The
National Broadband Plan may one day bring broadband to everyone in the United States but, as a new report from the FCC itself reveals, there's still quite a ways to go. According to the report (issued every year by the agency), between 14 and 24 million Americans have no access to broadband, which is now defined by the FCC to be a 4Mbps downstream and 1Mbps upstream. That's a significant revision from the previous 200kbps downstream standard used by the annual report, and brings it in line with the
minimum goals set by the National Broadband Plan. What does that mean for the 14 to 24 million without broadband access? Not much at the moment, unfortunately. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski says that those individuals are mostly in "expensive-to-serve areas with low population density," and that "without substantial reforms to the agency's universal service programs, these areas will continue to be unserved." Of course, that finding is just one part of the report -- hit up the source link below to check out the whole thing.
posted July 22nd 2010 1:47AM
Broadbandgate
@Wiggin2112
uh theres no conspiracy here. its just common sense, lots of people dont have broadband (people who live where the cows outnumber the people)
@MicrosoftOwns
shush i was making a funny.
@Wiggin2112
THIS, folks, is why we need this legislation. We need a plan that involves the United States NOT being among the lowest-tiered internet-developed nations. We need to be LEADERS in innovation. We need to push forward the boundaries of science and tech.
This is pathetic. This partisan bickering about who's at fault and who's to blame. This is for the FUTURE! A future where America can prosper from the seeds sown now.
I think everyone can agree that our current pace of internet development is slow, arduous and riddled with problems like geographic monopolies. ISPs would rather sit back on their haunches knowing that they're screwing us over, and there's no competition we can go to for better rates.
@Mike10010100
Oh, and in before "Giving free internet to everyone? Ha!"
This is a piece of SUGGESTION legislation. This is not a plan by the government to take over the internet or provide free internet to everyone. That's just absurd.
@Mike10010100 If I CAPITALIZE and EMPHASIZE a couple words in the sentence I am forming it doesn't make it more CREDIBLE.
@month
So....no real refutation? Alright then. Continue to make fun of my capitalization! Wouldn't want to rain on your parade!
Sorry about the overuse of capitalization. Just read it like a speech with the proper inflection. That's what I was going for.
@Mike10010100
Wanna be leaders in innovation? Stop taxing tech companies to death, go nuclear power, return to a strict conservative school curriculum which heavily focuses on Math and Science.
@nastro
Yep. Tax the rich, not businesses. Thorium power plants FTW.
Regarding the curriculum: I agree, heavy math and science, but conservative? Don't really get that whole thing.... Doesn't matter if it's conservative or liberal as long as it's math and science.
@nastro
In retrospect, what do you define as "taxing businesses to death"? As it is the biggest companies have ways around taxation. Exxon Mobil payed NO federal income tax. The burden has to be placed somewhere. Certainly there should (and are) tax breaks to new businesses and small business owners. Also, taxing the rich.
Before you get into "but but trickle down economics!", keep in mind that it was a failed strategy of the 80s. We know that trickle down economics doesn't work.
@Wiggin2112 Wow funny not everyone
With less than 4mbps
Is in the country, my uncle has1mbps from verizon and he could get 7.2 but he doesn't need it he only uses Facebook, email googlemaps and some occasional YouTube so it's good enough
I think 2mbps would be a good enough minimum speed we should be focusing on bringing latency lower
I remember there being this special router that gives priority to video streams and video games by using I'd tags to keep the right suff flowing while only the regular web access gets halted a bit and it keeps the router from getting backed up on work
@MicrosoftOwns
Are you sure? Have you ever read about the 200 billion broadband scandal from the Clinton era?
http://www.newnetworks.com/ShortSCANDALSummary.htm
@manofchao5 I don't really care too much if all your uncle does is use Facebook. A 2Mbps connection (even with a lower latency) will still be barely enough to even stream a YouTube video without having to wait 5 minutes for it to buffer. The only thing that lowering latency would do is make the connection more stable... There are countries out there where 100Mbps connections are nearly standard already. The US has gone down a spiral of corruption and decay due to us allowing them to be bought out and lobbied. I can't wait till I have the money to leave this s**thole. Oh wait... That'll be nearly impossible as well because of how badly they've f'ed up the economy and ruined the job market.
