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ISPs say US should force Big Tech firms to pay for broadband construction (arstechnica.com)

submitted 1 year ago by BrikoX@vlemmy.net to c/news@beehaw.org

47 comments fedilink hide all child comments

cross-posted from: https://vlemmy.net/post/152995

Alternative published title: AT&T/Verizon lobby group pushes for payments from Big Tech

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[–] orbit@beehaw.org 86 points 1 year ago (17 children)

Or maybe we should hold ISPs accountable for the $400 Billion they pocketed instead of laying fiber in the late 90s.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-book-of-broken-promis_b_5839394

[–] Jentu@beehaw.org 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah I’m surprised they’re saying anything about this since it immediately made me remember that garbage they pulled.

[–] RoverStoker@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago

Retired telecom worker here:

Every single time your telecommunications provider goes to DC to lobby against their taxes they promise "Please oh please please if you'll just lower our taxes we pinky swear to expand broadband. We're going to expand the reach of DSL, we're gonna lay cable for Uverse internet, we're invented this thing where high speed internet goes over your electrical grid. We promise you we can do the thing if only you'll cut our taxes."

So DC does and guess what happens? Job cuts. Cut back on techs needed to actually do the work. The money is used for stock buy backs, to buy a company or two (bought at a high price then sold at a loss of course) and the CEO bails with a golden parachute:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2020/05/12/atts-ceo-steps-down-with-a-64-million-gold-plated-retirement-plan/?sh=3ede18b759bd

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