dial-up) is ALL there is, (T1 being unaffordable)! I have several friends near me who CANNOT get Cable, DSL, ground wireless, or reliable cellular signals; and the affordable satellite bandwidth is "Unavailable - Sold Out". Internet coverage is more than a head count - it also means DELIVERABLE COVERAGE AREA. There are coarse maps of cellular coverage that leave much to the imagination of the provider. Examine the best cellular coverage in Nebraska - Verizon's. I don't put much belief in G3 speed ratings but LTE is often little more than a wish. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile... check their coverage.
Now try and get detailed coverage area maps for ALL broadband. Not so simple - except for select areas - and the providers LIE. More rural businesses still need communications, too. Relocating is often NOT a viable option. Farmers, mechanics, stores, banks, merchants and trades of all sorts, and yes... manufacturers, including the top 3 irrigation manufacturers in the World are located in "rural" Nebraska. Nebraska is just one state with many under-served areas, there are many more to be helped!
Biting the hand that feeds IT
