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[–]FormosaOolong 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

This happened in my state too. They were actually found guilty in court and were ordered to pay just a fraction of what they had stolen. Eventually the company changed its name, rolled out fiber along the highway for a few miles out of town, and then never connected it to anyone's house. Thanks, corrupt capitalism, way to go.

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

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    [–]FormosaOolong 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

    Actually, it didn't come from the government. The companies collected "taxes" on their phone bills, which was earmarked by the government for the purpose of expanding internet to the appallingly underserved rural (and even suburban) americans. That appalling lack of service still exists, because those companies just kept using those funds they were permitted to collect (by the FCC or bureau of AG or whatever) for purposes other than rural expanasion. Like continually upgrading speed in areas where they had the population density to make it more profitable for themselves. I am not defending govt's here--but in this case it was the corporations defrauding the customers--albeit probably with the blessing, or a at least the willful ignorance--of the government agencies that permitted them to collect taxes from their customers.