Why is cox cable internet so bad in California?

Packet loss for more than 5 years. Ping spikes +100-200 for many many years. Their cables are rusting and it shows. I'm definitely not encouraging anyone to live here, and don't want my kids to grow up in an environment where the infrastructure is clearly decaying and costs way too much for what? It's honestly making me embarrassed to be American because it seems 95% of the entire developed world has more consistent internet than here.

(Southern California)