Richard Bennett 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (506)

• On the post: Senate Comes To Its Senses: Does NOT Support Ted Cruz's Plan To Block Internet Governance Transition

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 22 Sep, 2016 @ 12:48pm

  This is good news

  It's good to see the Senate disregarding Cruz's nonsense. Cruz learned from the NN advocates that lying is better than honesty for passing Internet regulations, but it's good it didn't work this time.

• On the post: Comcast Preventing Customers From Accessing Starz Streaming App, Can Only Offer Flimsy Reasons Why

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 25 Apr, 2016 @ 01:52pm

  Unclear complaint

  It's unclear whether you're saying people who buy Starz from Starz can't use the service they're paying for or just that Comcast customers who pay Comcast for Starz can't use the app. I pay Comcast for HBO and can watch it on Apple TV and Amazon just fine, and I pay Apple for Showtime and I can watch it just fine on the same device on the Comcast network.
  
  So which is it?

• On the post: Yet Another ISP Exec Admits Broadband Industry Lied About Net Neutrality Hurting Network Investment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 11 Jun, 2015 @ 12:52am

  Ha think?

  "Yes, Charter's looking to have a deal approved, but you can obviously see the pattern here...."
  
  The pattern that's emerging is fewer new entrants. City of Seattle just bowed out, there will be others. Careful what you wish for.

• On the post: Senators Introduce Anti-Aaron's Law To Increase Jail Terms For 'Unauthorized Access' To Computers

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 25 Apr, 2015 @ 01:21pm

  Aaron Schwartz had no business using the MIT network in the first place. He was working for Lessig at Harvard and could have done his business there. He didn't because Lessig told him not to.

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 03 Apr, 2015 @ 08:12pm

  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Telecom stocks are down since Feb. 25

  There's no way I would expect you to know this, but according to law the FCC must have a majority of Democratic Party-affiliated commissioners when a Democrat occupies the White House. Yes, Virginia, there is politics in Washington, DC and the Democratic National Committee is aware of the president's support of Title II.
  
  It's a shock, isn't it?

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 03 Apr, 2015 @ 08:08pm

  Re: Re: Re: Comcast outrage

  AT&T has a terabyte cap on their 1 gig service, I'd expect Comcast to adopt something similar. It's not particularly meaningful to believe that the applications of tomorrow will be limited by any of the restrictions of the past (except Title II, of course.)

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 03 Apr, 2015 @ 08:05pm

  Re: Re:

  If you only knew how hilarious that claim is...

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 03 Apr, 2015 @ 02:11pm

  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Telecom stocks are down since Feb. 25

  I take the Democratic Party as an expert on all things related to the Democratic Party. Where do you get your Dem news, from the Koch brothers?

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 03 Apr, 2015 @ 02:09pm

  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Telecom stocks are down since Feb. 25

  Keep reading. The next paragraph gets to fiber:
  
  "Since then, the primary focus of Japanese ICT strategies (e-Japan II in 2003, IT New Reform Strategy in 2006, i-Japan Strategy 2015 in 2009, New Strategy in Information and Communications Technology in 2010, and Declaration to be the World's Most Advanced IT Nation in 2013) shifted from expanding broadband coverage to promoting its usage. Expanding broadband coverage to the nationwide market was mostly done by
  private initiatives, firstly of ADSL operators and then of FTTH providers. The MIC helped their businesses through interconnection rules, reducing access fees to existing network infrastructure, settling disputes among operators, and issuing direct orders if needed. It is important to note that, since the terms of local loop unbundling of fibers could not fully satisfy the need of competing providers, competition in the FTTH deployment is far less than ADSL’s. The main concern for unbundled fiber is that competitors cannot lease a single strand; instead, they have to use a bundle of eight strands even if they need only one strand. This makes it difficult for competitors to make profits in the fiber retail market. On the other hand, competitors can lease a single metal line from NTT-E/W; thus, they can offer competitive ADSL services in the retail market."
  
  Like I said, if your regulator wants to move the nation from copper to fiber he regulates the hell out of copper and deregulates fiber.

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 03 Apr, 2015 @ 12:10pm

  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Telecom stocks are down since Feb. 25

  The DNC calls the Title II regulations "The president's plan". Who are we to dispute the Democratic Party?

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 03 Apr, 2015 @ 12:09pm

  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Telecom stocks are down since Feb. 25

  I wrote a whole analysis of international broadband that cites the limits on unbundling in Japan, "G7 Broadband Dynamics: How policy affects broadband quality in powerhouse nations". The policy part is toward the end.

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 03 Apr, 2015 @ 12:07pm

  Re: Re: Comcast outrage

  AT&T caps its gigabit service at a terabyte/month. I expect Comcast to do something similar.

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 03 Apr, 2015 @ 12:05pm

  Yes

  Yes, you're the only one. Everyone else knows I've been against net neutrality since I redesigned Ethernet in 1984.

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 02 Apr, 2015 @ 09:44pm

  Re: Comcast outrage

  Comcast announces an upgrade to 2 Gbps symmetrical and you're outraged? Wow.

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 02 Apr, 2015 @ 03:57pm

  Re: Re: Telecom stocks are down since Feb. 25

  The White House's rules deregulate content and re-regulate carriage, so I expect to see the carriers moving into the content business. Money, like water, flows downhill.
  
  Korea Telecom offers 2 Gig service even though Google isn't a player; there's more than one cause.

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 02 Apr, 2015 @ 02:50pm

  Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Telecom stocks are down since Feb. 25

  Yes, that will be an interesting time. The FCC will be bogged down in court and the White House regs will still be in limbo.
  
  I read that a member of Congress is complaining about the recent $1 hike in the price of gas. Price gouging, right?

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 02 Apr, 2015 @ 01:34pm

  Re: Re: Re: Re: Telecom stocks are down since Feb. 25

  My POV of investment and regulation comes from comparing investment in mobile and wired broadband networks in the US vs. Europe. The picture is pretty stark.
  
  In Europe, as in Asia, carriers are encouraged to build cable and fiber networks by deregulation. DSL is heavily regulated in those areas, but the faster networks are not. The fiber networks in Japan and Korea are effectively deregulated because unbundling requires the leasing of multiple strands of fiber at a time.

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 02 Apr, 2015 @ 01:29pm

  Re: Re: Re: Re: Telecom stocks are down since Feb. 25

  You made a one-day observation in an attempt to mislead and I busted you with a trend line.
  
  It's actually too early to measure the impact of the White House's regulatory overreach just yet, frankly. That's what journalists are saying.

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 02 Apr, 2015 @ 12:30pm

  Re: Re: Telecom stocks are down since Feb. 25

  Right, the carriers are doing better than ever and mobile networks bid $41B for spectrum for voice.
  
  You can't believe everything you hear on the Daily Show.

• On the post: Despite Claims Title II Will Kill Investment, Comcast Launches Major New 2 Gigabit Deployment

  

  Richard Bennett ( profile ), 02 Apr, 2015 @ 12:28pm

  Re: Re: Telecom stocks are down since Feb. 25

  You claimed "telecom stocks actually rallied, suggesting Wall Street wasn't all that worried about the FCC's new rules".
  
  I don't think any particular day's stock prices reflect Wall St reaction to a change in policy; it was anticipated, so some decline was already priced in, and the details weren't given for some weeks after Feb. 26th.
  
  In any case, the stock performance of telecom firms has always been weak compared to the OTT firms like Google and Netflix, because broadband carrier profit margins - ROIC - are a fraction of OTT margins.

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