Comment Re:FiOS more real than many of those broken promis (Score 1) 215
The reason Verizon and other Telecom companies have been hesitant to build FTTx (where x=Node at AT&T, and x=Premise for Verizon, etc) in the past 10 years is due to the Telecom Act of 1996, which dictates that Verizon and others must provide equal access to their network for CLECs, with pricing plans below their own costs. Fiber to the Curb (referenced in the article) was deployed to bring "fiber to the node", but unfortunately, the technology provider (Raynet, I think) went out of business. The ILECs found that fiber to the curb had bottlenecks, and couldn't even provide special circuits as needed. Thus, it was abandoned.
As FTTH is deployed, Verizon & AT&T are encountering the real modern day monopolies- Cable Companies, which are protected by the rules governing how Franchises are handed out. One could argue that cable franchises are the only means for income for many local governments (which is correct), but Cable Companies are able to price without oversight, provide service as they please, etcetera, without fear of real competition (Satellite companies notwithstanding, as they have only begun to recently provide local programming). So the Phone Companies, as big and bad as they are, are the only way we are going to get any decent pricing on TV or high speed (not shared like CATV does) internet.
As FTTH is deployed, Verizon & AT&T are encountering the real modern day monopolies- Cable Companies, which are protected by the rules governing how Franchises are handed out. One could argue that cable franchises are the only means for income for many local governments (which is correct), but Cable Companies are able to price without oversight, provide service as they please, etcetera, without fear of real competition (Satellite companies notwithstanding, as they have only begun to recently provide local programming). So the Phone Companies, as big and bad as they are, are the only way we are going to get any decent pricing on TV or high speed (not shared like CATV does) internet.
