HR 1542 [OT, anti-BS attempt, US]

Mon May 7 20:28:52 UTC 2001

> > BTW, if you spend much time with regulators and lawyers, you will be
> > aware that there is a major difference between the cable network and
> > the PSTN.  After the mid-1930's, the PSTN was built by a company which
> > was guaranteed a specific, profitable rate of return.  The cable
> > network was built by many small entrepreneurs who were not guaranteed
> > a profit nor even solvency.  For that reason, the PSTN is more
> > arguably a public resource.
> 
> Except that most of today's cable systems were built while municipalities
> could, and did, grant exclusive franchises. Overbuilding an incumbant
> cable operator is as expensive and risky as becoming a CLEC - probably the
> reason that neither CLECs nor cable overbuilders are showing much
> commercial success.

If you can't tell the legal difference between the above cases, I
recommend you stay out of this discussion.

> As to "small entrepreneurs" - that may have once been true, but I wouldn't
> call AT&T/MediaOne/TCI, AOL/Time Warner, Adelphia, or Charter "small
> entrepreneurs." These guys engage in monopoly tactics that rank right up
> there with those of the ILECs.

1) You quoted me out of context.  2) Do you have a point?  Obviously the
above are  not small entrepreneurs. But then, I never said they were.

good luck,
fletcher