The Corrosive Influence of Telecom Lobbyists

Earlier today, Japan successfully launched an experimental satellite aimed at providing high-speed Internet access across Asia.  The 342 million dollar-Kizuna will allow super-high speed data communications of up to 1.2 Gbps, which would make it the fastest in the world.  According to AFP reports, “[t]he satellite will enable students in Asian countries to communicate smoothly and with no time lag among one another, as if they were in the same classroom.” 

It completely blows my mind that we, as citizens of what claims to be the greatest country in the world, are allowing countries on the other side of the planet to go unchallenged by North Americans in the provisioning of residential gigabit Internet access at an affordable price. 

There is a lot of talk going on right now about net neutrality and the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2008.  Fact of the matter is that telecom lobbyists will continue to impose their corrosive influence on our elected officials in Washington and destroy our ability to compete globally.  

The impact of this goes way beyond the ability of our middle class to download YouTube videos of backyard wrestling matches more quickly.  The unavailability of super high speed residential Internet access is preventing progress in education, remote worker productivity and some impressive entrepreneurial opportunities currently hampered by the inherent limitations of megabit Internet connectivity.  One could also argue that our civil liberties of free speech are being suppressed as well. 

Bottom line is that until we make a conscious and collective decision to do whatever it takes to compete globally, people of the United States will continue to fall further and further behind.