America's Digital Divide, Broadband disaster (1 Viewer)

[Clinton McClure]

My terrestrial internet doesn't care how my house is shingled either, only my cell phone. I looked at some cellular antennas at the time but I didn't want to have to put up a pole or attach the antenna to our house and run cable, etc... The microcell is a simple solution which cost $100 and I installed it in a couple of minutes. There's no monthly fee for it since we don't use cellular data on the microcell, only voice. Satellite also has data caps and throttling, neither of which are enforced by my ISP. I have truly unlimited data usage. Lesser of two evils.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

I wish everyone had speedy internet but I can see why providers do not want to spend the money to bring it to the boondocks. They are in the business of making money and the math simply does not add up.

That's the same argument that was used by the electric companies back in the 20s and 30s. It took FDR and the federal government to provide power for all.

 

[Sam Posten]

Yep, that is a strong argument. The question becomes do you want the Government to be the gatekeeper for ALL your bits? I sure don't.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

I could see the government building the infrastructure and either renting or selling it to private companies.

 

[Sam Posten]

I think the matter of public trust vice inserting the government into what is already mostly monopoly service areas is going to be a tough row to hoe, but not impossible. I certainly wouldn't buy in to it and I'm extremely enthusiastic and appreciative of government services like roads, education and clean water. I think it's just fundamentally a different thing.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

But there are certain things that's too large for private business to take on.

 

[Clinton McClure]

I would be all for the gubment setting up an infrastructure then turning it over to the pirates... ahem... private businesses.

 

[McCrutchy]

I think the matter of public trust vice inserting the government into what is already mostly monopoly service areas is going to be a tough row to hoe, but not impossible. I certainly wouldn't buy in to it and I'm extremely enthusiastic and appreciative of government services like roads, education and clean water. I think it's just fundamentally a different thing.

Tangentially related to this, there is no way that, in say twenty years, the World Wide Web (and possibly, the internet) should it exist, will be as accessible as it is today, That's because tomorrow's adults, today's children, once some of them get into politics as adults, would want the government to keep their own children from harm. I'm talking about the generation that has discovered things like porn and online shopping and uncensored forums for cyberbullying almost from birth, and how all of these things are clicks away and require no real proof of age or identity. I mean, right now, if you have access to a Visa or MasterCard, there are numerous activities and goods available on the internet, that would be far more restricted in the real world.


I think the idea of the government getting more and more involved with our internet service is inching closer to reality with every passing year and every new (i.e. more recently born) politician. Once the majority is keenly aware of the dangers of the internet, I think we will see them regulating it more and more.

 

[Sam Posten]

There is no way that, in say twenty years, the World Wide Web (and possibly, the internet) should it exist, will be as accessible as it is today, That's because tomorrow's adults, today's children, once some of them get into politics as adults, would want the government to keep their own children from harm.

We must not be talking to and working with the same generation. The snake people I talk to are more liberal with data sharing than my or my parents generation, that's for sure. And they are avoiding childbirth in historic numbers, so that parental instinct you are expecting to kick in might never happen.

 

[Todd Erwin]

There is a senior community near where I live, Laguna Woods, which owns the cable company and prides itself on its "20 available HD channels" and "fast 12Mbps internet." The community demographics are beginning to change with the baby boomers starting to consider purchasing homes in the community, and then vocally saying they will look elsewhere when they see how bad the options are for TV and internet. The only other options, besides cable, are U-Verse (which, unfortunately is really AT&T DSL service for internet) or satellite (which requires community approval, which is becoming, or so I've heard, more and more difficult to obtain).


Many in the community are getting fed up with the choices, and are becoming more and more vocal, and I often joke that anarchy is coming to that community when more people from my generation begin to move in there. There are a lot of people who come into my store from Laguna Woods who want to desperately "cut the cord," but, unfortunately, their options are few to none. The irony is that the community is surrounded by cities serviced by a fairly decent cable company (Cox) and upgraded AT&T service areas.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Gadzooks. My subdivision was built post 2000 and has all underground utilities. The local cable company (CableOne) offers many tiers of broadband Internet, with the lowest tier at 50 Mbps, going up to 75 Mbps and then 100 Mbps. The lowest tier is good enough for me at $50 a month. I'm having to change since CLEAR is getting shut down by purchaser Sprint.


