Re: More BW, Less Taxes

[bmanning () vacation karoshi com]

> At 03:37 PM 5/29/01 +0000, bmanning () vacation karoshi com wrote:
>
> >         Why does BW cost so much?
>
> It might make more sense to ask "Why is bandwidth so cheap (and getting 
> cheaper so fast) in the US?" The simple answer is: Moore's law, competition 
> (leading to a "fiber glut") and economies of scale.
>
> If you're across an ocean from the US, you have to factor in the cost of 
> running underwater cable.

        Actually, this was/is a troll.  BW costs outside the US are high
        because of two things:  ) International tariffs based on voice
        traffic profiles.  )local tariffs from monopoly carriers that
        contribute significant % of a soverigns GDP.
        The first is a legacy holdover that should be revised. The second
        is a tough nut to crack.

        Trans-oceanic capabilities will remain a bottleneck, but they
        are not as problematic as in the previous decade. Witness Tyco
        or any of the other folk that have cable-laying capability. Last
        year they had waiting lines for boats.  Now the boats are idle.
        Too much capacity in water and no-one taking it up. (see first
        point above) 

        YMMV.

--bill