@ikari7789
I guess you don't realize that those countries are smaller than most US states in terms of geographic area.
It's ignorance like this which drives me nuts. Same goes for all the eco-freaks and non-US people who think that we CAN get rid of our pickups, SUVs, etc. and buy tiny 40mpg two seaters. They just don't grasp how big the US is, how far we drive and what we need to take with us. One of the largest misunderstandings is grocery trips. We don't have stores "just around the corner" where we can stop every day or walk there from home. Not in most places. That's why most Americans shop for a week or more. Try putting two weeks of groceries for a family of 4-6 in a Mini!
@strommsarnac
Hell, with a diaper bag and baby stroller already taking up space, then go shopping for a box of diapers, a pack of cat litter, bag of cat food, some TP and other paper products, and some detergent bottles, that pretty much fills the trunk of my wife's Jeep Compass... She's got room in there for maybe 6-10 grocery bags (small plastic ones), piled on top and then she can't see out the back window.
When I used to have a chrysler sedan, there were several times we went on a shopping run, hitting Target for a few household items, a clothing store, then grocery, and we filled the trunk, back seat, and had bags by her feet in the front of the car... A trip to Sam's club to stock the pantry would never have worked out.
If I had a grocery store around the corner, sure, I could stop every day, but that would be a colossal waste of time... Plus, on the "big days" what would we do? We don't buy 2 or 3 rolls of TP at a time like they do in many countries, we buy the big 36 roll packs to save money. Simple trips to Lowes would mean renting the trailer almost every time (if the car could tow one). Hell, we go on a trip to my Parents for a long weekend with the kid, and we have trouble being comfortable in the mini-van between all the baby crap we have to cart along, suitcases, gifts, laptops, camera gear, etc.
When your whole family lives in the same country, and that country is the size of CT or VT, things get a lot easier. We have family scattered across the entire east coast, I'm 10 minurtes from the closest grocer, and it;s not on my way from work, not even close. The mall and most shopping is in a completely different direction, and 20 minutes away. Quick trips after work are not options, we go on weekends, and we don't buy 1 or 2 things... Ultra-compacts just do not work here in the states, unless you live in a dense city or use them exclusively for commuting.
@admlshake Everything on that site upsets me. GRRRrrr
@Mike10010100
It's cute how I get downranked without any explanation whatsoever. What exactly have I said that has you all disagreeing with me?
@strommsarnac stop building suburbia and you'll be fine.
@Mike10010100
If you GIVE people that want to live in the sticks the SAME SERVICES as people in Cities and Suburbes get, then I DEMAND those people in the sticks get taxed so the government can BUY UP every building within 1 mile of my residency so I can have the "wide open spaces" these people have.
Come on people, if you want City services MOVE. If you want the wide open spaces MOVE. But DO NOT expect ME to be taxed to hell so YOU can have something you shouldn't have because of the prohibitive cost.
I'm tired of left wingnuts spending everyone elses money.
but can you hold it and not drop a call?
The US government really needs to step up it's game in terms of national connectivity. Sure, capitalism will indeed drive *most* people to be covered, but places where it isn't very profitable to cover won't be covered, and that's just not right in a country that is nearly dependent on the internet. We need that one national broadband plan to come quickly!
@vvtopkar
Yeah, we really need the goverment to give a small push to internet speeds and reliablity. Over here where I live, we have no broadband access:/
@vvtopkar If the government cared so much they would decrease the cost for satellite inernet providers to maintain their equipment! No matter how great socialism sounds to you it isn't economical to lay 100 miles of fiber cable for 12 households to get HSI. if you really believe in your social justice mumbo jumbo you should try and think of ways to increase functionality while decreasing costs.
You should watch the local news sometime and realize your local ghettos are stealing the copper lines off the telephone poles and selling the copper, there's gangs and groups of kids are cutting power to cellphone towers to vandalize.
