Comments on: Quest for 'Utopia' hits a roadblock

Armed with a recent Supreme Court decision, major telecommunications companies are successfully thwarting plans by municipalities to build advanced networks.

[bjbrock]

SBC treats their customers like crap.

The time for utility status of Telco's is gone! They have abused their legal monopoly and guaranteed existence. Their service is pitiful and technical support is nearly non-existent.

It's time to make them compete in an open market so the consumer does not suffer from the lack of competition. The Telco's are raising hell because the thought of having to compete scares them. They know what kind of waste and lousy customer service they have been getting away with. MAKE THEM COMPETE! They are screwing the consumer. PERIOD!

SBC screwing the rural customers again!

They have laid the fiber but they won't put the aggregator in my
area so I can have the DSL. They won't let me use the fiber for
my dial-up so I can have something faster than a 28.8k
connection. They won't tell me the criteria we need to meet to
get them to put the aggregator in. They arbitrarily offer service
to smaller regions. It is so screwed up trying to get a straight
answer form anyone. I have watched my install date go from Aug
2002 to 2003 then to 2005 and now 2007. No hope!~

[Rogue_LeaderX]

What's the big deal?

I'm a little confused as to why state legislators are so interested in stopping local municipalities from provided a desired service. Perhaps someone from the Telecommunications industry can explain this? I'd love it if my local council decided to put in a reliable, advanced ISP. Currently it seems like SBC (the local giant in Illinois, and proving themselves right bastards) is only interested in limited risks. If locals want to spend THEIR taxmoney providing something private companies won't, whats the big deal?

[disco-legend-zeke]

QUEST STEALS SUBSCRIBERS FROM SMALL ISP's

Our small ISP business was almost destroyerd when GRAHAM COUNTY ARIZONA decided to build their own wireless network and sell it to the educational organizations in the county. Not only did they take business away from the other ISPs in town, their network caused interference with other wireless operators due to agressive buildout.

However, the death knell of most small ISP's was the entry of QWEST into the internet business.

In the state of arizona, qwest is specifically prohibited by law from selling Internet Service. In spite of this, ever since they got into the modem business, qwest sales people have offered first dialup Internet, and now DSL internet services, in addition to their monopoly tarriffed items, to every person calling.

This is similar to the situation a decade or two ago when the local Bells would bundle their own long distance services with local dial tone.

A quick google of "qwest officer conviction" (without the quotes) will provide a quick overview of the moral character of Quest management.