Why Telecom Suck

The telecom industry has done little to promote the growth and vibrant economy of the internet. In fact, what they've done is tried desperately to control the internet, as it's the sure way to increase their short term profits. The need for control has led the industry to push for the death of net neutrality, claiming that only from its ashes would they have the incentive to innovate. Firstly, telecom industry hardly has a history of innovation. Most innovations that they exploit today comes from outside their industry. Secondly, history shows that monopolies are hardly the breeding ground for innovation. Innovation costs money and requires risk taking. If you're in complete control of a market, with a steady revenue flow, why would you spend a cent to innovate? You've a captive customer base. There's simply no incentive. With such evidence stacked up against the death of net neutrality, you would therefore expect the pols that have been well informed and well compensated by the telecom industry to make the right decision -- which is to cede control of the internet to the telecom giants.

Well, at least the internet is neutral elsewhere in the world. Too bad the rest of us will have to look over the fence to see how things could have been.

Related: The Phone Companies Still Don't Get It.