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story category Broadband Envy
Is the United States falling behind?
(old news - 01:34PM Friday Jul 16 2004)
tags: competition · coverage · world
It's hard not to be envious when you see Japan deploying 100Mbps fiber connections for a measly $41, while regulatory battles, geography, and a lack of ample competition keep American broadband relatively slow, expensive, and under-deployed. Mike Langberg of the Mercury News suggests our broadband failings are over-stated, and that we should trust in Michael Powell and his plans of industry deregulation. One of the individuals quoted is AOL's broadband president Lisa Hook, who suggests "It's an ego thing more than an economic issue." Of course, Hook called broadband "a side issue" in a 2002 Washington Post Interview, and suggested "narrowband is going to be around forever".

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jons
Premium
join:2003-04-15
East Elmhurst, NY
clubs:

unfortunately....

narrow minds are going to be around forever too!

oops maybe i should read her interview first...
Flizesh
Premium
join:2003-08-16
Staten Island, NY
clubs:

Re: unfortunately....

narrowband will be around forever? riiight

Motorhead5

join:2000-06-05
Woodside, NY

This is a great country

When someone can get a job as "broadband president" and say something completely stupid like that. That's like being Ford Motors' president of internal combustion development and then saying "the horse and buggy will be around forever."

I remember when Lisa Hook made the "forever" statement. My response at that time was, "narrowband will certainly be around forever...with an attitude like that." Obviously, with her new statement about ego versus economics, she's sill got the wrong attitude.

Hey, Lisa Hook: this isn't about economics? Where has AOL's subscriber base been going? And the profit from their business? To BROADBAND, maybe? Maybe???
dosbubba

join:2002-01-26
Eustis, FL

Re: This is a great country

said by Motorhead5 See Profile:
When someone can get a job as "broadband president" and say something completely stupid like that. That's like being Ford Motors' president of internal combustion development and then saying "the horse and buggy will be around forever."
The horse and buggy is still around. There are always markets for old technology, it rarely goes away, just shrinks to a shadow of what that market was.

IGGY
No Guru Just Here To Help
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-30
Chatham, IL

Yes this is a great country. But we are supposed to be one of the most technically advanced nations on this earth. Yet nations that are supposedly less advanced are kick our tail in regards to broadband. No I'm not saying Japan is less advanced. But many would consider North Korea to be. Yet they have better pricing and speeds for broadband. It's just like how many nations have had high speed rail for years. Yet the supposedly most advanced country on this planet - the US of A is still using diesel engines and old track technology. As a nation we are lagging behind others. Yes we need money for many things - yes everyone wants these things - but won't pay for them with taxes etc. But advances in technology help everyone - of all economic and social groups. It's time the USA started being a leader again and not a follower. Used to be we set the standard. Now everyone else seems to. Even Britain and Canada are starting to show us up.

I've been ranting this very topic for years now. Companies are to self centered and no longer have any national pride!!
--
Test Your Security Benefit for Children's Oncology Group Cable Modem Diagnostics/

Improfane

join:2003-12-05
clubs:

Re: This is a great country

quote:

Even Britain and Canada are starting to show us up.

What are you trying to say? You are 'better' than us ?
DVOOR8

join:2001-12-24
USA
·Optimum Online

Re: This is a great country

said by Improfane See Profile:
quote:

Even Britain and Canada are starting to show us up.

What are you trying to say? You are 'better' than us ?

I dont know if we are "better" but do you see people from the US moving to Canada and Britan the way people from Canada and Britan come here?
Mark Rejhon

join:2004-02-02
Ottawa, ON
·Magma Communications


edit:
July 18th, @05:17PM

>>But many would consider North Korea to be. Yet they have better pricing and speeds for broadband.

Don't you mean South Korea?

