STOP Cable - Internet Monopolies and make Internet a UTILITY!
STOP Cable - Internet Monopolies and make Internet a UTILITY!
The Issue
“Consider your situation right now (or your neighbors) –could you apply for unemployment without the internet? Could you do your job remotely without the internet? How would your children access online learning? Telemedicine is about the only way to see a doctor today-would you be able to connect with your doctor?”
I have been out of cable, internet and phone service for a week and this has me thinking with the onset of COVID and most people having no other option but to work remotely, as well as, students from Kindergarten to Graduate School having to transition to remote learning. Why is internet considered a luxury? According to Gigi Sohn, public interest advocate we need telecommunications giants to take on the fiduciary duty. Government needs to step in and make internet service a utility with monitoring and regulations and end the monopolies. What happens when this occurs during the school year – will schools distribute hot spots to all their students? When multiple people have no choice but to be online at the same time, will the number of people utilizing the internet and using up the broadband be considered? WHO IS MAKING THE RULES!?!
The problem today is that areas without choices. Personally, I only have one cable/internet provider. The only other option is DSL top speeds in most areas, is if you're lucky, 3-5 MB, which, in today's world is not fast enough to accommodate multiple users. DSL (high speed dial-up, remember the AOL days) max speeds are based on the distance to the copper wires in your area. Some of these wires are over 60 years old. The closer you are to the central office of the DSL provider you would receive better service, however, if you are a few miles away, not the same. If you experience an outage you're at their mercy. If it is considered a utility service calls would need to be answered within 24-48 hours, not a week. If the price goes up, you're at their mercy. There is no one to compete over prices and consumers cannot shop around.
We need to have our government step in here! At the time when the landscape of work, school is changing (without choice) we need more choices! These monopolies must offer affordable options and solutions. Also, we need schools and work to give us contingency plans should there be an interruption in service. Who will step in? Will students be penalized? Will you receive a paycheck?
In 1984 Judge Green broke up, Ma Bell to create competition. We need governments to break up the monopoly of cable and internet providers in areas of limited choice and have options provided. We have 8000 choices for laundry detergent, you only have one choice for a cable/internet provider in some areas.
58
The Issue
“Consider your situation right now (or your neighbors) –could you apply for unemployment without the internet? Could you do your job remotely without the internet? How would your children access online learning? Telemedicine is about the only way to see a doctor today-would you be able to connect with your doctor?”
I have been out of cable, internet and phone service for a week and this has me thinking with the onset of COVID and most people having no other option but to work remotely, as well as, students from Kindergarten to Graduate School having to transition to remote learning. Why is internet considered a luxury? According to Gigi Sohn, public interest advocate we need telecommunications giants to take on the fiduciary duty. Government needs to step in and make internet service a utility with monitoring and regulations and end the monopolies. What happens when this occurs during the school year – will schools distribute hot spots to all their students? When multiple people have no choice but to be online at the same time, will the number of people utilizing the internet and using up the broadband be considered? WHO IS MAKING THE RULES!?!
The problem today is that areas without choices. Personally, I only have one cable/internet provider. The only other option is DSL top speeds in most areas, is if you're lucky, 3-5 MB, which, in today's world is not fast enough to accommodate multiple users. DSL (high speed dial-up, remember the AOL days) max speeds are based on the distance to the copper wires in your area. Some of these wires are over 60 years old. The closer you are to the central office of the DSL provider you would receive better service, however, if you are a few miles away, not the same. If you experience an outage you're at their mercy. If it is considered a utility service calls would need to be answered within 24-48 hours, not a week. If the price goes up, you're at their mercy. There is no one to compete over prices and consumers cannot shop around.
We need to have our government step in here! At the time when the landscape of work, school is changing (without choice) we need more choices! These monopolies must offer affordable options and solutions. Also, we need schools and work to give us contingency plans should there be an interruption in service. Who will step in? Will students be penalized? Will you receive a paycheck?
In 1984 Judge Green broke up, Ma Bell to create competition. We need governments to break up the monopoly of cable and internet providers in areas of limited choice and have options provided. We have 8000 choices for laundry detergent, you only have one choice for a cable/internet provider in some areas.
58
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Petition created on August 20, 2020