Submitted 1 year ago by L4s@lemmy.world [bot] to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/15/23962881/fcc-anti-digital-discrimination-pass
The FCC can now punish telecom providers for charging customers more for less::The Federal Communications Commission has passed new digital discrimination rules that hold telecom providers accountable for not providing equal internet access.
Wtf why not just break the monopoly these companies have?
It’s the same effect but better
Because the bigger problem is ownership of the infrastructure. Monopoly or not, one of the companies owns the line
So make it a public utility perhaps considering it’s so critical these days
Well there is precedent to that. When the us government allowed At&t to dominate the internet markt and then followed it by a huge court case against them until eventually the CEO of AT&T eventually agreed to the division of the company in smaller regional ares of operations.
So they centralised it and then forced them to divide. If we are basically there already then just let them merge so you can prosecute them
More work maybe?
The FCC under Biden has a long term plan to reclassify the internet under Title II, which would allow much stricter and wider ranging regulations.
They are probably trying to get that pushed through first.
Seems like a positive, good on FCC.
Seems to not be a race problem, it is more on working class vs. wealthy class problem.
Wealthier neigborhoods vs. working class neigborhoods.
Intereating news to follow, can’t wait for independent yters and the like to start commenting it this.
Seems to not be a race problem, it is more on working class vs. wealthy class problem.
Those are interlinked, though. Due to centuries of institutionalised racism and related inequities, people of color are extremely overrepresented amongst the poor. As a result, what hurts the poor in general hurts more people of color than white people.
Yes, but the racism is a smaller portion of the overall problem so labeling it as race discrimination narrows it. While it transitively is racist, labeling it as such narrows it to only a portion of the problem. It’s unlikely the execs of the companies are saying “let’s charge white people less”, they’re doing it by area and income. If that unintentionally becomes racist, going after them for racism won’t get anywhere.
If two people in neighboring communities are paying drastically differently for the same service, but they’re both the same race, there’s still a problem but it’s not racist.
We should be trying to just give all Americans equivalent internet options, regardless of race. The race part is just one piece of the overall problem and the outcome of of a different problem.
@L4s so does this mean I can no longer threaten to cancel my service and get an offer to pay 50% for 2x the speed? There might be an element of agism or elder abuse happening here too. When I check on what my parents pay for internet, they will just keep paying the marked up cost for slow service. They end up paying 2-3x more than someone who calls for new service and for a plan so slow the provider no longer offers it.
You can only threaten to cancel if there’s an alternative. I tried this and they were like: okay man, just be forewarned that there’s a connection fee when you come back.
They were right, it was more $ to follow through with my threat and they knew it.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Under the new rules, the FCC can fine telecom companies for not providing equal connectivity to different communities “without adequate justification,” such as financial or technical challenges of building out service in a particular area.
Last year, a joint report from The Markup and the Associated Press found that AT&T, Verizon, and other internet service providers offer different speeds depending on the neighborhood in cities throughout the US.
The report revealed neighborhoods with lower incomes and fewer white people get stuck with slower internet while still having to pay the same price as those with faster speeds.
At the time, USTelecom, an organization that represents major telecom providers, blamed the higher price on having to maintain older equipment in certain communities.
“There is mounting evidence that low-income families and people of color are more likely to live in monopoly service areas that have just one high-speed internet provider,” Joshua Stager, the policy director of the nonpartisan organization Free Press, says in a statement.
It will take things like broadband deployment, network upgrades, and maintenance across communities into account when evaluating providers for potential rule violations, giving it the authority to hopefully finally address the disparities in internet access throughout the US.
The original article contains 480 words, the summary contains 201 words. Saved 58%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
great work and thanks for sharing this.
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unwillingsomnambulist@midwest.social 1 year ago
I currently pay $45/mo for 75/20 DSL over 1960s copper. 3 streets over, they’re paying $45/mo for 300/300 fiber from the same ISP. You tellin’ me the FCC can punish them for that?
BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I’m probably also paying 2x what a new customer is paying because I’m too lazy to switch or threaten cancellation. It’s a bait and switch as far as I’m concerned. Introductory pricing needs to go. Sign-up bonuses (that don’t lead to increased costs down the road) are fine, but none of this 12-month rate lock bullshit. You shouldn’t have to call up anyone (and literally, you can’t do a lot of this stuff except on the phone) to say please don’t charge me more.
Destraight@lemm.ee 1 year ago
That bothers you so much then contact the FCC and tell them how unfairly you’re being treated with your internet service provider
Duranie@midwest.social 1 year ago
I’m paying $115mo for whatever the cable crossing a nearby interstate can offer my small neighborhood. I’ve been told by a frustrated service worker that until Xfinity is willing to replace the lines our service will continue to fluctuate. Most of the time it’s just ok, but we have spikes of great connection or barely connected. This effects the whole neighborhood, but many are older residents who I might guess rely on the Internet less.
MotoAsh@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Sounds like your situation is the perfect place to apply this.