Not sure you read the article. Comcast as expected created a new tier of service to qualify that was grossly expensive. They abused the system and the intent to spur investment in infrastructure was sidestepped.
What's more, $300 for 2Gbps is not bad at all. It's not super cheap like Google's offering, but it's about what Verizon charges for 500Mbps, for example.
I propose an alternate headline: "Oregon legislators attempt to spur investment, fail to think through legislation, accidentally grant tax break to incumbent."
Okay, so you say it has to be available 24/7 to comply, but then even Google can't meet that so you add another requirement. Or maybe you have to anticipate legitimate cases of hyperinflation...
At some point you have to just step back and say, "stop being a dick, that's pretty clear not what the law meant and you're just abusing it".
It's not hard to realize that if you say that a company can qualify for a tax break by offering a service, and you don't say what sort of price that offer must have, that the company might "qualify" without really offering the service by offering it at a really high price. That doesn't require being psychic, that just requires sitting down and thinking like the "enemy" for five seconds.
I agree that at some point you have to step back and say "you're just abusing this," I just think that failing to specify price requirements is way, way, way before that point. And thus I can't agree with calling Comcast's behavior here "abuse." Especially when their price is actually not all that unreasonable.
This is monumentally stupid as they not only have no firm commitment from Google, furthermore they are losing money now because of the tax break.
<tinhat> One almost wonders if this was what Comcast wanted in the first place via lobbying. If so, that's quite some submarining.
I'm not one to defend Comcast, but $300/month for 2Gbps fiber is NOT "grossly expensive." It's the exact same product (minus SLA) they sell business customers for thousands. I'm paying $210 a month for gigabit-that-isn't from a WISP, and would jump at the chance to pay Comcast instead.