When you read about Net Neutrality here or around the Net, one topic that comes up frequently is the telcos' failure to deploy high-speed broadband years ago. You see, the telcos' argument for discriminating on their networks is that they need the revenue to pay for infrastructure improvements. Problem is, last time they got revenue for infrastructure improvements - under the Telecom Act 1996 - they pocketed the money but didn't actually improve the infrastructure.

In Robert Cringely's latest column, he explains the telcos' betrayal in detail, which he knows because he was there. He was an entrepreneur trying to innovate under the 1996 Act's framework, creating set-top boxes to deliver high-speed video on demand to homes. Unfortunately for him and for consumers, the telcos never implemented his or any other system. It's good reading if you want to understand why, exactly, the "we need revenue to build out the network" argument doesn't hold water.