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Should The Government Provide Fiber?
from the trending-that-way... dept
During the telecom boom, it seemed like every other company was trying to cover the country in fiber optics to run the next generation network. However, that idea went up in smoke when the telecom bubble burst and now there's lots of random dark fiber lying around. However, that doesn't mean the idea of fiber optic networks are dead. It's just that every story you read about fiber these days is talking about how all the work is government supported. Not everyone likes this, as many wonder if tax payer money should be spent on such technology, or whether the market can sort things out in a better way. Of course, some point out that even if you're a strong believer in market economies, it makes more sense for governments to support the installation of the basic fiber infrastructure (since it's a natural monopoly), so long as the ownership of the network is returned to the people who use it.
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Not government, non-profit co-op
But a non-profit co-op that requires 'equal access' Be ye phone co, Cable Co, VoIP, Gamer...as long as your service is able to be encapsulated in TCP/IP - you have access.
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Government: the Highway system - analogous to the
It seems to me that the "Information Superhighway" has so many anologies with regard to the Goverment's need to run it.
Everything from the security issues involved to the "last mile" hookup problems would get reduced by Government involvement.
The original "reason" for construction of the highway system in the US called for by Congress in the 50's was for "rapid deployment of the military".
The development of the internet was for a WWIII-proof method of communication for the military.
Commerce in both cases is enhanced by a stable platform that everyone has buy-in to. Who looses?
I'd like to see the Gov't build/depoloy the solution to the last-mile problem - a universal network of 809.111g broadcast nodes that essentially make the net a floating-self sustaining "sea" of communication. A lot of changes to the meaning of ISP, but the hookups become just a toggle on your device, whatever it might be !
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