Hello!
I'm from East Tennessee (as of 2010), and I'm writing this as per Wendel's request from The Tek 0225.
The issue with Comcast isn't one isolated to that company, or even the ISP market. An Australian company pushed their traffic cameras, and collected fines in the past. In Knoxville, there is a huge uproar about Gov. Bill Haslam's plan to outsource jobs in the University of Tennessee to out of state companies.
As to why a lot of Tennesseans are being 'brainwashed', could simply be because a lot of people (or at least the people I've met in my local area) do not want government intruding on their personal lives. While that is a legitimate concern, another reason why a few Tennesseans would oppose the ISP expansion beyond Chattanooga is simply because they do not have internet access (or even a computer if you're impoverished). Without an ISP, the ability to research the issues at hand is restricted.
Anytime someone says that the government is try to regulate the internet, I always explain that Comcast, ATT, Verizon, whatever is NOT the internet. I've written my congressman to get that point across, and I got a reply back from him about believing in the 'hands off' approach, "allowing the FCC to regulate the internet would be an example of gross government overreach".
Did you respond with the fact that "Open Internet" is designed to be the regulation that "Doesn't" regulate the internet, but regulates companies trying to FUCK with the internet, and citizens access to the internet?
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Sounds like your rep is bought and sold. We had a similar situation almost happen here in Minneapolis, where the city council put up to a vote to allow Centurylink expansion into fiber. There's one counsel person on there, who voted against it, and her campaign donations I believe from Comcast. Comcast had a spokesperson who was also outraged at the time of the vote.
"But....something something free market, something something political donations!"
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I've pretty much informed him that the FCC's policy on Net Neutrality does not allow government control of the internet (something that is beyond the realm of possibility, and might also be a 1st Amendment issue anyway), but rather it prohibits your ISP from doing something similar (the internet as a whole, and an ISP are two different things). He has also been informed of the considerable, practical power these major ISPs have over their customers (and non-customers) in regards to access to information. I wasn't optimistic writing the letter, but I can at least say I wrote my legislature and took part in politics. :)
What really has me worried about the whole issue is that the access to the internet is being denied to several people in rural communities still. This denial of internet access is a big hindrance for people who want to find a new job, learn new skills, do homework, all the things that you usually need internet access to do in this day and age.
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