AT&T And The Slow Internet

AT&T Fights to Keep Your Internet As Slow As Possible

Joan McCarter | February 8, 2016

Last February, the Federal Communications Commission made history by taking sweeping action to promote a fast, fair, and open internet. Their net neutrality ruling made the most headlines, but a second ruling preventing states from blocking localities seeking to develop municipal broadband was nearly as huge. Both have been fought tooth and nail—and taken to court—by industry. That's made Chattanooga, Tennessee, ground zero in a war financed by AT&T.

Chattanooga, Tenn., is more than 2,400 miles from Silicon Valley, but residents of the Southern city have access to broadband that's 50 times faster than the majority of Internet connections in technology's capital. Why, you ask? Chattanooga's municipally owned electric utility, EPB, provides its broadband Internet.

Chattanooga's neighbors would like to set up a similar arrangement, but AT&T, which delivers much slower broadband in the area — when it delivers at all — is trying to block the plan, saying the government should not compete with private enterprise.

Angry Tennessee consumers and legislators aren't backing down. "Don't fall for the argument that this is a free market versus government battle. It is not. AT&T is the villain here, and so are the other people and cable," said Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Tenn.) at a community rally, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Source: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/2/8/1481869/-AT-amp-T-fights-to-keep-your-internet-as-slow-as-possible

<more at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/2/8/1481869/-AT-amp-T-fights-to-keep-your-internet-as-slow-as-possible; related links: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2016/feb/03/tennessee-supporters-rural-broadband-rally-state-capitol-demand-legislative-action/348317/ ('AT&T is the villain' in battle over rural broadband access, Gardenhire says. February 3, 2016) and http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/2/26/1367059/-Victory-for-the-internet-in-the-FCC (Victory for the internet in the FCC! February 26, 2015)>