I admit I am confused about NN. The internet is owned by all of us yet, I can’t stand the thought of joining the democrats in their push for NN. I won’t be joining them. Instead, I will be prodding republicans and independents to cut the democrats off at the pass.
Freeways are also paid by us. It seems no internet provider should be charging us tolls to use a public highway.
One thing that internet providers and utilities can do is go and create their own internet through Satellite, Microwave Broadband, Airliners. All of these are proposed and either in planning or already operational.
The dark fiber and the existing internet paid for by us should remain free for any party to access and utilize. Of course, providers that offer add-on services are expected to make a profit similar to businesses that service motorists at freeway offramps.
So I don’t get it except that the democrats want to regulate the internet, to regulate free speech on the internet, and to ultimately tax it.
I actually don’t mind a small tax like say 25 cents a month for internet maintenance by the government. Heck, we pay for freeways at the pump with a federal gas surcharge tax. I would like to see the public internet administered by an agency like the Federal Highway Administration (like an information highway).
Private internets can develop on their own without tapping into the public infrastructure. That’s already been happening in Las Vegas with LV.NET (look them up) and hundreds more like them.
Again, I don’t like that the democrats are out in front on this. This is a campaign issue for them. Republicans need to offer a better way.
The internet is owned by all of us yet
Sure it is. But you do not own Comcast, Spectrum, Verizon, AT&T. If you can access that part of the internet that belongs to you without then then don’t worry about it.
"We" didn't pay for that.
I actually don’t mind a small tax like say 25 cents a month for internet maintenance by the government.
That's a really bad idea. It will eventually become 25 bucks to support a mediocre backbone. Many private companies build out the backbone which is dirt cheap and available almost everywhere. Last mile service providers have some backbone but mainly many miles of coax and fiber that was expensive to install and expensive to upgrade. Most of us deal with that.
So perhaps you are confused about "highways" and backbone which are cheap and ubiquitous and "local private roads" and last mile service which is not. You mention LV.Net but they are mainly wireless. Wireless changes everything, and many people have several wireless options but are too greedy and selfish to appreciate it (they want netflix over fiber).
In short, it ain't broken. Taking over the last mile, the goal of NN, is going to stunt the rollout of ubiquitous wireless e.g. low orbit satellite.
If you believe that the Internet is owned by all of you (i.e taxpayers), you do not understand how the internet is organized, built, maintained or operated.
The internet “highway” is NOT paid for by the government. It IS paid for by the Internet Service Providers who buy the links (and pay for the links and maintain the links and operate the links) between themselves and other internet service providers.
Why should internet provider go and build a second version of what they have already paid for?
You the taxpayer, dont own any dark fiber unless the government (city, county, state, feds) purchased the fiber, installed the fiber and pays for the right of way for fiber. All other dark fiber is OWNED by the company, usually a telecom or ISP that paid to have it installed. If you want the tax payers to have / own an internet service, then it is the government that can go out and build their own private ISP. As an example, see https://www.fcgov.com/broadband/
You are obviously confused if you think the Internet is owned by all of us. Collectivism and conservatives don’t mix.