Munin, Keeper of LoreApr 25, 2017

If you live in a poor area, you can't get good internet.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/04/att-brings-fiber-to-rich-areas-while-the-rest-are-stuck-on-dsl-study-finds/

This is why my net connection is horrible - I'm not in one of those rich areas, and deathstar doesn't care about improving the infrastructure [ and nobody else is interested in providing service at all ]

Show thread☤Hermes۞_۟۞凸λgistus☿Apr 25, 2017
@munin Shitty internet in the US baffles me. I live in the Sofia, where the median income is 400euro/month and I can get 100mbits fiber for ~9euro. There are 3 providers in my building with graffiti on the hallway walls and cig butts on the stairs. Relatives in smaller towns get about half the speed for around the same money. I also have 14GB mobile data+unlimited calls for ~10euro. Don't Americans know about market competition? :)
Show threadKatamariChaosApr 26, 2017

@hermeslispegistus @munin In this area...no. Various localities in the US give state-enforced monopolies to ISPs within certain geographical bounds.

The lack of competition means that ISPs get to rest on their laurels with no reason to improve themselves. They also only put infrastructure in the highest-profit areas, because their competitors are barred from undercutting them and building up business in the markets they ignore. Coop ISPs are banned as well.

Show thread☤Hermes۞_۟۞凸λgistus☿
@katamarichaos @munin Sucks for you guys. A quick search suggests my neighborhood has >10 providers, one suggests 15, although I don't know how up to date or accurate that is. Of course not every building is covered by every provider, and not every provider offers fiber. A different search suggests that there are over 50 providers in Sofia in total. Most are probably small neighborhood cable companies, but they are there. Smaller towns obviously have much less of that, but unless you're literally in a rural area, I doubt there's a monopoly you have to worry about.
Apr 26, 2017 at 4:34pmWeb