Comments on: The Brookings Plan for Rural Broadband http://gigaom.com/2008/07/28/the-brookings-plan-for-rural-broadband/ Trusted Insights and Conversations on the Next Wave of Technology Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:44:08 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Haywood Jablome http://gigaom.com/2008/07/28/the-brookings-plan-for-rural-broadband/#comment-934171 Haywood Jablome Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:44:22 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=15648#comment-934171 <p>"not having access to broadband today is similar to denying people electricity or access to public education"</p> <p>You are a moron. 97% of the nation has fantastic communications capabilities never even dreamed of by former generations and you make this silly assertion. People move away from rural settings for better access to both jobs and conveniences like shopping, modern healthcare, theatre and dining. If broadband is important enough to anyone they have but to relocate with their peers to suburban or urban America. I love country living as much as the next person, but there are sacrifices that go with that lifestyle.</p> “not having access to broadband today is similar to denying people electricity or access to public education”

You are a moron. 97% of the nation has fantastic communications capabilities never even dreamed of by former generations and you make this silly assertion. People move away from rural settings for better access to both jobs and conveniences like shopping, modern healthcare, theatre and dining. If broadband is important enough to anyone they have but to relocate with their peers to suburban or urban America. I love country living as much as the next person, but there are sacrifices that go with that lifestyle.

]]> By: jerhad http://gigaom.com/2008/07/28/the-brookings-plan-for-rural-broadband/#comment-892771 jerhad Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:29:25 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=15648#comment-892771 <p>No broadband is like no electricity or no public education? I'm hoping that was said more to grab attention than based on your real belief, but I fear it is probably not far from your actual thoughts on this. I guess the government should also subsidize iPhones for the poor schleps who are missing out on the equivalent of electricity, public education, and.... broadband. Just don't let that evil censoring Walmart get involved, right?</p> No broadband is like no electricity or no public education? I’m hoping that was said more to grab attention than based on your real belief, but I fear it is probably not far from your actual thoughts on this. I guess the government should also subsidize iPhones for the poor schleps who are missing out on the equivalent of electricity, public education, and…. broadband. Just don’t let that evil censoring Walmart get involved, right?

]]> By: links for 2008-07-30 « Dmartel’s Weblog http://gigaom.com/2008/07/28/the-brookings-plan-for-rural-broadband/#comment-891283 links for 2008-07-30 « Dmartel’s Weblog Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:19:58 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=15648#comment-891283 <p>[...] The Brookings Plan for Rural Broadband - GigaOM [...]</p> [...] The Brookings Plan for Rural Broadband – GigaOM [...]

]]> By: Speed Wars « Media Experiences 2 Go http://gigaom.com/2008/07/28/the-brookings-plan-for-rural-broadband/#comment-891147 Speed Wars « Media Experiences 2 Go Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:17:28 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=15648#comment-891147 <p>[...] a post yesterday, Stacey Higginbotham over at GigaOM equated broadband to electricity and public education. Everyone should have access. That’s true, and we certainly have a lot of work to do in some [...]</p> [...] a post yesterday, Stacey Higginbotham over at GigaOM equated broadband to electricity and public education. Everyone should have access. That’s true, and we certainly have a lot of work to do in some [...]

]]> By: Catesy http://gigaom.com/2008/07/28/the-brookings-plan-for-rural-broadband/#comment-891080 Catesy Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:37:47 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=15648#comment-891080 <p>For a large majority of UK consumers, broadband connection no longer presents a privilege, but merely a necessary service. Despite the major progression in the broadband industry, there are still small communities situated in rural settings which are unable to access broadband due to inadequate deployment of technology to these areas. These households and businesses, although small and outnumbered in comparison to those in the city appear to be overlooked in favour of the need for broadband speed requirements of city users.</p> For a large majority of UK consumers, broadband connection no longer presents a privilege, but merely a necessary service. Despite the major progression in the broadband industry, there are still small communities situated in rural settings which are unable to access broadband due to inadequate deployment of technology to these areas. These households and businesses, although small and outnumbered in comparison to those in the city appear to be overlooked in favour of the need for broadband speed requirements of city users.

