Re: business perspective
I understand that history is a bunch of boring shite ... but here's a quick reminder. Isolated rural communities were denied electric service in the early decades of the last century. A somewhat less corporately-owned Congress (using universal Postal service as a guide) decided that America would benefit from universal electrification. So they passed a bill creating the Rural Electrification Administration, which in turn offered low-interest loans so rural communities and groups could form "co-operative" ventures to borrow money to build infrastructure to provide electric service where, in every instance, the corporate electric companies had refused.
Later, that concept was extended to provide telephone services.
Very soon thereafter, the corporate electric companies cried "Foul!" and lobbied Congress to end the "unfair subsidies" to "competing local governments" that were siphoning off potential profits in growth areas that were prospering with their new electric and telephone infrastructure. In some areas, private companies exerted strong political and legal pressures to force a "takeover" of existing co-operative ventures. After all, the build-out was accomplished, the investment made... why not pluck a bit of low-hanging fruit.
Sadly, that is no longer possible as regards America's digital age. Even here on our island, sitting adjacent to a rich urban region, we have only pockets of high-speed internet access and scattered cell-phone coverage. Our few local communities are totally locked-in to the 30-year old cable franchise monopoly.
Seeking social progress in America is equivalent to spitting in the wind to bring drought relief. Actually, the spit may bring slight improvement, compared to the other.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
