Pew study finds majority of Americans don't want government to prioritize affordable broadband
By Sean Hollister 
posted August 13th 2010 8:13AM
posted August 13th 2010 8:13AM
posted August 13th 2010 8:13AM
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Probably because their are greater problems to worry about, other than cheap internet access.
@XChrisX Nahhhhhhh, nothing's more important than the INTERNET
@XChrisX
The people they asked probably already have good broadband.
@XChrisX yeah really. I think they should be taking care of hell of alot of other problems before trying this. I mean, other countries can afford do it because their countries aren't falling apart and being held together with duct tape and propaganda. Homeless rate? Who cares? Starving children? Fuck em! Economy is failing? No biggie, but low speed internet? Fix that shit sharpish uncle Sam!
@max3000
You guys got any internet?
@XChrisX
BUT INTERNET IS A RIGHT IN SOME COUNTRIES
O_o
@XChrisX Trying to get States some funding so teachers and cops and fire department personnel don't get fired? Nah. Internet is far more important.
/sarcasm
^ did I really need to add that? Yes, I think I did.
@Alex Yes, 1 Mbit internet is a right in Finland, but it doesn't mean it's their right to HAVE it, they have to pay for it themselves. The right only means, that 1 Mbit internet must be accessible to any Finnish person, no matter where they live (inside Finland, of course).
That is, if you thought otherwise. :p
@XChrisX
Hello, this is Mailia from Finland. I'm enjoying my legal right to have a 1Mbits Internet. That is all.
@XChrisX
Not that I don't agree with you, but also when more people have high speed broadband, the network infrastructure of our country can advance.
Much like transitioning to DTV, its not about higher quality TV or what not, its about freeing the analog spectrum and moving the infrastructure forward.
That said I am not saying this should be item #1 on the list but hey, gotta start somewhere.....
@XChrisX
If you told Americans to use tax dollars to feed starving kids in Africa, there would be a major uproar, fuck some people already hate the fact that we give free money to unemployed people, or money to kids who grew up in orphanages (ever wonder what happens when a kid turns 18 in an orphanage?)
The American Public would rather take out loans they cant afford to live in houses well above their means.
@KillaChaos You know that the US spends billions of dollars a year on foreign aid, right?
@XChrisX I hate how so many articles make a false dichotomy from this study and break the results into "want" and "don't want". Any such interpretation is inaccurate. The question and possible answers were "how big a priority is this?" I might strongly want this, but at the same time say "it's not a big priority" due to other concerns being more pressing. To interpret that answer as "do not want" is a lie.
@XChrisX I say that if the people in the farmland of middle America don't want it, use the money to upgrade speeds in suburban middle America.
@Alex
damn straight, here in canada we need to screw health care and focus on getting us some internet!
@XChrisX
I think it's a case of penny wise, pound foolish. America is already falling behind in education, as well as internet speed and access rates. Our transportation system is also obsolete and rotting. We may lose more than our economic edge if we keep thinking this way.
@KillaChaos Well in slight defense of some of these people polled, they feel 56K is plenty fast for their needs and to be honest, save for pages taking a bit longer to load, that is enough for Facebook and the like in many cases. Those that play WoW online will find its not enough. Those that do video IM or video calling will likely find its not enough but these and watching TV via the internet are still fringe/power user issues among us. We're not seeing it from their point of view. Now having said that, we need something to keep the internet affordable, its fostering competition through law and regulation or by some other means, We pay more to get 12MB internet than 8MB that is cheaper in most of Western Europe, enough to pay for an extra dinner every month.
Americans always complain!!!!!
@Keyster109. That's their nature, they were born that way..
PEW PEW
@RKelly Damn, so close to getting that one for myself
@Spaldinggreat
...yeah, was just thinking the same thing!
@RKelly It puts a smile on my face everytime I read reports coming from PEW.
@RKelly
ah man! that's what i was going to post!
@RKelly : ...pull your finger?
Americans always complain!!!!!
Kinda like...ask 100% of Americans: "Do we need a cure for cancer this year?" 80% are like, nah. 18% would be nice, and 2% "ARE YOU EFFIN KIDDING ME?!?!?"
There you have it. No need for a cancer cure this year.
@etwashoo2
Did you just equate the Internet with curing cancer?!?
@etwashoo2
Um, what are you smoking?
@Xerxes028
More accurately, I compared a scenario where one group of people that feel they are doing alright see no urgency for the government to intervene with another scenario of people that that feel everythings good and no urgency to intervene. Kinda like the healthcare debate...but that comparison was too complicated - but that's basically what we saw...Millions that have healthcare don't want to change, the 40 mililion without are like WTF?
