DragonFlyEye does Wire New York
DragonFlyEye has done some great writing about Wire New York lately.
His first post, The Truth About Broadband, talks about the current state of our broadband infrastructure, and how bad it really is.
consider this: of the top 18 most expensive broadband countries, Americans rank 17th, paying $36 compared to an average $43. Good so far, but what about quality of service? Well, we only get about 1.9mbps (megabits per second) download speed, as opposed to Japan’s fifth most expensive market, where the speed is around 61mbps. You don’t need to be a computer whiz, a mathematician or even Exile on Ericsson St. to see that $49 for Japanese broadband is a far-and-away better deal.
[snip]
The OECD (the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) currently tracks broadband numbers worldwide, and the results are not at all pretty for the U.S. Specifically, they track broadband coverage and deployment around the world, as it has been proven that broadband coverage and general economic health tend to go hand in hand. The United States is stagnating badly, falling below the average growth for the globe and falling to number 25 in broadband penetration.
There’s a lot more great stuff.
Next, DragonFlyEye takes a somewhat contrarian take on Net Neutrality in an exclusive post for The Albany project, sketching out the opposing corporate forces in the fight, its context, and generally getting to the story behind the story of net neutrality. While he raises some good points, I still strongly feel that Net Neutrality is the best possible outcome for the future of the internet, but we do have to remember that only do we need a neutral net, but also a robust and modern/fast one too.
Obligatory excerpt:
in debating this issue, we should not lose sight of where it began: with corporations. On both sides of the issue, there are huge multi-national technology companies pouring enormous revenue into winning this fight. They do not do this for ideological, let alone altruistic, reasons. As important as it is to understand the idealistic poles of this argument - as important as it is to be sure you’re arguing for something you can believe in - it is equally important to understand the motivations of the companies fueling the debate. Otherwise, some activists may be surprised and dismayed to discover that they’ve ushered in a new era of profit making for one of two large camps of corporations
Remember, we have to make sure no one messes with the Brodsky Bill when it is re-introduced next legislative session. Call the governor, and tell him you want a modern internet infrastructure in all of New York State. 518-474-8390
Related posts:
I wouldn’t have called that “contrarian,” so much as I might call it “pragmatic,” as is my wont. It’s worth noting the corporate investment in this issue, particularly because someone will sooner rather than later point this out as a means of invalidating good arguments on the NN side of the coin.
That, and to be honest, the world of computers is one where I tend to be as much of an anarchist as anything. Admitting that we need government intervention in the Internet is not something I take lightly or relish doing.
Did you see the Krugman piece along these lines in the Times today?
Damned Krugman! I told him that if he didn’t stop ripping off my stuff there would be trouble. . .
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But the Free Market should …oh never mind….
Great find.