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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@verruckt8
bravo my friend, well said. Also in 1997 a cellphone was a luxury and look at it now one of the most essential tools any person can have
He's equating the general public's majority opinion to be worthless.
There is one problem with the findings - what did they define as "high speed" or "broadband" ? In a worse case scenario, it is anything "other than dialup" which is not an acceptable definition. And for those that have something other than dialup, would they support a broadband initiative that improved it (aka something faster than 768k/256k or worse, satellite).
Still, the primary reason for the results is, as has been pointed out in many comments, the respondents are considering the priority relative to other issues and the USA has a lot of them right now.
Good god there are a lot of ignorant people in this country. Do these people know the internet is used for more than porn?
What are the demographics and geo locations of the people they surveyed? did these people have any level of education?
Sure there are bigger problems to solve but its always the case.
If there was less corruption and budgets going to places NO ONE benefits from, I'm sure there would be enough money to take care of a lot of things.
Also, anyone who actually spends time online and does more than checking their email would want more speed. 1mbit is not a very impressive goal to reach, no offense ISP's... And asking people who have dialup and might not know better doesn't give you an indication of what changes need to happen to make things better.
If you look at the stats on http://www.speedtest.net/global.php its easy to see how far down north america is. US is 28th and Canada 31st. That's really sad. Sure we have a lot of land to cover but I don't really think its a valid excuse. Telco's increase their profit margins and shareholders always want more. Network speeds aren't really their biggest priority.
As usual, people in the US are too stupid to know what's good for them.
It seems to me that only a few of you noticed that they performed a TELEPHONE survey. Really, who is still using a landline? I'd say only the older generation who has not desire to use the Internet.
The question is not tax dollars for cheap internet. The question is access to high speed internet for everyone. And we should be talking top tier high speed internet. This is our future ability to compete. Sometimes elected officials need to lead. Think Civil Rights Act of 1964. I am not equating the gravity of desegregation to technology. But there is an inequality to Americans' access to high speed internet.
@DroidPhan
"The question is not tax dollars for cheap internet. The question is access to high speed internet for everyone." It can't be both? All nations deal with the problem of allocation of limited resources. In this instance, the limited resource is capital. Sure, we could give everyone high speed internet, but what do we not spend those funds on?
"I am not equating the gravity of desegregation to technology" If not, why bring up the Civil Rights Act? Freedom from "separate but equal" treatment is a human right protected by the Constitution. Access to broadband is not. You cheapen the accomplishments of the civil rights pioneers when you casually invoke their success to support every pet project.
@Xander Crews I expressed that I was not equating the level of the two in regards to their "gravitity". But they are equal in terms of elected officials leading us forward into the future on critical issues. And the Constitution speaks directly to..."promote the general Welfare". And National Policy is full of examples of this. Rural Electrification, Interstate Highways, Air Mail support of early aviation. Government investment in basic research and development, Many of the advances in computers for the masses flowed from computer development for the Space program. And all of these had enormous impact on our economies. And unfortunately, many adversely affected by inequality of access are minorities.
@DroidPhan You are arguing a point that I have not made. I don't contend that the federal government's intervention would be unconstitutional. My point is that those rights protected by the Civil Rights Act are natural rights protected by the Constitution (contemplated by the founders at the time of signing but then unenforceable). On the other hand, access to broadband is not a natural right or a God-given right or anything of the sort. Government intervention would be a policy decision (how best to support economic growth), not an enforcement of a constitutional right.
You mention adverse impact on minorities, again bringing up the race issue. First, this is an illogical point to make as the vast majority of ethnic/racial minorities live in urban areas, and as such would not be benefited from pushing broadband to rural areas - the topic of this poll. Second, that points back to your invocation of the Civil Rights Act, which is not analogous to this current situation in gravity, form, or purpose.It feels like your trying to play the race card, which, if you watched John Stewart recently, you would know is maxed out.
Wait, you forgot to attack those who don't share your view on this matter with a vicious tirade of namecalling and ad hominem. I thought that's how things were done on tech blogs. /s
@Xander Crews Its not how I do things on these blogs. But the free exchange of ideas with a goal of reaching positive and progressive policies that advance the general welfare of as many Americans as possible should be in the interest of every American. And by the way, maybe we don't spend precious capital, human and economic, on ill conceived wars.
@DroidPhan To clarify, this comment wasn't directed at you. It's about a post at another tech blog.