Why so uptight about comparing a cure for cancer with the Internet? I know cancer pales in comparison to the Internet for urgency...so maybe that was a bad choice. The US spends $4.8 billion per year on cancer research. How much does American spend on Internet? $100+++ billion. Cisco alone probably has more revenue in the US that all of cancer research. So I should have pick something Americans care more about than cancer - something closer to the Internet.
I don't see our friday the 13th guest star... =[
@SpongeBobPistolPants exactly! where is it?!
this study needs to be broken down by geography, age, and income to make any sense.
@sheynk
Exactly. Try polling teens to mid-twenties in rural areas where the only broadband comes from satellite and you're likely to get a different result.
@UnknownUser Seeing as teens and early twenties in rural America pay so little, if any, towards our overall tax needs I'd say they're opinion is moot.
@UnknownUser Seeing as teens and early twenties in rural America pay so little, if any, towards our overall tax needs I'd say they're opinion is moot... and if you asked them to rank the need for broadband above or below the government helping to ensure they have a job I'm pretty sure they'd take the job over "teh cheap interwebz."
Broadband ignorance is bliss?
most americans are more worried about Lindsay Lohan's and Paris Hilton problems than they are about their country.
what the government needs to do is pitch the national boradband plan in terms of celeberty gossip. Instead of selling the public into the education, economical, and competitive benefits of broadband access to the majority of the population, they should simply tell them how much faster they can download TMZ videos and video chat with their BFFs.
@LSE Except the people who don't have broadband. They can't read TMZ.com to know what's going on. Now that I think about it I think they might be getting the better end of the stick.
@LSE I'm downvoting you. Why? Because most Americans are more concerned about keeping and/or getting a job (2nd job) in a country that was losing jobs for 8 years straight. With State budgets in the crapper, that's more of a concern than ever.
The people that are concerned about celebrity lives are the people still sucking off some parental or foundation teat.
@BigD145 As an American, I'm quite concerned about the fact that your post about what actually concerns Americans was down-voted so heavily. I guess ignorance is a global epidemic.
The left response - Americans are stupid and cannot think for themselves....odd.
The American people those who are smart and not delusional because of hope and change. Know for a fact anything govt touches is overpriced, under powered and taxed to death.
@nastro
The reasonable response: across the world people have learned that for certain industries and services (health care, education, logistics etc.) government ownership is preferred because unlike private organisations they're interested in the well being of its citizens. Private companies want a profit; environment, stakeholders and long term effects be damned.
The media and politicians in the united states have convinced the populace that the government is bad, inefficient and out to take your liberties away. Nevermind the fact that the governments in Asia and Europe are being trusted and for a reason: they do a pretty good job at looking out for their citizens. Like, oh I don't know, providing healthcare that is better at half the cost... And it's all government regulated... Commies!!!
@nastro Oh come on look at British Healthcare, its not like they are closing down any clinics and hospitals... oh wait sorry.
@Freefalll
And before I forget. All those countries with cheaper, faster broadband? All because of the government. Looks to me like america, one of the few countries without much government support in this area, is a clear example why you need more government investment and less corporate interests.
@FtL1776
Oh yea, let's lake some reports from newspapers and infer from that the quality of health care.
Or we could look facts, at health care spending per person and notice this is almost twice as high in the united states as any other nation. Is it twice as good? He'll no
@FtL1776
As someone from the UK I am unaware of any hospitals or clinics closing (save to be replaced by shiny new ones). From my experience the NHS has always been brilliant at treatments and service, and 92% of people here agree with how it is funded and run (BBC 2009).
@R2 D2 http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS364US364&q=nhs%20closing%20hospitals&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbo=u&tbs=nws:1&source=og&sa=N&tab=wn
Amazing, you do not know how to search Google News, yet you read Engadget. Funny thing is, is that all the stories are in hours ago, I figured I would get some from March which is when the big closures were talked about.
Anyways, just don't get cancer and do not want to go into your doctors office that day you are sick and I guess your healthcare is awesome.
@Freefalll You would be right except for the fact some governments are more efficient then others.
@Freefalll
I am with you 100%, but the big problem here in the us is that we are thought from an early age to fear communism, or socialism. We are thought that capitalism is the only way to get things done, and if a government wants to impose socialistic programs then whats next, they'll take my gun... etc. Combine that with propaganda from Fox and friends, some fake grassroots organizations funded by the biggest corporations, and the Republicans in congress stopping any progress in anything, and we end up with this POS government that cant get anything done. There are so many things to learn from our friends across the pond, in the UK, France, and Germany about how to run a good healthcare system, or maybe add in some workers rights to our laws. The hopes for the country to change are diminishing, since after all, historically speaking those reps are supposed to win some seats this elections. Republicans only care about corporate profits, and whats best for the big wall street guy, but yet they have so may people brainwashed into thinking that Liberals want to put communism in and take your gun away, blah blah blah.