Battleangel | Personal

A favorite rant that I often returned to in the old blog is the matter of xDSL connection where I live. Or broadband services in general for that matter. The issue is that I can’t get any of them. Period. Because of a little inconsistency in the telephony line grid the local backbone is unable to support the DSL technology (or so I’ve been told). This at least the standing assumption.

Whatever the technical reason is, the real problem is the lack of public interest. Since the launch of ADSL in Sweden two years ago, the monthly fee has basically doubled. At the current level, people figure they can spend their money more wisely than on a broadband internet connection. Obviously, the initial broadband boom has been slowed down considerably. Areas that aren’t eligible for DSL now might never be.

It’s the beauty of a market economy I suppose. Supply and demand. If you really should accept that concept? This isn’t really a question of whether everyone has the right to a designer toilet brush or a crystal chandelier! This is turning into a human right. Just as we measure prosperity by the number of telephones or infant survival rate, a broadband connection is something that you either have or else you are left in the dust with other undeveloped countries. It also comes down to the question of who should be trusted with these kinds of global issues. Are economic interests to be trusted. No?

Just look at the misconduct by the pharmaceutical companies that tried to prevent poor african nations from importing alternate drugs for HIV/AIDS treatment. That is a prime example of how big companies step all over the rights of the individual. As the saying goes, SCIENTIA REGIT. I don’t have a problem with monopolistic or hierarchical structures or such as long as knowledge is the key. Economists and lawyers can wander inferno forever. Social sciences are of limited use. I am sure Dante could have told you that as well. Well, well .. to get back on topic again.

Telia (formerly known as Televerket) are morally on very thin ice when they adjust their prices. What many never comprehend is that we basically paid for this copper based service already. Who do I reckon that? Well, only a couple of years ago, Telia was owned in full by the Swedish government. I.e. out taxes were used to fund their operation (and because of this something like 99.9% of the population are connected by _at least_ copper lines, this probably ranks very well compared to most other countries in the world). But then they become a privately owned corporation and what happens then? Do we get a refund? No, of course not, we get higher prices for less service and this time around there is no way in hell they are going to supply 99.9% of the population with anything .. unless you want to pay market value prices of course.

To the left is a little picture collage I put together to show just unfair this world is. And again, X marks the spot. This also disproves that broadband is some sort of luxurious toy for people with too much time or money. You may be living in the best neighbourhood in town but it is really no matter to those pencil pushers at Telia.

It’s really sick. If there was ever a time when I wanted to promote anarchy and civil disobedience this would be it. Telia has been at the top of my ten-things-I-hate-about-Sweden-list for some five or six years now. Impressive. Should I call them up and tell them the good news .. maybe I could present them with some sort of an award for this outstanding achievement.   *puke*