@arstechnica@mastodon.social
I grew up dirt poor, but I also grew up where the Internet started, and the 1st ISP went live (Massachusetts, USA). Despite the Internet starting here, our infrastructure sucks.
We were still using Dial-up when people were bragging about T1 and T3 lines (which we never saw), and it took decades before DSL came here, and decades more before Cable Internet came here. I am 44 years old, and finally, Fiber Optic Internet is at last available. It also took that long for us to have choices, because the ISPs act like oligopolies - They're like monopolies, only legal, agreeing not to compete and keeping their prices nearly identical.
I am no longer that dirt poor child, and things are generally better now.
But the one thing I knew, growing up poor, was how important Internet access was. How the difference between the house across the street and yours, meant you had affordable Internet, or not, despite living in the same town and using the same ISP.
Because American ISPs will price by zone (not just town), and that is why often the cable company will not quote you a price until you enter your address. The wealthier neighborhoods could oddly get affordable Internet, while the poorer communities, were likely quoted sometimes double the price. So when "Little Adam" or "Little Sarah" needed to do their homework, their income may have played a role twice as much.
Today, you need Internet access to live. - That is not a metaphor or an overexaggerated statement. You want a job? The application is online. Even the small, local "Mom and Pop" type businesses, have moved online. You want to pay your bills? That is online too, and if you do not have internet, it will cost you more to pay your bill by the phone or by mail (many places charged you a "convince fee" for sending a check, or speaking to someone). You want to better communicate with your doctor, that is online too. You need something from your healthcare provider, it is going to be online. People need the Internet for a lot more than posting cute cat videos, today!
The big problem with America's Internet is our ISPs seldom invest in their infrastructure, while also segregating communities, and making it harder for people to, just, live. They have been doing it for years (decades). And now, when they finally are forced to make things fairer, they want to cry foul.
I have lived outside the United States of America. It is not like this. And when ISPs say they're unable to make a profit, I cannot help but think, what they really mean, is they can no longer conduct segregation and class warfare on people.
#Isp #Internet #CableInternet #DslInternet #FiberInternet
Resources got restocked:
