Most of Doctorow's explanation for why internet platforms have gone down the toilet is hardly novel. While he offers some interesting technical nuances and solutions, his analysis largely comes down to two big factors: a lack of competition and an absence of the right, pro-consumer regulations.

For many Minnesota businesses—from the bustling metro-area office complex to a multi-location medical clinic—a questionable connection isn't just an inconvenience, it's a major operational setback that can threaten revenues and reputations.

Amazon.com Inc.’s reputation as a reliable provider of cloud services took a hit on Monday when an outage lasting some 15 hours disrupted the operations of hundreds of companies, ranging from Apple Inc.