This poll is trash and probably supported by the Tea Party that is funded by telcoms
@Hydra
Yup same folks that didn't want Affordable healthcare or civil liberties.. Bye bye tea baggers...you suck tea baggers
Maybe it could just be that Americans are returning to real priorities like holding a job, keeping your house, and feeding your family. Unlike the Euro's, nobody sends us money or protects us with our "Cowboy" Military. Funny that the people who are actually paying taxes don't want to fund people's ability to sit at home and consume another entitlement.
I bet those same folks were the one's screaming their lungs out againt affordable healthcare too..why you ask? Is simple, because they don't want the government to help everybody out. Instead they want major evil corporation controlling it..LOL silly fools you don't want fast affordable Internet because you dont want to compete with the rest of the world... No wonder we are falling behind. With that mindset I would be surprise if they are also against everything that will move us from this 1924 mindset(the mind set at the time was separate yourself from the rest of the world so it won't affect us...that fail too) unfortunately we live in a global age. Look at the stock market when one country falters everybody feels it.
Ps. Ummm those countries like one poster say they can afford it and we can't because we are suffering...uuumm bud every country is feeling it and loosing but yet they manage to give their citizens the tools to move forward into the future and not backwards
From Spain:
You guys invented the Internet four decades ago. Today, there are 27 countries with better access to it than yours. But you don't see a problem with that.
You say issues like unemployment or education may come first. Somehow, you fail to see how an inexpensive broadband access may help people to find a job or allow for a better education of their kids.
Why is it that you, US Engadget commenters, are so short sighted that you think of the Internet as a luxury, while the rest of the world sees it as an oportunity to create wealth and social improvement?
The answer is obvious: if you're commenting on a website, you already got your broadband connection. So you basically won't agree to let your taxes be used to extend the privileges you enjoy to others, even if that would be in the best national interest. Typical NIMB attitude: "Got mine, so screw everybody else".
And you wonder how you got in the economic mess you are in. And the wars you got yourself into. That's what happens when you vote the guys that promise you what you personally wish for yourself, instead of someone who may actually have a clue about the needs of your nation as a whole.
In a globalized economy, general access to broadband connections is a must. Those without it will be simply left behind. Many countries, including mine, have learnt this the hard way. I think it's about time the US reckons that as well.
Ironically, the headline of the post is amazingly misleading: the poll actually resulted in 70% of people answering that such broadband should indeed be considered federal priority of some degree. So fortunately, most of american people is not at all that stupid. There's still hope.
@Hamaki
Well, I've lost my hope. You see, the problem here is much bigger than the internet alone, its two political parties with very different views about the roles of government. If this keeps going we are going to be a third world country in about a decade or two. This includes infrastructure and healthcare, financial regulation, and a lot of political red tape.
@Hamaki Hey, I agree with you on most of your points, but you're not going to get a lot of respect by calling Americans stupid. If you're going to point fingers for past mistakes, many of which aren't germane to this conversation, just remember that Spain has plenty of its own. Like the mess you guys made of South America, for instance.
@MNeko
Im an American from FL, and I think he's got a solid argument. I think that there are a lot of idiots in this country. For reference look at my earlier post about Bush.
@Hamaki
Well said my friend. The net is one of the tools we can use to combat the lack of jobs and education. bravo!!!
There are still people using DIAL-UP? Wtf?!
(cough) right wing front group (cough)
AT&T wouldn't build broadband infrastructure when they were paid to do it. The free market didn't work, so the government will have to do the work for them.
These statistics can say anything they want (or anything the people who paid for them want...), but the internet is already a critical part of American life, and investment will be needed as the technology improves. As older, technophobic generations die and the newer ones replace them, there will be a strengthened demand for internet access, and America had damned well better be ready to meet that need.
@MNeko
I think you're right, I should have guessed that I was jumping into an article filled with right wing nut jobs.
Who needs the internet when you have Fox News ???
@Avenir
So true, their fiction is very entertaining.
Our govt doesn't have money for this - they need their billions for handouts to corrupt companies, wall street and the war! Who cares about education, healthcare, access to information and so on.
Other countries realize that you need to spend on national infrastructure since it benefits society in many ways. What it does not do is benefit corporations (who run our govt) and they have zero incentive to make this happen when they can continue overcharging for their oversubscribed pipes.
The goal was always to make internet access a premium service and they are on their way to doing just that.
well not for me , i'm canadian-iraqian and i got a bell fibe 6 with 5 pcs limit connectivety up to 6mb/sec
@Motwera
They limit how many PCs can be on the network?