There's almost no Internet at all in North Korea. (Well, some, but reserved for the elites there.) South Korea is the country with good relations with USA and some parts of your computer may actually be manufactured there. North Korea is the one on the 'terror sponsor' list.
Mark Rejhon

join:2004-02-02
Ottawa, ON
·Magma Communications


edit:
July 18th, @05:19PM

Re: This is a great country

BTW -- Regarding Canada or any other country -- It's not as if one country is 100% superior in 100% of departments over other. Obviously, many USA products are better (no question), but even the USA government acknowledges certain Canadian products are better. Whether it be something as simple as maple syrup or certain types of telco equipment or the Blackberry email cellphone (Even the USA congress asked a USA company's lawsuit not to shut down the Canadian company, because of the way congressmen now use Blackberry email cellphones now; and how the Canadian Blackberry the most flawless-working wireless email device at World Trade Center on 9/11). For example, some USA telcos prefer to buy Nortel (Canada) equipment than Lucent (USA) equipment. Or controversial Canadian lumber, some say it is best bang-for-the-buck wood (which USA needs to put up duties for to protect USA lumber industry). Or even Alberta oil. Things like that. Even if we're not as good as Japan's Sony at making small gadgets or such. Of course, it doesn't mean we're always a better country to live in during the winter (Some of us rather be in Florida, but even those snowbird migrating Canadians still call Canada home ) And USA is always an important business partner to do business with. Be careful about just using the word "better"; you have to be way more specific about what the word means. It's a black-and-white view otherwise...
DVOOR8

join:2001-12-24
USA
·Optimum Online

Re: unfortunately....

said by jons See Profile:
narrow minds are going to be around forever too!

oops maybe i should read her interview first...

It doesnt matter what the review says. The USA is over regulated and way to corrupt to allow true free market compettive broadband. Until telephone and cable monopolies are shown the door we will be mired in regulation, payoffs and corrupt business practices.

platinumsun
Photographer For Life

join:2003-08-29
Spring, TX

Of course we're falling behind...

This will only get better once the companies realize the massive potential in fiber and greatly deploy it..
keyboard5684

join:2001-08-01
Youngsville, PA

Re: Of course we're falling behind...

And that potential is? What justifies such a high expense?

Enlighten the masses?

platinumsun
Photographer For Life

join:2003-08-29
Spring, TX

edit:
July 16th, @02:11PM

Re: Of course we're falling behind...

let me ask you something..

are you content with having the same thing forever or do you like change?

That would be the main reason for deploying it, new technology, new applications, ideas, reasoning, things we haven't thought of yet..
keyboard5684

join:2001-08-01
Youngsville, PA
·WestPAnet Inc. CA..
·Verizon Online DSL
·Vonage

Re: Of course we're falling behind...

That still does not help the corporate people with the money understand your point. There is no good reason to spend money on something we have not thought about yet, at least looking at it as a business model.

I think the new applications, ideas, reasoning and the things we have not thought of yet need to be in place before the people with the money (which is an INVESTMENT for them) can justify spending that kind of cash.
rip_sketches

join:2002-05-25
Dallas, GA
·AT&T Southeast

Hell, alot of people would LOVE to have their dialup changed over to some sort of broadband option. But it ain't happened yet.

So no need to start putting the cart before the horse here. I wouldn't expect to see any type of massive fiber rollout until every penny can be had by selectively selling cable/dsl for the next decade. Maybe in some trials and high tech urban areas will fiber be avail, but don't expect fiber to be rolled out at the pace dsl/cable was 2 years ago.

Heck my brother moved into a new house 14 months ago in Florida, and i chatted with the Bellsouth Tech there installing his phone service. My brothers sub is completely wired for Fiber. But the tech said it wasn't even on the books to start rolling out a fiber trunk line into that area for another 10-15 years.
Beeper
Part Of The Problem

join:2001-09-27
Dayton, OH
clubs:

said by platinumsun See Profile:
are you content with having the same thing forever or do you like change?
If it does the job, why change?
--
Guaranteed Fear and Loathing. Abandon all hope. Prepare for the Weirdness. Get familiar with Cannibalism.
evoxfan
Waiting On Dsl Or Cable

join:2004-02-12
Daleville, AL
·Sprint Mobile Broa..

