Socialized Internet

[TheCause]

It is my personal belief that the United States would benifit from socialising internet. Politicians could dance arround the word socialism with another word: infrastructure! That's their favorite word. And let us not forget the first amendment. Now then... We've seen this working in the far east, so why couldn't it work here? I believe it could. In addition to having 100mb plus (sync) optical connections to every home, new jobs could be created for americans that don't involve killing people. Not only would new jobs include developement of this infrastructure, but also jobs that could not exist w/o a widely available communications networks. Dependency upon highway infrastructure would fall with the implementation of video conferancing. Fully packet switched networks would save billions of dollars and create billions more while getting rid of that man we all hate who is the landlord (telcos). We would be producing for the long run instead of letting telcos choose the short term goals for us so they can take our money. Another landlord, webhosts, would be cut out also thereby saving even more money. This highspeed internet would provide a means for new media companies to start-up very cheaply and could once and for all get rid of the bullshit propaganda that we see on the television everyday. Say goodbye to reality television and hello to freedom.

I believe it is possible. I believe that it will make us all rich. I believe that the benifits aren't entirely understood yet. I believe we will be happier with this technology.

The only percaution I can think of that would need to be take is very obvious: privacy. Our government for some reason like's the idea of vouyering in on peoples private affairs and this has to be stopped before it reaches Orwellian levels. The problem is not so much the law that strip away privacy, but the abuse of those laws.

I hope some of you can contribute to this idea of a blazing fast free internet. Any creative criticism is very welcome.

--TheCause
Comfort will destroy you. Deprive yourself if you must.

 

[RabidMongoose]

I'd like this, but it seems unreasonable to compare the US to smaller and more densely populated 'far east' countries. The US is a huge and spread out country that it would probably make this socialized blazing fast internet dream hard to realize any time soon.

 

[conjur]

Only if AOL gets dismantled first!

 

[Kibbo]

I think you overstate the productivity benefits of connectivity.

Also, who says that a government run plan would cost you less money than a privately run system? You would pay for it, either in bills to a utility-type company or through taxes.

And as far as the entertainment companies, by far the greatest expence those companies face comes from talent. Unless you find a way to stop people from wanting to watch popular celebrities, that won't change.

 

[Painman]

I'd prefer the internet to remain largely privatized like most other forms of communication we use. Keywords: "private communication". Electrical power, telephone, cable/broadcast tv/radio are mostly privatized, and mostly affordable or in the case of broadcast, practically free.

I want to know what happened to TCP/IP over the power grid? That sounded like it had a lot of potential for stable, high speed connections to more homes than any other means since power lines reach nearly every home.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Painman
I'd prefer the internet to remain largely privatized like most other forms of communication we use. Keywords: "private communication". Electrical power, telephone, cable/broadcast tv/radio are mostly privatized, and mostly affordable or in the case of broadcast, practically free.

I want to know what happened to TCP/IP over the power grid? That sounded like it had a lot of potential for stable, high speed connections to more homes than any other means since power lines reach nearly every home.

It is still being worked on.

 

[Steeplerot]

Like anyone would get anything done.....
100mbps pr0n download gogo!

 

[Painman]

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: Painman
I'd prefer the internet to remain largely privatized like most other forms of communication we use. Keywords: "private communication". Electrical power, telephone, cable/broadcast tv/radio are mostly privatized, and mostly affordable or in the case of broadcast, practically free.

I want to know what happened to TCP/IP over the power grid? That sounded like it had a lot of potential for stable, high speed connections to more homes than any other means since power lines reach nearly every home.

It is still being worked on.

Cool. The main thing I like about the idea is maximizing the usefulness of existing infrastructure. A win/win/win for the consumer, provider and the environment.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Painman

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: Painman
I'd prefer the internet to remain largely privatized like most other forms of communication we use. Keywords: "private communication". Electrical power, telephone, cable/broadcast tv/radio are mostly privatized, and mostly affordable or in the case of broadcast, practically free.

I want to know what happened to TCP/IP over the power grid? That sounded like it had a lot of potential for stable, high speed connections to more homes than any other means since power lines reach nearly every home.

It is still being worked on.

Cool. The main thing I like about the idea is maximizing the usefulness of existing infrastructure. A win/win/win for the consumer, provider and the environment.

It will be on of the many possible pipes into your house. Cable already has a fat pipe. Wireless will be easy to deploy. SBC is working on reducing dsl line lengths so they can boost speeds up to 30mbs.

