One Big Telecoms Company
At 01:12 PM 11/13/96 -0800, Declan McCullagh wrote:
* Dave warns us to consider "what would happen if one parent company owned *all* communications media." Then we have problems. I've written about this in an Internet Underground magazine column. However, this is not the case now. Or are you arguing the government should get involved and force Gilmore to allow Vulis on his list?
The risk of "one big company" owning all communications that lefties on the net spend a lot of time worrying about is a real screamer. We had "one big company" controlling telecoms in most countries on earth for the last 100 years (those were the government monopoly PTTs). In spite of the fact that those PTTs were protected from competition by everything up to and including (at least in the case of BT and France Telecom) nuclear weapons, they lost their monopolies. Two days ago, the UK announced that they were granting licenses to all 46 companies that have applied to carry bits into and out of the UK. DT is being sold off starting in January. If government monopolies can't hack it, what chance do private companies have? DCF
In Reply to the Message wherein it was written: [elided]
If government monopolies can't hack it, what chance do private companies have?
Um, a _better_ one, now that government monopolies are largely out of the way, leaving significant infrastructure for them to use? There's this one little company called MCI, see, and there's this _other_ little company called BT, and... {rrring-rrring} Operator: "Thank you for using MonoTel: and how may we help you today?" You: "I'd like to place a call...?" Operator: "And who would you like to call today, Sir?" You: "Uh, my big bother Sam in Washington, please. He's at 212, 555..." Operator: "I see. Hrmm, let me see if management says it's OK for me to dial that number for you... please hold while I look up our policy on you calling your family." {long pause} Operator: "Hello, Sir? You: "Um, yes, hello?" Operator: "Um, Sir, have you paid your phone bill for today?" You: "Well, gee, I _think_ so... how much was it for today?" Operator: "Well, our rates went up again at Noon, so that may account for the discrepancy. Let me connect you to our Loan Officer so you can arrange payment..." You: "No, PLEASE, I just need to call my brother, plea-" Operator: {click... buzz... whirr} Loan Ofcr:"Hello. Loan Department. May I please have your 20-bit customer fingerprint?" You: "Uh, sure. Let's see.... 01 D4 3E...{etc}...C2 0A." Loan Ofcr:"OK, fine. Now, what can I do for you today, Sir? You: "Look, I just want to call my big brother Sam in DC, and they connected me to you instead..." Loan Ofcr:"Oh, I see, and have you paid your daily bill today, Sir?" You: "Well, I THOUGHT I did. I went to the telephone, I inserted my MonoTel smartcard and I dialled the passcode. Then it sucked the card in and didn't give it back to me! I figured it was enough." Loan Ofcr:"Well, it happens to allof us, Sir, don't feel bad. Now, what sort of collateral will you be putting up for this call? Do you own or rent? You: "Well, I used to own, but then I decided to add a modem line, so I had to refinance..." Loan Ofcr:"Ahhh, so this will be a third or a fourth phone mortgage for you?" dave ____________________________________________________________________________ "The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has determined that the Maximum Load Capacity of my butt is two (2) persons at one time, unless I install handrails or safety straps. As you have arrived sixth in line to ride my ass, please take a number and wait your turn. Thank you." ________________________________________________________________________ Dave Del Torto +1.415.65432.31 tel Manager, Strategic Technical Evangelism +1.415.631.0599 fax Pretty Good Privacy, Inc. http://www.pgp.com web
participants (2)
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Dave Del Torto -
Duncan Frissell