Re: Of course we're falling behind...

That's just it....dial-up isn't cutting it! Telco's and Cable co's need to expand their coverage. There are way too many people begging for BB that cannot have it b/c they are too cheap to expand it. Fiber is just a dream b/c these companies are too tight w/the money.
--
WinXP_Home, 1.8GHz P4, 512DDR, DAK421_P15, DW4000 Two-Way, SRS, SatMex5, 1130MHz, Proxy on, DrTCP.
Beeper
Part Of The Problem

join:2001-09-27
Dayton, OH
clubs:

Re: Of course we're falling behind...

said by evoxfan See Profile:
That's just it....dial-up isn't cutting it!
Don't you mean dial up isn't cutting it for you?

Dial up accomplishes the job just fine for millions of others.
--
Guaranteed Fear and Loathing. Abandon all hope. Prepare for the Weirdness. Get familiar with Cannibalism.

georgequ
Premium
join:2003-05-10
Painesville, OH
clubs:
·AT&T Midwest

said by Beeper See Profile:
said by platinumsun See Profile:
are you content with having the same thing forever or do you like change?
If it does the job, why change?

As I see it that is the attitude which prevents all this from happening and why we are falling behind.

To make my case:
Gas light worked, Horse and buggies work also. As does a dial phone with an operator to connect you to anyone outside your own neighborhood. Heck the Pony Express service was not too bad either
So why change?

It is called progress, without progress we become a stagnant nation and fall behind. Companies should be encouraged and rewarded for venturing into new projects and new ideas,. In the long run it benefits the entire nation
--
Team Helix Rocks. Click on this

tadmaz

join:2002-05-30
Mount Prospect, IL

yea

If providers can get millions of subscribers to pay $50 for measley cable and dsl, they won't spend any more of their money to get people faster internet. It's quite simple actually, if you were in their shoes, you'd keep a product that millions would buy, right?

Morac

join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ
·Comcast

Re: yea

Broadband should never have been defined as 256 kbps.

In all fairness though, The U.S. is much larger physically than Japan. To wire the entire country for fiber would be very very expensive.

That said, many cable companies and some phone companies have already run fiber nearly everywhere up to but not quite reaching homes. I guess they have no incentive to do so.
--

The Comcast Disney Avatar has been retired.
achuchma

join:2001-04-11
Tampa, FL

Re: yea

said by Morac See Profile:

In all fairness though, The U.S. is much larger physically than Japan. To wire the entire country for fiber would be very very expensive.
I think that is the point that many Americans tend to miss. In Japan, buildings in major cities are so stacked, that running fiber is easy.

Here, in the US, we tend to deal with larger lots, more room between buildings, etc...

And, as you said, a far greater geographical area.
--
Playing the Tuba isn't an art, it's an adventure! http://www.lakesidepride.org

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
clubs:
·Site5.com
·AT&T Midwest
·Comcast

Re: yea

said by achuchma See Profile:
said by Morac See Profile:

In all fairness though, The U.S. is much larger physically than Japan. To wire the entire country for fiber would be very very expensive.
I think that is the point that many Americans tend to miss. In Japan, buildings in major cities are so stacked, that running fiber is easy.

Here, in the US, we tend to deal with larger lots, more room between buildings, etc...

And, as you said, a far greater geographical area.

Personally, I like that extra space. I don't know how many people here have been to Japan, but it is very crowded. You don't get hardly any space to yourself. I like my house, but I couldn't get a 3 bedroom house with a basement in Japan. Space is such a consideration. Which is why it is also cheaper to deploy broadband and fiber.

