[1st-mile-nm] NM Net Neutrality, apartment complexes

[John Brown]

As we ponder net neutrality here in our state, lets consider a few things.

Apartment complexes.

Over 1/3 of all people in the US live in an apartment and I suspect
more so in New Mexico.
Cable and incumbent phone companies have long wiggled around the
various rules and
created economic and contractual barriers to enter an apartment
complex as a new provider.

Comcast has a documented history of creating various agreements to
prevent apartment renters
from having an Open Choice.  These agreements create a monopoly or a duopoly.

New entrants to the broadband providing market place are basically
blocked from entry.

Apartment complex owners are not likely to want to change because they
GET PAID by
the incumbent provider(s) for Door Fees, Revenue Shares and other special deals.

So if you own a home, you have FAR MORE CHOICES than if you rent an apartment

In general an apartment complex is creating a defacto Fast/Slow lane
to the internet.
Companies like Comcast and CenturyLink know that customers have no
other choice so there
is no market force to do better, either for speed or customer service.
They know the customer is locked in.

So we need to break that down.  Sure, private property owners have a
right to do what they
want on their property.  Push the rule to the public rights of way.
Make it a requirement that there is no special deals, no kick backs,
no blocking at an apartment
if you want to use the public rights of way.

Change the zoning laws to require multi-tenant complexes to NOT block
other providers.

If we don't make some of these changes we will be STUCK with the same
that we have had.