]]> By: mark k http://gigaom.com/2008/07/28/the-brookings-plan-for-rural-broadband/#comment-891009 mark k Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:05:03 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=15648#comment-891009 <p>We don't need some airheaded institution telling us how it's done. I AM DOING IT. Yes, lil 'ol me, and my business partner, bringing broadband to the places that have none in our part of our state. Yes, we're doing it wireless, and yes, we financed the whole thing boostrap style, starting 4 years ago with the price of a cheap used car. You want rural areas to get broadband... the get washington DC OUT OF THE WAY.</p> <p>They want to tax us, they want us to spend our time creating detailed reports clear down to what STREETS we cover in what towns, and send it to the FCC. They want to control HOW we run our networks, require us to not manage limited resources as if htey were limited resources. They scream at us for using tiered service, but then balk when we try to sell $50 1 Meg service to residences when that 1 meg costs us $1200 in some rural areas and MUST be conserved to make the dollars work out.</p> <p>They want to make us buy expensive eavedropping services, which HAVE NO RETURN ON INVESTMENT whatsoever, even if we serve all of 5 or 20 people.</p> <p>IF YOU REALLY WANT RURAL AMERICA TO GET BROADBAND, then get the federal government, the states, and all the do-gooder thinktanks off our backs, let us have some workable spectrum, AND WE'LL DO IT WITHOUT SUBSIDY OR PUBLIC MONEY LOANED TO US. I know, I am doing it.</p> <p>Every time I read one of these "reports" it always suggests some stupid action that would turn my business over to some telco who'll collect twice what I charge my customers in USF funds, and still charge more than I do, but put me out of business. Or, demand I spend a few days every year not serving my customers, but providing reams of detailed reports to the government. Yeah, like I have time for such nonsense.</p> <p>Get real people, private enterprise can and will solve any need, but darnit, you gotta stop throwing mountains in their way with your ill-concieved claptrap in the form of mandates and taxes and regulations and meddling fingers.</p> We don’t need some airheaded institution telling us how it’s done. I AM DOING IT. Yes, lil ‘ol me, and my business partner, bringing broadband to the places that have none in our part of our state. Yes, we’re doing it wireless, and yes, we financed the whole thing boostrap style, starting 4 years ago with the price of a cheap used car. You want rural areas to get broadband… the get washington DC OUT OF THE WAY.

They want to tax us, they want us to spend our time creating detailed reports clear down to what STREETS we cover in what towns, and send it to the FCC. They want to control HOW we run our networks, require us to not manage limited resources as if htey were limited resources. They scream at us for using tiered service, but then balk when we try to sell $50 1 Meg service to residences when that 1 meg costs us $1200 in some rural areas and MUST be conserved to make the dollars work out.

They want to make us buy expensive eavedropping services, which HAVE NO RETURN ON INVESTMENT whatsoever, even if we serve all of 5 or 20 people.

IF YOU REALLY WANT RURAL AMERICA TO GET BROADBAND, then get the federal government, the states, and all the do-gooder thinktanks off our backs, let us have some workable spectrum, AND WE’LL DO IT WITHOUT SUBSIDY OR PUBLIC MONEY LOANED TO US. I know, I am doing it.

Every time I read one of these “reports” it always suggests some stupid action that would turn my business over to some telco who’ll collect twice what I charge my customers in USF funds, and still charge more than I do, but put me out of business. Or, demand I spend a few days every year not serving my customers, but providing reams of detailed reports to the government. Yeah, like I have time for such nonsense.

Get real people, private enterprise can and will solve any need, but darnit, you gotta stop throwing mountains in their way with your ill-concieved claptrap in the form of mandates and taxes and regulations and meddling fingers.

]]> By: ronald http://gigaom.com/2008/07/28/the-brookings-plan-for-rural-broadband/#comment-890985 ronald Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:12:35 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=15648#comment-890985 <p>We did a nice RV trip through our home state (Colorado) last month. My guess is 80% of the time there was no Wireless signal. For all you Flatlanders (everybody living under 7k feet), we actually have Mountains in this Country. And if you don't believe me, I make you run with me (avg. 120 Miles in any given 30 days).</p> We did a nice RV trip through our home state (Colorado) last month. My guess is 80% of the time there was no Wireless signal. For all you Flatlanders (everybody living under 7k feet), we actually have Mountains in this Country. And if you don’t believe me, I make you run with me (avg. 120 Miles in any given 30 days).

]]> By:   links for 2008-07-28 - Kevin Bondelli’s Youth Vote Blog http://gigaom.com/2008/07/28/the-brookings-plan-for-rural-broadband/#comment-890973   links for 2008-07-28 - Kevin Bondelli’s Youth Vote Blog Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:32:28 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=15648#comment-890973 <p>[...] The Brookings Plan for Rural Broadband - GigaOM [...]</p> [...] The Brookings Plan for Rural Broadband – GigaOM [...]

]]> By: Travis http://gigaom.com/2008/07/28/the-brookings-plan-for-rural-broadband/#comment-890965 Travis Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:55:29 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=15648#comment-890965 <p>Walmart is not in the areas that still don't have service. Those areas have population based in the hundreds... communities with no stop lights and a single gas station and market. The closest Walmart is 100 miles away.</p> Walmart is not in the areas that still don’t have service. Those areas have population based in the hundreds… communities with no stop lights and a single gas station and market. The closest Walmart is 100 miles away.

]]> By: Stacey Higginbotham http://gigaom.com/2008/07/28/the-brookings-plan-for-rural-broadband/#comment-890953 Stacey Higginbotham Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:20:55 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=15648#comment-890953 <p>But what if WalMart then censored the Net like they censor its CD selection?</p> But what if WalMart then censored the Net like they censor its CD selection?

]]> By: James Kendrick http://gigaom.com/2008/07/28/the-brookings-plan-for-rural-broadband/#comment-890932 James Kendrick Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:21:04 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=15648#comment-890932 <p>I have been saying for years that the easiest way to saturate the US with broadband is to put WiMAX stations in every Walmart store. I read years ago that an ungodly percentage of the US population lives within 5 miles of a Walmart store so there you go.</p> I have been saying for years that the easiest way to saturate the US with broadband is to put WiMAX stations in every Walmart store. I read years ago that an ungodly percentage of the US population lives within 5 miles of a Walmart store so there you go.

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