Matthew Ingram says Bell South is making good on telcos’ threat to start charging both ends of the broadband cable. They’re crying poverty.
I don’t buy it. Last I heard — and I would love someone to give me fresh numbers — cable broadband services operated at better than a 40 percent margin. Now I’m not one of those who believes that regulating profit levels is necessarily good. But since broadband providers operate at best in a duopoly — since they benefit from regulation in government-granted franchises — the least we should have is transparency: How much do you clear on broadband, boys? Off with the hairshirts; they’re unbecoming.
