Photo – Redzone’s “Fast for 5” program will provide 100% funded community wireless broadband systems, completely designed, constructed, and managed by Redzone Wireless, in exchange for the local community guaranteeing a minimum level of broadband services for a 5-year term. Continue reading
I prefer to leave politics out of the delivery of broadband services across the United States, but it is a topic that is highly politicized because of government involvement. The “New York Times” interviewed FCC Commissioner Mig Clyburn with a decidedly supportive position that there exists an ever increasing digital divide. Articles like this one are not surprising with presidential candidates playing up class envy and income inequality to drum up votes. The interviewer did not ask tough questions or challenge Mig’s responses. Apparently the editors did not feel the need to do any fact checking either.
This interview contains inaccuracies that lead readers to believe that broadband deployments are also subject to the “great divide” that the media is constantly touting. Actually the opposite is true. Every new broadband deployment has a plan to cover low-income areas and provide free or subsidized broadband for low-income residents. These plans are independent of whether a local municipality or commercial enterprise are building the networks. Rural communities are taking matters into their own hands in several places and building their own broadband networks when no commercial provider will serve their area. Urban areas are the easiest to cover due to their density and short loop lengths. Urban areas typically have multiple service providers offering competition and discounted rates to low-income housing that suburban customers do not typically receive.
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DC-Net has built a successful mid-mile network to serve the District of Columbia‘s government and anchor institutions such as schools, hospitals, and libraries. Now they are holding hearings to determine whether to expand the scope of DC-Net to federal government agencies and local service providers and possibly build infrastructure directly to homes and businesses. This latter endeavor could possibly put taxpayers “on the hook” for hundreds of millions of dollars.
The hearing held by DC Council-member Mary Cheh lasted over 3 hours with many speakers testifying to the benefits and success of DC-Net. Apparently the session was an information gathering meeting for Ms. Chey because there was very little concrete information conveyed as to whether or how the District should increase access to third-parties outside of government and anchor institutions or build a last-mile network.
WASHINGTON, November 9, 2010 – After a year of data crunching and analysis, the Commerce Department has released a report titled “Exploring the Digital Nation Home Broadband Internet Adoption in the United States,” concluding that a digital divide still exists but is decreasing.
Yet almost one-fourth of all households did not have a single internet user. The study found that income and education have some of the most significant factors in determining if users have broadband at home. Additionally, cost remained one of the main reasons why users do not upgrade to broadband.
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WASHINGTON, October 20, 2010 -The number of global internet users doubled in the past five years and will surpass the 2 billion mark in 2010, according to new data from the International Telecommunications Union.
The number of people having home internet access has increased from 1.4 billion in 2009 to almost 1.6 billion in 2010. The new data were released on the eve of World Statistics Day, which is Wednesday.
