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Watch the Olympics in 4K Ultra HD on Comcast, DirecTV or Dish
The 2016 Summer Olympic Games are almost here, and despite the issues present in Rio, watching from home should be better than ever. If you're in need of something else to display on your brand new Ultra HD television then we have good news -- NBC will have 4K, HDR footage with Atmos surround sound available that's actually downsampled from 8K (which you can see for yourself, if you live in Japan). The only problem? Not every TV provider will be pushing it to viewers, and it will be on 24-hour tape delay.
Broadband for the people, built by the people
Competition is good, especially when it comes to internet service providers. Unfortunately, it's also rare. According to the White House's community-based broadband report released earlier this year (PDF), 75 percent of customers looking for internet speeds of 25Mbps or higher had a choice between one provider or no service at all. It's especially bad for rural communities, where there's little incentive for major telecommunication networks to bother running lines. Fortunately, people across the world are beginning to take matters into their own hands, investing in municipally-owned companies to build out necessary services. The results often provide faster connections at lower prices than large ISPs would have offered and they frequently turn a profit. Although the FCC has voted to support net neutrality and preempted a few state laws that limit public expansion, lobbyists for large networks are trying to stifle development and 19 states still have restrictive laws in place. The struggle is real, but adequate broadband is essential in modern times. This week we've sampled a few community initiatives that've succeeded in taking control of their own connective destinies in the face of corporate lethargy.
Tennessee's 10Gbps broadband is $299 a month
Remember back when Chattanooga, Tennessee fought the FCC and Comcast earlier this year over broadband regulations? Of course you do. Now the city's back in the news because it's offering 10Gbps internet service that spreads across some 600 square miles and is accessible by "every" home and business. It'll cost those 170,000 homes and businesses, though. According to a release from local utility company EPB, that blazing fast speed will run $299 a month (pretty similar to Comcast) with gratis installation and without a contract. There'll apparently be 5Gbps and 10Gbps options for small businesses and 3Gbps, 5Gbps and 10Gbps pro-level packages for enterprise. Those prices will vary, but almost positively won't be "cheap" for folks like you and me by any stretch of the imagination. [Image credit: Associated Press]
