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benc
Premium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL
 ·Charter Pipeline
 ·Future Nine Corpor..
·Callcentric
 ·AT&T Midwest
| reply to Neyland85
Re: Great... sorta
said by Neyland85  :So what exactly is the definition of broadband then? I don't know, and that's what's bothersome.
There not only has to be a minimum transfer rate requirement, but there needs to be a price requirement as well.
I suggest a minimum speed of 768kbps, and a maximum monthly cost of say, 15 x Min. Wage. That figure would currently come out to $77.25/mo. There also needs to be a latency requirement, and a requirement of the minimum percentage of street addresses that have access.
Why all these requirements?
SPEED:
384kbps DSL currently fits the guidelines, but it's hardly what I consider broadband. 768k is barely there, and even that will seem slow.
PRICE:
Suppose I live in Dinkyville, WY or SmallTown, MT. No offense to Wyoming or Montana residents of course. Then suppose I was loaded with money and financed the build-out of an OC3 line out to my house. Then, according to the present guidelines, I would be the one house with a connection faster than 200kbps, and then the zip code will "have broadband." Thing is, an OC3 costs far more than $100/mo.
LATENCY:
Without a latency requirement, anywhere with EDGE access counts since it's *theoretically* faster than 200kbps. Again, no latency requirement means the ability to use satellite Internet counts as broadband. Satellite Internet also sometimes fails the price requirement.
MINIMUM PERCENTAGE OF STREET ADDRESSES:
I think this speaks for itself. Going back to my previous example of the OC3, it would mean that the zip code is "broadband ready," even if a next door neighbor can't pay for the connection. How "broadband ready" does the zip code look to average people in that zip code?
Of course, I don't really have an OC3, though I wish I did. I've always considered small-town living as very expensive since A) you have to drive long distances to do anything (time, maybe gas), and B) needing a T1 since DSL and Cable probably won't be available. Locally available goods will also be expensive due to transportation costs.
Thankfully, where I live can't be considered really rural, although it's the most rural area I've ever lived in. | |
tad2020
join:2007-07-17
Orange, CA
| An OC3 in so. California, 2 blocks away from from a Level 3 interchange, is over $1000/mo non-wholesale.
Some one that works "at" my office works from her home in Montana, she can get a 10Mbps cable connection for under $49/mo while I can't even get cable TV service at the office in one of the "technology capital" of Orange county, go figure. | |
BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| reply to benc
said by benc :I suggest a minimum speed of 768kbps, and a maximum monthly cost of say, 15 x Min. Wage. That figure would currently come out to $77.25/mo. Redo your math, 15 X $5.85 is $87.75 | |
benc
Premium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL | Thanks.
I forgot that the minimum wage increased from $5.15/hr. | |
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