[IP] More on At SBC, It's All About "Scale and Scope"

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: DV Henkel-Wallace <gumby@henkel-wallace.org>
Date: October 30, 2005 5:47:11 PM EST
To: "Robert J. Berger" <rberger@ibd.com>
Cc: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne@warpspeed.com>, David Farber  
<dave@farber.net>
Subject: Re: [IP] More on At SBC, It's All About "Scale and Scope"


It _is_ frightening, but Whitacre and his peers should beware what  
they wish for.

If I can't call you I presume that it's because _my_ phone service is  
broken.  Most people, especially the (phone-)technically  
unsophisticated, will feel the same.  If SBC goes down this path  
they're just _asking_ Congress  or the FCC to give them common- 
carrier status back, this time for the data service they fought so  
hard to be exempt.

Would Microsoft (MSN) fight the Telcos/Cablecos rather than be in  
their thrall?  Were MS to choose to not fight, Yahoo! and Google  
would likely chose the opposite  in response...via lobbyists.

It would not be a good idea for the "first mile" to be regulated like  
POTS, so we should fight this.  But the worst-case for actual users  
is probably even worse for the telcos.

-d




> From: "Robert J. Berger" <rberger@ibd.com>
> Date: October 30, 2005 4:36:33 PM EST
>
> The interview with SBC's Whitacre is truely frightening. He is
> talking like a monopolost with "absolute power" and with no
> fear that anyone will be able to stop him.


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