[rlpb]

> they would have less incentive to upgrade them as those networks then become pure commodities

Pit DSL against cable, as has happened in the UK. The POTS network is owned by one company (BT) and the cable network by others. Retail customers generally have a choice of connecting to the Internet by either. BT (POTS network owner) are required to sell traffic wholesale to competitor ISPs (who then buy their own transit). This seems to work very well here, and DSL upgrades continue.

[robk]

British DSL is far worse than cable in my experience. Virgin's cable & fiber offering is massively faster and has a wider footprint than DSL products I've seen.

[rlpb]

> British DSL is far worse than cable in my experience.

Define "worse". What ISP were you using?

From a peering point of view as described in the article, there are a large number of ISPs buying transit and then selling Internet connections through BT-provided last mile DSL lines. I never suffer from peering congestion, since my (DSL) ISP pride themselves on not having any.

For the link from my local exchange to my ISP, there are multiple options, too, and my ISP monitors congestion on my line closely. I currently have no congestion there, either, and if I did, there are multiple providers available (thanks to LLU): http://revk.www.me.uk/2014/02/bt-21cn-not-fit-for-purpose.ht...

The only issue with DSL in the UK is the (mostly analogue) quality of the DSL line itself, and the way that BT (the company with the monopoly on POTS lines) manages them. And perhaps the pace of upgrades (eg. to fibre to a street cabinet and copper from there, instead of copper all the way from the exchange), but upgrade rollouts are happening (and fibre to the cabinet is already available to me).

[kasey_junk]

That describes almost precisely how the US system works.

[opendais]

[text removed since it seem to have confused the person who replied]

http://news.cnet.com/FCC-changes-DSL-classification/2100-103... "The ruling puts phone companies on the same regulatory footing as cable companies, which are exempt from having to offer access on their infrastructure to competing Internet service providers."

[kasey_junk]

I'm not an expert, but I'm reasonably certain that Cable providers in the UK are also not required to provide ISP access via their networks.

[rlpb]

No, they are not. Otherwise I'd be using one.

[opendais]

Yes but he is claiming the US system works like the British system...when it doesn't.

[7952]

TV is also a huge factor in the UK. Both BT and Sky need high broadband speeds to be able to offer video on demand that can compete with virgin.