Brkdncr

They did not. They bought postini. Before then spam was really, really bad on gmail.

Google accomplished their goal of increasing internet usage. Where ever they threatened to go the local isp suddenly got their act together.

I’m suggesting local government 1)provide a baseline service and 2) treat last-mile delivery like a utility. In the pockets of the US where local government or utility provider is also an ISP, I have yet to hear of people being upset with it. It’s usually something crazy like $15/mo for 500/50 speeds that comes out of your water/trash/electric bill.

I’m not saying what they are doing/did is best. I think it’s been mishandled for decades. I’m just saying this is how the government “thinks” and why cost overruns and corruption is often lower on the priority list.

I’d rather the service providers be threatened with local government ownership if they mishandle the deal.

In fact I think last-mile delivery should be provided by the local government and be subsidized by taxes to some extent. Residents should have the option to use public funded internet with baseline bandwidth targets, have the ability to choose a different ISP that’s managed at a local colo going over the public wires, or choose a last mile isp using their own private wired or wireless infrastructure.

At the end of the day the gov shouldnt care. They are spending the same amount of money.

If the government wants to make it fair though, they can simply block the “scammers” from future projects.

Yes, but think like the government: should we fine the isp, or do what it takes to get broadband to those underserved areas? Fines and other similar approaches just put those ISPs closer to going out of business and that makes it worse for the people targeted by the project.

These are anywhere from a few hours behind to weeks behind.