Comments on: How telecom convergence may widen the digital divide

By: Toes

Toes — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 21:30:29 +0000

The divide isn’t Black and White. This is a technical divide meaning it’s a “single ladies” divide this time around, but a lot of “single ladies” raise our children so FCC has arranged for the kids that get free lunches to qualify for high speed access for$10 plus a coupon for a lower cost computer. And please don’t give me the “market” talk, ancient wisdom instructs us to put our Faith in GOD , or your golden markets will be gouged and our Faith is that evolution is God’s invention.

By: Conrad Green

Conrad Green — Sun, 20 May 2012 03:34:23 +0000

How about a faraway cage to help your emp problem.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Sun, 20 May 2012 02:40:04 +0000

I live in Western NY, only 3 miles from a city, but beyond the limits of DSL. What Internet service that IS available, is unreliable and costly. We enjoy a virtual monopoly from Verizon. They recently began offering wireless broadband that is metered and extremely expensive. By expensive, I mean that a family who attempts to use any sort of regular streaming or uploading/downloading services can expect to pay over $400 per month.

By: Editor

Editor — Sat, 19 May 2012 21:05:53 +0000

There are some questions I have about this issue:
- What’s the evidence that the hypothesized “digital divide” has or will have negative impacts? For example, it would probably have minimal impact on the Amish, and there are advantages to not being connected (bound?) 24×7, some have argued.
- What low-cost solutions might be possible that would make the controversy moot, such as ways to increase copper-wire bandwidth?
- A copper-wire infrastructure (at least the “last mile” part that is outside computerized switches) might be hackable as a vital communications backup in event of an EMP for some undefined period of time. What are the economic and other tradeoffs related to that strategy?

By: Conrad Green

Conrad Green — Sat, 19 May 2012 20:48:16 +0000

Ninny nonsenser? Seriously old guy? Who talks like that?

Simian Lobotomi? I’m guessing your calling me a fool. Not knowing me and assuming that I have a brain compared to primitive man is an opinion and rough assumption upon the fact that you don’t know me. I choose how I talk and walk but that doesn’t mean it reflects upon my intellect. Evolution of society means old timers like you need to catch up in terminology as well as in understanding of all systems that have a electric function. Regulation> Srsly? While of course regulation of celluar communication is the reason why they ceased the unlimited free to talk and now everyone has data plans but there are always ways around that. I refuse that I must be tied to a old age system of copper wires when laser transfer is the future and I don’t just mean FIOS. I mean communication without tubing or wires. Actual compressing of information into packets of light then transferred among laser communication. And to stop relying on radio signals. But guess what, old timer? You are halting that progression. Because most of you are too busy playing catch up. Get with the times…smh.

By: Joe

Joe — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:34:18 +0000

Cool, one more socialist article. If the rural people can not pay then they do not get the service. That will create a need for a cheaper service and the need will be filled by a service they can afford. GMoney, unless Scott deleted his post I see no point to your comments other then trolling, but thanks for bringing up race in a telecom issue.

By: GMoney

GMoney — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:09:36 +0000

the market is already rigged in favor of the u.s. telcoms and they’d like to make it worse. less regulation less service more profits. look at the international data——the u.s. has the slowest most expensive broadband on earth, worse than those “third world” shitholes in indonesia. kinda like u.s. healthcare. you’re getting hoodwinked by all that free market jive talk people. but like scott says in comment #1, let’s blame it on blacks and foreigners. americans are so stupid.

By: GMoney

GMoney — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:01:05 +0000

let’s scapegoat blacks and “foreigners”, huh scott. cheap. cheap. small.

By: Scott

Scott — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:58:20 +0000

I don’t understand his point, I see so many ‘poor’ people with cell phones, both domestically and foreign. What’s so great about a landline?

By: Stephen Wood

Stephen Wood — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:21:25 +0000

This situation is not novel. When electricity was first being deployed, it was necessary to use programs such as rural electrification to fund those areas where profitable deployment was not possible. Likewise, with the rollout of telephony in rural areas was funded through surcharges in more profitable regions.. The same situation exists here.

By: Craig Townsend

Craig Townsend — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:55:38 +0000

Once again a ninny nonsenser has to complain about a divide! Get over your Neanderthal brain you simian lobotomi. Evolution and regulation are incompatible, free the mind, free the intellect, free the market and lets evolve faster so that we can converge toward THE FREE!

By: Conrad Green

Conrad Green — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:16:29 +0000

It is great. Go get yourself a ping booster for you rural country follk. So we can stop holding on to worthless technology. You just need to catch up. There has been many chances to catch up. Your just expecting them to cater your needs for ever. Thats not how evolution of society works in the economical state.