People still used Dial up in 2008?
why??? you can get really most cheaper internet connections for under 40 a month
also how much is a T1 line/month?
umm, try 800-1200 dollars where i live and you can only get it through at&t if your a business, i use dial up, you people dont know how lucky you are to have companies like TIME WARNER reach you, i know people say it is the worst service ever, and believe me, ive delt with it at places other tahn my home, they are not very reliable, but even when their internet is going its slowest, IT IS STILL WITH NO QUESTIONS 150 TIMES FASTER than dial up. i get 2 kbs
@rstoplabe14 no we told them to limit it to 5 pcs , its faster than our old 512kb modem speedstream
@Motwera
Its still strange that caps can be placed on the network like that, here you buy speed, but data and the amount of PCs that can be connected to that pipe is unlimited
Ask your average American "Would you like to use your tax dollars for [insert anything]?" and the majority will always answer "NO".
When did America become so afraid of the government providing reasonable, civil services? This irrational fear of govt-provided services is bizarre. I was in the Army for 10 years and the VA hospital I go to is as good as any civilian hospital I've been to?
The main problem with Govt controlled internet is that it is Govt controlled. When many of the freeloaders here think about Govt control aka regulation they look toward Europe as a model. The fools fail to realize that we aren't in Europe this is America!! Show one example where govt control has kept cost down, efficiency up and did not require the citizenry to toss $$$ of subsidies!
Wait wait are you fools still smelling the vapors of hope and change?? You think just because Obamby slaps socialism on it miracles with spew forward like rainbows from heaven? Wake up from your dream children!!!
@nastro This is 'murrica! We prefer to be crushed under the heels of CORPORATIONS, not that thar gubbamint!
Give it a rest, Paul Revere. AT&T and Verizon were paid huge sums of money to lay down broadband infrastructure... paid through taxes, paid by US. They owe that to us, and they've swindled us by not putting down the pipes. If the glorified con artists don't want to own up to their responsibilities, then the government has to step in to do it for them. Your precious free market FAILED YOU. If you don't like it, blame the telcos, not the government boogyman.
Rightcheous Keyboard!
Anyone know the make?
My isp just halved my T1 bill. Love thy internet.
@rstoplabe14 yeah in our older modem but this one is different , i found that the internet speed here is alot faster than the UAE's one , and why some Americans fools are still don't use the internet , the old gen is over, and the post mail for me is too much
The Federal Government should take a flat percentage of everyone's income to pay for national defense and, otherwise, stay out our lives. Leave us alone!
Secondly, the Pew "Charitable" Trusts are out to make money like everyone else. They've just found a way to make money off of charity and government spending. If they can get the pulse of the people, they have a better understanding of where to "explore and drill" for future government dollars. At that income level charities aren't exactly charitable.
@jhamill1
So, you don't want:
-Mass Transit: to keep carbon emissions down and keep people without vehicles moving, not to mention less traffic.
-Education: well if you dont know the benefits of this, well....
-FCC: To set up rules and regulations for our TV's signal, Cell Phones, etc.
-DOT/NHTSA- To keep GM, Chrysler and Ford from selling us death traps. High Speed Rail? Interstate?
-USDA: To keep companies from selling us bad meat, etc
-National Weather Service: I live in Florida, lol
-DOE: Power distribution across the country and Nuclear weapons/plants
-Dept of Health: Vaccines? Keeping healthcare companies in check?
- Ad. Children and Families: kids getting beat up by parents?
-TANF: People need food you know?
-CDC: Avian Flu? H1N1?
-FDA: Want companies to sell you drugs w/o testing them?
-Dept. of Homeland Security: Well that we can scrap (thx Bush)
-ICE: Want more illegals? (Ironic right?)
-NCSD: Want hackers to take over the country? because with everyone here being such ID10Ts, I think we should form a task force
-HUD: Need a house, (or are you being kept from a house because you lack a brain?)
-DOI: Wanna keep yellow stone preserved?
-Dept of Justice: Need to sue someone?
-Dept of Labor: The people that have been counting the Job growth that started since Obama took office.
-Dept of Treasury: We still need to keep track of how much money we get in, and how much less we will be getting if we extend the tax cuts.
-VA: Dont the people who protect our Freedoms to talk openly on a site like this get something?
-CIA: Shh.
-USPS: I want the packages from eBay to get here fast!
-NRC: Three Mile Island?
This is just the tip of the iceburg
You can learn more about all the services our government provides its citizens here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_federal_agencies
You can also learn more about this and other topics on one of our fine, publicly funded institutions like this one:
http://www.ucf.edu/