St. Louis Internet? A Terrible Situation

An offer you can’t refuse…

$80/month, you gotta love it!

It seems that in St. Louis, AT&T has the monopoly of the internet business. They definitely act like it!
What six months ago was a “promotion” for $42/month does not exist anymore. The single current “promotion” is  $79/month for 45 Mbps.
They move you up to a speed twice as fast, but they also get you to spend about TWICE as much, and that’s their only promotion available!

So what needs to happen? Does Next Century Cities need to happen here too? The mayor, the citizens of St. Louis need to get involved?

Here is what NCC proposes:

NCC’s Principles

Next Century Cities believes that there is no single pathway to a smart, effective approach to next- generation broadband. What matters is meaningful choice, dedicated leadership, and smart collaboration. Our participating leaders and communities are committed to the following principles:

• High-Speed Internet Is Necessary Infrastructure: fast, reliable, and affordable Internet – at globally competitive speeds – is no longer optional. Residents, schools, libraries, and businesses require next-generation connectivity to succeed.
• The Internet Is Nonpartisan: because the Internet is an essential resource for residents and businesses in all communities, the provision of fast, reliable, and affordable Internet transcends partisanship. This collaboration welcomes leaders of all affiliations and beliefs who believe fast, reliable, and affordable high-speed Internet access is essential to secure America’s Internet future.
• Communities Must Enjoy Self-Determination: broadband solutions must align with community needs—there is no perfect model that is universally appropriate. Towns and cities should have the right to consider all options – whether public, nonprofit, corporate, or some other hybrid – free from interference.
• High-Speed Internet Is a Community-Wide Endeavor: building effective next-generation networks requires cooperation across communities. It is critical to involve and include multiple stakeholders and perspectives to succeed, including businesses, community organizations, residents, anchor institutions, and others. Everyone in a community should be able to access the Internet on reasonable terms.
• Meaningful Competition Drives Progress: a vibrant, diverse marketplace, with transparency in offerings, pricings, and policies will spur innovation, increase investment, and lower prices. Communities, residents, and businesses should have a meaningful choice in providers.
• Collaboration Benefits All: innovative approaches to broadband deployment present diverse challenges and opportunities to communities and regions. Working together, cities can learn from the experiences of others, lower costs, and make the best use of next-generation networks.
  

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  The Washington Post in January 2015 states that “The most popular residential plan is $45.50 a month for download speeds of 50 megabits per second.”
  Not in St. Louis! Here it seems to be twice the national average.
  Is it the same everywhere else in the U.S.?

  Something needs to change fast.