 

[TheCause]

Maybe I do overestimate, but I still think that putting emphasis on efficiency of the way business is conducted can save alot of effort (agian, especially in the long term). Take for instance people who have to commute long distances to work. Though not all business can be done through communications networks, there is no real world object that can not be represented by binary data. Obviously authentication is important and can only exist in the physical world.

The problem with television is not that people want to watch popular celebrities, but is that bariers of entry stop programs from developing for niche markets. Already the internet is offering free services like atomfilms and other alternatives to mainstream media and they are quite entertaining.

 

[TheCause]

I do realise that. But then again, that could be used to argue the other way. Instead of traveling 90 miles to see someone face to face, you could enter a secure private channel and look at live video feeds. All of the facial muscle movement would be transmitted with all the expresions. Tones in voice would be accurate to futher portray emotion and communications.

Even doctors today use video conferancing to opperate on patients from half way across the nation. Airfare is not cheap. Automobiles are not cheap. And internet is not cheap. There is an application for all of them however, and I believe that the time for internet should be sooner than later.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: TheCause
I do realise that. But then again, that could be used to argue the other way. Instead of traveling 90 miles to see someone face to face, you could enter a secure private channel and look at live video feeds. All of the facial muscle movement would be transmitted with all the expresions. Tones in voice would be accurate to futher portray emotion and communications.

Even doctors today use video conferancing to opperate on patients from half way across the nation. Airfare is not cheap. Automobiles are not cheap. And internet is not cheap. There is an application for all of them however, and I believe that the time for internet should be sooner than later.

This can already be done today over existing technology. FTTC is not required for this.

 

[Painman]

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: Painman

Originally posted by: charrison

Originally posted by: Painman
I'd prefer the internet to remain largely privatized like most other forms of communication we use. Keywords: "private communication". Electrical power, telephone, cable/broadcast tv/radio are mostly privatized, and mostly affordable or in the case of broadcast, practically free.

I want to know what happened to TCP/IP over the power grid? That sounded like it had a lot of potential for stable, high speed connections to more homes than any other means since power lines reach nearly every home.

It is still being worked on.

Cool. The main thing I like about the idea is maximizing the usefulness of existing infrastructure. A win/win/win for the consumer, provider and the environment.

It will be on of the many possible pipes into your house. Cable already has a fat pipe. Wireless will be easy to deploy. SBC is working on reducing dsl line lengths so they can boost speeds up to 30mbs.

I'm thinking about the guy who lives in the UP of Michigan or the wide open expanses of Montana though... I live on a manmade island and this slowed down the introduction of broadband to my neighborhood, but I'm still ahead of these folks. Digital media is the future, and the outfit who already reaches all of these people and can piggyback the internet over their existing infrastructure stands to make a big, big win IMO. Wireless is definitely a dark horse though, in this scenario.

 

[Zebo]

I donno I get over 10000kbps up and down whats the problem?

 

[Painman]

Originally posted by: Zebo
I donno I get over 10000kbps up and down whats the problem?

The problem is, I don't live on top of a NOC

 

[sandorski]

"Socialising" the Internet would be way overkill. Even the more Traditional method of Regulated Monopoly is quite unnecessary, since most of the Infrastructure is already in place. As stated, I think the benefits stated by the OP are way overstated, in fact I think the OP is just frustrated at being Lag Killed!

 

[Train]

let the local governments handle it. Some cities/towns in the US are already planning (and IIRC some have already launched) free wireless access areas.

 

[RockGuitarDude]

The internet will socialize itself. You'll see, just give it some time and you'll start seeing a lot more pringles cans popping up.

 

[piasabird]

The Internet is a very interesting subject. You might ask who built the Internet? Was the internet buit by the government or was it built by competition and a free market. It was built by capitalism. It was large companies that built the backbones of the Internet like Sprint and MCI. There are a lot others like Amazon.com and the other services like Stock Quotes.

What do you mean by a socialist Internet?

Do you think that the Government in the USA is going to make laws that make sense? Look at what they did to the Phone Company!

I think in the end it is in the interest of the free market and big business, and corporations to have a more controlled open and free Internet. It is the crying of the large corporations that both create the Spam and complain against it. There will be a happy medium established sooner or later. However, the Internet community needs to have one governing body and international laws. The US Government is trying to make laws, but they are listenging to the wrong people. Even with ati-spam laws the amount of Spam is increasing.

 

[no0b]

Only if everyone gets fiber.