We’ve noted several times how European telecom giants have somehow convinced European policymakers that technology giants like Netflix and Google should annually give them billions of dollars… for no coherent reason. The proposal is dressed up to sound like a sensible adult policy aimed at shoring up broadband access to the downtrodden. In reality it’s net…

  • @nichos
    link
    English
    72 years ago

    It’s not at all capitalism. ISPs are a regulated monopoly. If it were capitalism there’d be a choice.

    Try starting your own ISP, the government in your towb wont let you. At most this is crony capitalism.

    • czech
      link
      fedilink
      1
      edit-2
      2 years ago

      The natural result of unregulated capitalism is something that mimics a monopoly. Monopolies are illegal in my town; I can’t open an ISP because of capitalism.

      • @nichos
        link
        English
        22 years ago

        It’s not at all natural, and would not have happened if government didn’t step it to create a “regulated monopoly”.

        Fast food, gas stations, supermarkets, etc are all unregulated1 and there’s countless offerings there. That’s capitalism. This is crony capitalism. These companies work with the government to lock out competition.

        1 - Yes, these industries have regulation, but there’s no regulation whatsoever on opening an identical business next to an existing one. We see it all the time, a lowes next to homedepot, burger king next to mcdonalds, etc.