Technology

Oh Look, More Giant ISPs Taking Taxpayer Money For Unfinished Networks

4 years ago

Anonymous $-riAjkQg_1

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200127/09334443804/look-more-giant-isps-taking-taxpayer-money-unfinished-networks.shtml

For more than a decade we've highlighted how the U.S. simply adores throwing taxpayer money at giant telecom companies in exchange for networks they then only half deploy. Whether it's on the city, state, or federal level, we've thrown untold billions at mono/duopolies which in turn dodge their obligations under these agreements with little to no real penalty. While sometimes this money winds up being used as intended, just as often this money winds up being pocketed by executives and shareholders with little discernible impact on America's broken and uncompetitive broadband markets.
The latest case in point: both Centurylink and Frontier have informed the FCC they've failed to meet FCC required broadband milestones after receiving millions in taxpayer subsidies:

Oh Look, More Giant ISPs Taking Taxpayer Money For Unfinished Networks

Jan 28, 2020, 2:22pm UTC

$-riAjkQg_1

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200127/09334443804/look-more-giant-isps-taking-taxpayer-money-unfinished-networks.shtml > For more than a decade we've highlighted how the U.S. simply adores throwing taxpayer money at giant telecom companies in exchange for networks they then only half deploy. Whether it's on the city, state, or federal level, we've thrown untold billions at mono/duopolies which in turn dodge their obligations under these agreements with little to no real penalty. While sometimes this money winds up being used as intended, just as often this money winds up being pocketed by executives and shareholders with little discernible impact on America's broken and uncompetitive broadband markets. > The latest case in point: both Centurylink and Frontier have informed the FCC they've failed to meet FCC required broadband milestones after receiving millions in taxpayer subsidies: