Comments on: Should Verizon (or whoever your ISP is) be paid twice/thrice for you to access Google? http://www.willisbros.net/blog/2005/10/31/should-verizon-or-whoever-your-isp-is-be-paid-twice-for-you-to-access-google/ The WBB is a group blog written by the Willis brothers and their friends. We talk about eGovernment, Inspirado, Lifehacks and Fire Fighting. Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:43:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 By: kent http://www.willisbros.net/blog/2005/10/31/should-verizon-or-whoever-your-isp-is-be-paid-twice-for-you-to-access-google/#comment-20377 kent Mon, 31 Oct 2005 17:58:12 +0000 http://www.willisbros.net/blog/2005/10/31/should-verizon-or-whoever-your-isp-is-be-paid-twice-for-you-to-access-google/#comment-20377 The closet Capitalist in me disagrees. AS LONG AS THERE'S REAL COMPETITION for what they provide, they can charge twice, three times, whatever. They made the investment. If they overcharge, they lose business to cable companies, power lines, wireless, etc. If you buy shares of a stock in the hope of making a return of 20% per year (high hopes, indeed), and some unforeseen event occurs making it possible for your return to be 40% instead, you don't have to return your dividend checks to the company. You just hope this good fortune offsets some other investment that didn't go as well as planned. The phone companies made speculative investments in the "pipes," and for a couple of years it was clear that they had overinvested, had overcapacity, and had to eat the cost of those investments. They almost certainly did not expect Google to become a competitor, but fortuitously they did, and AS LONG AS THERE'S COMPETITION for the service they provide, they can charge everybody in sight as far as I'm concerned. If Google doesn't like their price - or their competion's - they can install their own pipes...or threaten to do so! And anyone jealous of SBC's returns, can simply invest in SBC. The closet Capitalist in me disagrees. AS LONG AS THERE’S REAL COMPETITION for what they provide, they can charge twice, three times, whatever. They made the investment. If they overcharge, they lose business to cable companies, power lines, wireless, etc.
If you buy shares of a stock in the hope of making a return of 20% per year (high hopes, indeed), and some unforeseen event occurs making it possible for your return to be 40% instead, you don’t have to return your dividend checks to the company. You just hope this good fortune offsets some other investment that didn’t go as well as planned. The phone companies made speculative investments in the “pipes,” and for a couple of years it was clear that they had overinvested, had overcapacity, and had to eat the cost of those investments. They almost certainly did not expect Google to become a competitor, but fortuitously they did, and AS LONG AS THERE’S COMPETITION for the service they provide, they can charge everybody in sight as far as I’m concerned. If Google doesn’t like their price - or their competion’s - they can install their own pipes…or threaten to do so! And anyone jealous of SBC’s returns, can simply invest in SBC.

]]> By: chris http://www.willisbros.net/blog/2005/10/31/should-verizon-or-whoever-your-isp-is-be-paid-twice-for-you-to-access-google/#comment-20379 chris Mon, 31 Oct 2005 18:15:28 +0000 http://www.willisbros.net/blog/2005/10/31/should-verizon-or-whoever-your-isp-is-be-paid-twice-for-you-to-access-google/#comment-20379 "they can install their own pipes…or threaten to do so! And anyone jealous of SBC’s returns, can simply invest in SBC. " yes kent now that is how the leaders of this country should think!!! or maybe they already do. “they can install their own pipes…or threaten to do so! And anyone jealous of SBC’s returns, can simply invest in SBC. ”

yes kent
now that is how the leaders of this country should think!!! or maybe they already do.

]]> By: ChronoFish http://www.willisbros.net/blog/2005/10/31/should-verizon-or-whoever-your-isp-is-be-paid-twice-for-you-to-access-google/#comment-20380 ChronoFish Mon, 31 Oct 2005 20:19:57 +0000 http://www.willisbros.net/blog/2005/10/31/should-verizon-or-whoever-your-isp-is-be-paid-twice-for-you-to-access-google/#comment-20380 Capitolism is good and I am not advocating against it. Historically the phone/network system has always been treated special - much like the airline industry. Sometimes they are a "utility" sometimes they are "private corporation". It all depends on the situation (and side) you want to argue at the time (See <a href="http://www.fcc.gov/911/enhanced/" rel="nofollow">e911</a>). The problem has always been that large service providers don't want competition AND don't want government oversite. You can't (not) have both. I do believe that the "market" will reject the notion of private "selective service" networks - that's pre-Internet thinking (think Compuserv, Prodigy, old AOL, etc). Capitolism is good and I am not advocating against it. Historically the phone/network system has always been treated special - much like the airline industry. Sometimes they are a “utility” sometimes they are “private corporation”. It all depends on the situation (and side) you want to argue at the time (See e911).

The problem has always been that large service providers don’t want competition AND don’t want government oversite. You can’t (not) have both.

I do believe that the “market” will reject the notion of private “selective service” networks - that’s pre-Internet thinking (think Compuserv, Prodigy, old AOL, etc).

]]> By: kent http://www.willisbros.net/blog/2005/10/31/should-verizon-or-whoever-your-isp-is-be-paid-twice-for-you-to-access-google/#comment-20381 kent Mon, 31 Oct 2005 20:25:18 +0000 http://www.willisbros.net/blog/2005/10/31/should-verizon-or-whoever-your-isp-is-be-paid-twice-for-you-to-access-google/#comment-20381 Don't get carried away, Chris. I'm talking about free market capitalism, not cronyism, tax cuts for the rich, petty small-mindedness, lies and corruption. You'll know we have leaders when we're actually moving forward, and in a direction that the citizenship supports. BTW, where's my dolphin? Don’t get carried away, Chris. I’m talking about free market capitalism, not cronyism, tax cuts for the rich, petty small-mindedness, lies and corruption. You’ll know we have leaders when we’re actually moving forward, and in a direction that the citizenship supports.
BTW, where’s my dolphin?

]]> By: chris http://www.willisbros.net/blog/2005/10/31/should-verizon-or-whoever-your-isp-is-be-paid-twice-for-you-to-access-google/#comment-20382 chris Mon, 31 Oct 2005 20:38:43 +0000 http://www.willisbros.net/blog/2005/10/31/should-verizon-or-whoever-your-isp-is-be-paid-twice-for-you-to-access-google/#comment-20382 kent cross your fingers, if the weather gods permit i will be fishing friday night returning late saturday. cross your fingers...think fishy. chris kent
cross your fingers,
if the weather gods permit i will be fishing friday night returning late saturday.
cross your fingers…think fishy.
chris

]]> By: nav http://www.willisbros.net/blog/2005/10/31/should-verizon-or-whoever-your-isp-is-be-paid-twice-for-you-to-access-google/#comment-20388 nav Tue, 01 Nov 2005 20:21:01 +0000 http://www.willisbros.net/blog/2005/10/31/should-verizon-or-whoever-your-isp-is-be-paid-twice-for-you-to-access-google/#comment-20388 I want one. I want one.

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