My sub is lucky enough to have modern infrastructure plus being build on a farmer's field that has very senior water rights. I get all the irrigation water I care to use for FREE.

 

[Clinton McClure]

I'm crazy jealous.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

CableOne is polite enough to have a page showing which modems are compatible with their service should you want to buy one rather than rent. http://support.cableone.net/app/answers/detail/a_id/780 I'm not sure if other cable suppliers do this.


My second-hand Motorola SB6121 arrived from the Amazon partner - they individually test all modems. It connects with my PC properly so I'll call CableOne and schedule a connection this week.

 

[Stan]

Mr. Snarky back again.


Come on, these people live in quiet, rural areas with little traffic and few neighbors. Yet they want everything to function as if they're in the middle of a major city. Not going to happen.


Maybe no cell service, slow internet via DSL, 911 EMS takes longer to get there, you have to drive 20 miles to the nearest grocery store, etc. You give up some things when you live in rural areas, learn to deal with it.


We've had a lot of wildfires the past year or so in my state. Many rural homes were destroyed. When it takes a firetruck 25 minutes to get to your home, sometimes things don't work out to well.


You've got the benefits but sometimes you give up a few conveniences along the way.

 

[Clinton McClure]

If we could afford to buy a home elsewhere in a larger city with better options and cheaper utilities we would pack up and move tonight. But we can't so for now we are stuck living where we are and paying through the nose for internet, gas and electricity.

 

[Dave Moritz]

I am under the impression that many companies have cut back on installing more fiber optic due to low numbers of customers signing up for top tier fiber optic accounts. At least that is what Verizon was claiming not to long ago. There are plenty of people who do not have computers at home and no internet. I find it interesting that the Obama administration wants to make sure over 200,000 low income people have high speed internet and they are pushing the digital divide. So if the government steps in and gives most these low income people high speed internet that most of them could not afford. What makes them think they can afford the computer to hook up to the high speed internet? And if they could not afford the high speed internet to begin with then how does that equate to those same people spending more money on the internet and helping to improve the economy?


I live in an older city but I am not living in the outskirts of Los Angeles ether so I consider myself lucky as far as internet goes. I have high speed internet through Verizon and pay $108 a month for 150mb/sec up and down. And there is no cap so I would have no problem downloading or streaming what ever I want. I also realize that many out there are not willing to pay that much for internet and believe me I wish it was more affordable to be honest with you but when I download a large file I don't like waiting so there is the justification for the $108 a month I guess. But I know if I was to move to a suburb then I know I would not get what I am getting now. The further from the infrastructure you get the lower the performance you can expect.


Verizon packages where I live price doesn't include tax, equipment fees and other charges.

50/50 mbps $35/month

75/75 mbps $45/month


150/150 mbps $75/month

300/300 mbps $135/month

500/500 mbps $215/month

Maybe I need to call and see if I can get a lower price going back on the 2 year service agreement?

 

[Clinton McClure]

I am under the impression that many companies have cut back on installing more fiber optic due to low numbers of customers signing up for top tier fiber optic accounts.

That makes sense except in my case AT&T laid the fiber and installed a VRAD in 2002 then abandoned it because they couldn't justify connecting a city of 800 people. The equipment is already there. The money has already been spent. How was it a wise business decision to not connect?

 

[Dave Moritz]

That makes sense except in my case AT&T laid the fiber and installed a VRAD in 2002 then abandoned it because they couldn't justify connecting a city of 800 people. The equipment is already there. The money has already been spent. How was it a wise business decision to not connect?

I totally agree with you on that. It doesn't make any sense to invest the money and install all the gear then not follow thought with connecting the customers. I wonder it they turned around and pulled the equipment and installed it somewhere else?

 

[Clinton McClure]

Nope. It's still right where they installed it. They also killed cell reception here by turning off the cell tower in the middle of our city when they bought Cingular because they considered it redundant. Now, the nearest cell tower is about five miles away over a hill. Again, there was no sound logic in their decision making.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Pacific Bell installed a series of neighborhood hubs, complete with backup AC generators connected to natural gas, in my area of San Jose circa 1995. These hubs were local connection points for the PacBell "video dialtone service". The system never became operational and these hubs are still installed in small fenced areas (condemned by either utility easement or eminent domain) in people's side yards.


So far so good with the CableOne cable modem installation.