Poor US Infrastructure Threatens the Cloud

snydeq writes "Thanks to state-sponsored cable/phone duopolies, U.S. broadband stays slow and expensive — and will probably impede cloud adoption, writes Andrew C. Oliver. 'As a patriotic American, I find the current political atmosphere where telecom lobbyists set the agenda to be a nightmare. All over the world, high-end fiber is being deployed while powerful monopolies in the United States work to prevent it from coming here,' Oliver writes. 'I expect that cloud adoption will closely match broadband speed, cost, and availability curves. Those companies living in countries where the broadband monopoly is protected will adopt the cloud at a slower rate than those with competitive markets and municipal fiber. There's a good chance U.S. firms will fall into that group.'"

Don't worry

[blackpaw]

Here in Australia we just elected in a right wing government, they are intent on fucking up our Broadband network as well to protect entrenched interests such as Murdock and Foxtel, so you're not alone.

Re:What can the US do?

[Anonymous Coward]

Have to post this anon. I work for AT&T and we do optical to the node with existing copper. Unfortunately the existing copper from the node and then the copper wiring in homes throws a wrench in 75% of the time. Optical to the home then gigabit Ethernet would be a better solution. I am often asked why as an employee I use Cox cable. Because they give me superior bandwidth, and a more reliable product... and they come out on Sundays. US carriers are not into upgrading infrastructure but intent on monetizing everything they can. We charge the exact same thing for DSL we did in 1997.

Re:Infrastructure pretty much requires the gov't

[AHuxley]

The private sector built the railroads, funded bridges, worked with (oil, gas, iron, steel), positioned pipelines, electrical grid, telephone... optical is on the way - just wait like other generations had to.

Re:NSA aint helping either

[tepples]

Stop shipping a browser with Do Not Track defaulted to off.

Some web servers have had a policy of disregarding DNT headers from browsers known to default it to on. Case in point: pre-release versions of IE 10 [wikipedia.org]. If Google were to "Stop shipping a browser with Do Not Track defaulted to off" as you suggest, what would that do other than get Chrome added to the list of browsers from which to disregard DNT?

Re:Infrastructure pretty much requires the gov't

[Anonymous Coward]

Very clever word usage.

The private sector built the railroads,

...because of massive government incentives like land grants.

funded bridges,

...so they could get their free land from the government that was worth more.

worked with (oil, gas, iron, steel),

Yes, that is what industry does. The government is not allowed to directly do such things.

positioned pipelines,

...for their own profit and convenience. There was never a 'public good or need' for them.

electrical grid, telephone...

Again, with great government incentives in place like local monopolies, right of way, and special taxes to pay for it all.

optical is on the way

So are vacation homes on mars. Your words are meaningless.

- just wait like other generations had to.

Ahh, and now we get to the real problem. There is little incentive to improve. With most locales having monopolies or duopolies, there is no competition and thus no incentive to change until something breaks and really has to be replaced. Meanwhile other countries that care about infrastructure are funding it with public money, for public good, with public control. Our information tech dominance is slipping away while we wait for the invisible hand to stop touching itself.

Re: This is wrong

[Anonymous Coward]

Sweden made the journey years ago. Most municipal infrastructure companies started to roll out fiber in parallel with existing cable ducts. The railroad company put fiber along all tracks nation wide. All of this fiber is dark fiber that isp can rent cheap.

So I have 6 isp to select from at home. Competition is the key for cheap prices.