Failure Of DirecTV Broadband Narrows Consumer Choice
from the big-telecom-or-big-cable? dept
With the final shutdown of DirecTV's DSL service, customer around the US are discovering that their broadband choices are being severely limited. These days, for many consumers, the choices are either the big local telephone company or the big local cable company. Neither of which may be appealing to many people. Of course, with less choice, people are also facing higher prices, and worse service levels. What a deal.
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Why progress?
History is replete with technologies that developed, then went away. The Chinese repeatedly invented and forgot how to make cannons and crossbows. The original Melanesian inhabitants of Australia knew agriculture and bow hunting, but over the millenia forgot how to use these technologies, and regressed to more primitive lifestyles -- they took up "firestick hunting" by which they simply burned down the whole forest and picked up the roasted animals.
In the most extreme case, the aboriginals of Tasmania forgot how to make fire when the white man arrived.
The USA is the undisputed leader in economy and technology, so there is less incentive for us to go forward now. I think we should outlaw broadband and start burning down national forests.
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DirecTV DSL isn't dead yet
I switched to cable modem, it's cheaper and faster than DSL, so I don't see a problem with competition.
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Impetus to learn wireless networking
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