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

[Carroll Cagle]

The experience that I and fellow open-access team members found  over time
was just as John describes.  Anyplace the incumbents can squeeze out others,
they do.   

It is good to illuminate the often-overlooked "apartment exclusion"
strategy, because it is big and important.

Although, unfortunately, it is only one of many ways that the incumbent
duopoly do things to their advantage, and contrary to the advantages of
their customers, and the precepts of free market economics.

Carroll

-----Original Message-----
From: 1st-mile-nm [mailto:1st-mile-nm-bounces at mailman.dcn.org] On Behalf Of
John Brown
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2018 8:37 AM
To: 1st-mile-nm at mailman.dcn.org
Subject: [1st-mile-nm] NM Net Neutrality, apartment complexes

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.
_______________________________________________
1st-mile-nm mailing list
1st-mile-nm at mailman.dcn.org
http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/1st-mile-nm