Today at VON
VON is very big. In fact, it's an epic conference. I did my bit on net neutrality. I have to say I thought the BellSouth panelist, Jon Banks, was very good indeed.
But he kept saying, and Scott Cleland kept saying, that competition in the market for residential broadband access was very strong. Prices are lower! Service is better!
That's just not true. If competition is such a potent force, why was Verizon able to invent a new service charge to take the place of its Universal Service charge — and only back down in the face of FCC intervention and general uproar? Why are cable prices flat or going up? Why are DSL subscribers getting less bandwidth per dollar than last year? Why do 40% of zip codes in the US have a choice of only one broadband provider?
I'm not saying the network neutrality question is easy. But the broadband access market isn't competitive. I'm waiting until some state AG starts investigating whether cable and DSL providers are colluding. Go, state AG!
After our (quite polite and subdued) debate, I went out and wandered around the epic conference floor. I couldn't stay long, and it was just too big to take in quickly, and I couldn't find the lunch. I know that Jeff Jarvis gave a great speech the day before, but I had to miss that too.
Next time I go to Fall VON I'll take the month off to soak it all in.