[2796] in Commercialization & Privatization of the Internet
Internet Privitization
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Dave Hughes)
Wed Jun 3 22:23:15 1992
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 1992 20:22:07 -0600
From: Dave Hughes <daveh@csn.org>
To: com-priv@psi.com
Beware of the glib 'let the markplace' decide the pricing of
the Internet UNTIL and UNLESS the US government itself makes
sure there is a truely 'competitive' environment for the
'marketplace'to operate in.
The core debate over the NSF contractual deal with ANS has to
do with whether or not our dear US Government has, or will,
defacto, award a virtual monopoly to one private company,
r give it such un-competitive advantage through direct and
indirect subsidy, that the 'marketplace' will only have
one place to buy from.
I do not have all the details, but I direct your attention
to the rotton deal the Reagan Adminstration made in 'privatizng'
Landsat images, which by everyone who fills my ear, has permitted
a company to so stick it you-know-where to scientists, universities,
and others that it has crippled scientific research based on
those satellite images.
And the Securities and Exchange Commission has been fiddling with
a similar deal with a private 'value added' outfit, which will
charge so damn much for 'public' information, that the investigative
press will be unable to search such public records.
Predatory corporations LOVE to get monopolies awarded by the
Federal Governmnet - all in the name of 'privatization' to
cut the costs of 'government.'
I wouldn't worry 5 minutes about Dialog's pricing for its
services. I would REALLY be concerned with the carrier in
between me and Dialog's offerings.
