I am a conservative. Who thinks decades’ worth of a lack of proper antitrust enforcement – has been a key component in the downfall of America. Especially in the tech sector. Especially with Big Tech
The likes of Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon are so incredibly huge in large part because Big Government has colluded with Big Tech – and stood down on any real antitrust enforcement.
Big Tech has engaged in hundreds of unopposed acquisitions – which has allowed for their ever-increasing market consolidation. And then market dominance.
Big Tech has consumed hundreds of competitors – and potential competitors. And companies in other sectors – which then allowed these monsters to dominate those sectors as well.
The Market Cap results:
Alphabet (Google): $4.01 trillion
Apple: $3.81 trillion
Microsoft: $3.20 trillion
Amazon: $2.59 trillion
Companies getting this titanic is not the sign of a healthy economy. (Or a healthy government.)
Conversely, there is a sector that is 99 percent-dominated – and it isn’t at all a problem. In fact, that 99 percent was reached in a field full of competitors vying for their shares in said marketplace.
The sector to which I refer is the home Internet Service Provider (ISP) sector.
But this isn’t one company dominating this market. It is one technology.
That technology is 5G wireless. In 2024, 99 percent of new home Internet subscribers chose 5G as their ISP.
5G Home Internet Has Taken the Broadband World by Storm:
“We’ve fully embraced 5G on our phones by now and for good reason. The tech upgrade boosts cellular speeds 10 to 100 times faster than the previous generation.
“It’s so fast and powerful that the wireless signals can serve double duty, delivering cellular connectivity and home internet service.”
Again, this is not Big Tech-esque corporate domination. There are, in fact, numerous companies providing home 5G service.
And there are, in fact, numerous companies providing numerous other home ISP techs: Fiber, cable, fixed wireless, DSL, and satellite to name but a few.
But last year, 99 percent of Americans – unilaterally, individually – chose 5G wireless as their new home ISP.
By design of the tech, you are capable of getting multiple wireless providers to your home. You are fortunate if you have one fiber and/or cable provider digging trenches to reach your abode. And the wireless providers are way cheaper.
And by design of the tech, 5G is a faster service option than satellite. And cheaper. And with lower latency (the delay in receiving data).
And of course, the “D” in “DSL” should stand for “Dinosaur.”
And while fiber and cable are often faster than 5G, the only question that really matters is:
Do you really need all that speed?
High-definition video downloads have long been the most data-intensive thing most of us do via the internet. And for years now, we’ve been seamlessly streaming high-definition videos on our phones – via our wireless networks.
And that goes back to when the networks were 4G. 5G is 10-100 times faster than 4G, which blows way past anything you need on your phone – or at home.
Americans have taken ALL of this into consideration, and in 2024 – 99 percent chose 5G wireless as their new home ISP.
All of which raises questions I have LONG had for the federal government.
The feds insist on continuing to be in the ISP business. With at least seven different permanent programs doing so and repeated congressional legislative “stimulus” bumps to throw on the pile. All adding up to hundreds of billions of dollars – and counting….
And The feds are doing this even though 98 percent of Americans have been connected to the Internet since at least 2015.
One question for The Feds is:
Why? Why do you insist on being so exceedingly redundant and wasteful?
I know…stupid question. “Shaquille – why do you insist on being so tall?”
An actual question:
If you’re going to insist on being so exceedingly redundant and wasteful – can you at least do so with the tech everyone wants?
Currently underway (and way behind schedule) is yet another congressional legislative “stimulus” bump: The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. $42.5 billion of additional dollars – wasted on the way.
And in an America in which 99 percent are choosing 5G wireless. Guess what the feds are doing?
Fiber Still in Line for Two-Thirds of BEAD Locations
Fiber is almost certainly the most expensive of all the ISP options. And The Feds are wasting tens of billions of dollars on this very expensive tech.
That Americans don’t even want. Or need.
As demonstrated by 99 percent just last year choosing 5G wireless. Because it’s cheaper. And great.
How very government of all of it.
And all of them.
