When the 800 Pound Gorilla is Armed

Yahoo News is reporting that Google has threatened to launch a series of anti-trust suits against Telcos / CableCos that abuse the public's access to the internet through their gateways.  I have a few (possibly conflicting) thoughts about this:

1. Even the Lone Ranger had a sidekick.  Why is Google doing this alone?  Don't get me wrong, I'm overjoyed to get this news, but why aren't they partnered with EFF?

2. Telcos Are ShortTermers.  It is obvious with even a tiny amount of thought, that crippling the openness of the Internet is, in the long run, highly damaging to Telcos and CableCos.  They are trying to bolster their old business model and preserve their institutional biases / inertia.  They don't know how to live in an Internet world - so they are trying to make the Internet work in their centralized world.  An anti-trust suit would take a long time to work out and it's even money that there would be any type of court order to keep the net open during the trial.  So, from the Telco POV mucking with the system is a good bet.  Either they'll make a lot more short term money or they'll have to become enlightened - either way they win. 

3. Hoard that Fiber. Google's recent fiber hoarding has led me to wildly hope that they will be launching their own ISP.  Google's modus operandi has been to let advertising pay for play.  So a nation-wide Googlebackbone tapped into by neighborhood wifi would be fantastic.

4. Think National Litigation, Act Local Association. Right now the Telcos and CableCos have highly inflated rates for the service we are receiving.  If they start to mess with quality of service, I'd vote for opting out.  This is easier for people who live in civilization, but the suburbs can do it too.  In my studio at home, my laptop can see seven (7) wifi routers.  I'm reasonably sure that none of us are actually using all our individual capacity.  So why bother?  Why don't we get together, lower our subscriptions from 7 to 2, get some repeaters, and then build our own NeighborNet?  Together, our monthy expense would go from $420 to $80.  (Only problem is one of my neighbors works for Comcast, so I'd have to watch the vitriol.) 

5. Support Municipal Broadband. Many cities in the US have experimented with MuniWiFi.  Tempe, Seattle, San Francisco and other cities.  Usually these are cities that have an urban form that can support wifi.  Tempe has the University and a compact downtown, Seattle and San Francisco have appropriate densities.  Seattle's are in select areas, but while our office was in the University District, I used it all the time.  The Telcos hate this idea.  But it's feasibility really brings home the fact that when you buy broadband you are NOT buying the network - you are buying the last 100 feet of coax into your house.  It's very cost effective to have your city (or you in #4) do it yourself.

6. Watch Google. Keep your eyes on Google.  They have the capability to do amazing things and horrific things.  Google's secretive corporate culture means that we never quite know what they're up to.  That's surely their choice and their right.  But friends don't keep secrets.  I sincerely hope they continue to fight for net neutrality - to the apparent extent of creating their own network.  But our shadowy brother tends to skulk unnecessarily.

Photo: Allen Conant

Technorati Tags: google, antitrust, rico, wifi, muniwifi, neighbornet, broadband, telcos, comcast

Comments

[Ed Vielmetti]

Neighbornets sound good, but do you really want to do tech support whenever your neighbor has a computer problem? Some things are better left to the market.

I am, however, waiting for the $5 FON wifi hubs to arrive.

[Jim Benson]

I have a 3 requests and you're out rule. Do three tech supports and then they have to move out.