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Great Strawman for Regulation v. Innovation

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agavi...@gmail.com

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Jun 12, 2017, 2:17:01 PM6/12/17
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http://www.aei.org/publication/regulation-vs-innovation-why-1950s-teenagers-didnt-have-cellphones/

Obviously more to the story, but it makes one wonder what citizens can accomplish when governments get out of the way.

xyzzy

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Jun 12, 2017, 2:24:08 PM6/12/17
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On Monday, June 12, 2017 at 2:17:01 PM UTC-4, the_andr...@yahoo.com wrote:
> http://www.aei.org/publication/regulation-vs-innovation-why-1950s-teenagers-didnt-have-cellphones/
>
> Obviously more to the story, but it makes one wonder what citizens can accomplish when governments get out of the way.

Quote 1 from that article:

When AT&T wanted to start developing cellular in 1947, the FCC rejected the idea,

Quote 2 from the same article:

One of the best examples of the FCC’s opposition to competition that undermines its regulatory silos was the FCC’s cozy but counterproductive relationship with the Bell telephone monopoly. Major technological innovations were delayed for decades in part because Bell was protected by the FCC from normal competitive pressures.

Maybe the author thought he could hide the obvious contradiction by referring to it as "AT&T" in one passage and "The Bell Telephone Monopoly" in the next one?

dotsla...@gmail.com

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Jun 12, 2017, 4:28:35 PM6/12/17
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Oh, absolutely. That's why you see so much innovation coming out of alabama and mississippi, while it's nothing but stagnation and same old same old in california and new york.

Cheers.

agavi...@gmail.com

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Jun 12, 2017, 5:38:56 PM6/12/17
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All I could think of was the size of those tube-based phones.

xyzzy

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Jun 13, 2017, 10:27:58 AM6/13/17
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On Monday, June 12, 2017 at 5:38:56 PM UTC-4, the_andr...@yahoo.com wrote:
> All I could think of was the size of those tube-based phones.

Early 80s movies (like Major League) are fun to watch just because of the cell phones.

agavi...@gmail.com

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Jun 13, 2017, 10:57:49 AM6/13/17
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Remember bag phones?

The transmitter for my car phone was massive.

xyzzy

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Jun 13, 2017, 11:01:37 AM6/13/17
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On Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at 10:57:49 AM UTC-4, the_andr...@yahoo.com wrote:
> Remember bag phones?
>
> The transmitter for my car phone was massive.

I remember when they were called Car Phones. Lexus offered one as an option. It was quite cutting edge.

https://www.google.com/search?q=lexus+car+phone&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwirz76fi7vUAhUBcz4KHcywD4cQsAQIbw&biw=1202&bih=612

Emperor Wonko the Sane

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Jun 13, 2017, 11:04:51 AM6/13/17
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On Monday, June 12, 2017 at 1:17:01 PM UTC-5, the_andr...@yahoo.com wrote:
> http://www.aei.org/publication/regulation-vs-innovation-why-1950s-teenagers-didnt-have-cellphones/
>
> Obviously more to the story, but it makes one wonder what citizens can accomplish when governments get out of the way.

The obvious counterpoint is that the cellular phone system wouldn't work at all without a regulatory system in place.

Doug

agavi...@gmail.com

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Jun 13, 2017, 11:15:04 AM6/13/17
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That is exactly what my handset looked like.

Except the Lexus logos.

agavi...@gmail.com

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Jun 13, 2017, 11:15:28 AM6/13/17
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Sure it would.

J. Hugh Sullivan

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Jun 13, 2017, 2:34:30 PM6/13/17
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On Tue, 13 Jun 2017 08:01:35 -0700 (PDT), xyzzy <xyzzy...@gmail.com>
wrote:
Lincoln offered one, too.

Hugh

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Emperor Wonko the Sane

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Jun 14, 2017, 10:23:30 AM6/14/17
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On Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at 10:15:28 AM UTC-5, the_andr...@yahoo.com wrote:
> Sure it would.

Um, how? For starters, the FCC determines what frequencies you can use. Without this, your phone would have no idea who to talk to and how.

Doug
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