@Mentat
"No matter how great socialism sounds to you it isn't economical to lay 100 miles of fiber cable for 12 households to get HSI"
two completely unrelated ideas strung together to make an invalid point
@vvtopkar
I think the task to do is to stop monopolies, take back the last mile and let who ever can implement the last mile do it.
@vvtopkar
Why are we supposed to spend tons of taxpayer money to the small part of the population that has decided to live in areas that are expensive to serve? They've made a choice between living away from population centers, which is fine, but should we provide them not only internet, but also first run movies, gas subsidies, a Whole Foods nearby and other urban amenities?
haha！
"Without reforms"
We all know what that's code for: Government should regulate/run it. No thanks. I'm so tired of this propaganda about how everything is a "right" and how the government should be given tons of power to make everyone "equal."
1M upstream is a pretty tight requirement. I remember the majority of ADSL upstream is fixed at 384Kbps, eh?
@GaryZ
Requirement vs Reality! DSL speeds are limited by many factors.
@GaryZ
Looks like I don't get broadband from Roadrunner.
15 down and just .4 up. Kind of pathetic.
Great now they are going to try to give Internet to the poor people
That's not a bad thing, they aren't missing out on much anyways
@ashleythehottiest
@aschettler What the hell? My comment didn't get posted? SCREW YOU COMMENTING SYSTEM! What I was trying to say was...
@aschettler Screw it.
Lol
@ashleythehottiest
And whats wrong with that?
4Mbps downstream and 1Mbps upstream? Seriously? Why don't you tell us how many people don't have access to anything but dialup? Thats going to be a slim number. Always something new to ram down our throats. Ive said before.... its fine and dandy to want fast internet for everyone but currently the US is broke and I would say we have a few other things to worry about. People can survive just fine on 1Mbps down and 384 up if they have to.
@MartinMMC im on a 6mbps connection and still can only do 512 up in alaska
@briguy266
I'm in the middle of NC and the best Time Warner does is 10 down and 512 up.
Because obviously just having one of the countries largest biotech and research markets in the country it's obviously not a priority for Time Warner Cable to make sure the residents have access to faster broadband. All we need to do with broadband is email photos of cats and then everyone just sits on the porch spitting in a can.
@arkweld
My Time Warner does the same crap too. Been with them for 7 yrs and the D/L keeps increasing but the U/L is the same I had 7 yrs ago. WTH.
Does this mean I fall in the category of people who don't have access to broadband? Because this is the best internet availabe in my area.
@MartinMMC Shit, I just checked my job here and all we have is 1.4MBPS up and 1mbps up...
And here i am thinking that that was pretty fast. Cablevision is getting a phone call.
@Certifiedfryguy Nevermind.
Speedtest.net says 5.66 down and 2 up. Thats ok with me i guess.
@Certifiedfryguy ARG!!!
Now i tried a different server and i'm getting 18mbps down and 2 up.
Whats a proper way to check your bandwidth speeds??
@arkweld you get 10 dl? lucky. I'm in RTP, and I'm pretty sure I've never come close to that at home with roadrunner. at work (a computer company that used to be part of IBM), my dl is between 3 and 3.5 using the FCC's speed test.
I currently live between two homes that have wireless broadband however my house is blocked from the antenna by the house across the street. Cable isn't offered, AT&T U Verse just deployed in my neighborhood but I'm apparently about ten houses too far away for the service to reach. I have two options: 3G card... Terrible latency and a 5gb cap. Screw that. Satalite maybe? Even worse latency, data caps and REALLY expensive.
I live in a freaking broadband dead zone. Oh and I live 15 mins outside of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the US.
*sigh* I hate dial up.
@gfrantz What bit of Houston are you in? Also, are there problems with Sprint/Clear/Comcast (All provided by Clear) 4G service?
@gfrantz
Damn dude. Thats harsh. I could never imagine having to go back to dialup...
@TSSaloic I'm actually in Just west of Dallas ft worth, sorry I didn't exactly look up what the size rank(it's late and I'm tired lol) I just remember it being in the top five, either way it's kind of sad. 4g is growing but still about 10 miles from me. I check every couple of weeks though.