Speaking of deploying fiber, it is very expensive. Some of our company plants have fiber running about 500 feet to other sides of the plant. A 500 foot run of fiber alone is upwards of $2000! The fiber modules can run thousands as well. Even if you get cat5e tranceivers, those are not cheap either. I think our last ones costed us $750 for both ends. Fiber modules are about $750-$1000 for our switches and that is each module.

Not cheap that is for sure.

Maybe they should come up with a deal. If you have fiber running near your house, you can pay up to have it run to your house. Lets say you are 250 feet away. Cost to run the fiber will be $1000, plus you have to pay for the transceivers or fiber modules. Who here would plunk down $2000 up front for fiber to their home plus about $100 a month for service? I might be tempted...but I don't know many home users who would even consider that. Heck, we can't even get normal users to get off dialup when DSL alternatives exist for $27 in their area. :P
--
My Domain
Nightfall's Hockey and Life Journal
achuchma

join:2001-04-11
Tampa, FL

Re: yea

said by Nightfall See Profile:

I don't know how many people here have been to Japan, but it is very crowded. You don't get hardly any space to yourself.
"Very crowded" is an understatement. Night clubs in Chicago get very crowded on Friday night...Japan is insanely crowded.

said by Nightfall See Profile:
Speaking of deploying fiber, it is very expensive. Some of our company plants have fiber running about 500 feet to other sides of the plant. A 500 foot run of fiber alone is upwards of $2000! The fiber modules can run thousands as well. Even if you get cat5e tranceivers, those are not cheap either. I think our last ones costed us $750 for both ends. Fiber modules are about $750-$1000 for our switches and that is each module.

Exactly....and that was just inside a building. Think of all the costs involved in an outside deployment. Add permits and levies to all that, you are looking at one hell of a price tag!

said by Nightfall See Profile:

Maybe they should come up with a deal. If you have fiber running near your house, you can pay up to have it run to your house. Lets say you are 250 feet away. Cost to run the fiber will be $1000, plus you have to pay for the transceivers or fiber modules. Who here would plunk down $2000 up front for fiber to their home plus about $100 a month for service? I might be tempted...but I don't know many home users who would even consider that. Heck, we can't even get normal users to get off dialup when DSL alternatives exist for $27 in their area. :P

You are probably one of the very few that would....
--
Playing the Tuba isn't an art, it's an adventure! http://www.lakesidepride.org
Nightwchtr

join:2001-09-10
Falls Church, VA
Agreed I think there are many people out there that would be willing to pay the extra money to have fiber to there house. I certainly would.

technick
Premium
join:2000-12-16
Loganville, GA

said by Nightfall See Profile:

Maybe they should come up with a deal. If you have fiber running near your house, you can pay up to have it run to your house. Lets say you are 250 feet away. Cost to run the fiber will be $1000, plus you have to pay for the transceivers or fiber modules. Who here would plunk down $2000 up front for fiber to their home plus about $100 a month for service? I might be tempted...but I don't know many home users who would even consider that. Heck, we can't even get normal users to get off dialup when DSL alternatives exist for $27 in their area. :P

With that line of thought if I paid x amount to have fiber, than when I moved to a new location I can take what I paid for with me? Also will I get a discount from the provider I go with since I purchase additional equipment?
--
"Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising everytime we fall." - Confucius - - - - - - - - - - - Streamfire.net- - AIM - CoNFuCiUsNiCk

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
clubs:
·Site5.com
·AT&T Midwest
·Comcast

Re: yea

said by technick See Profile:
said by Nightfall See Profile:

Maybe they should come up with a deal. If you have fiber running near your house, you can pay up to have it run to your house. Lets say you are 250 feet away. Cost to run the fiber will be $1000, plus you have to pay for the transceivers or fiber modules. Who here would plunk down $2000 up front for fiber to their home plus about $100 a month for service? I might be tempted...but I don't know many home users who would even consider that. Heck, we can't even get normal users to get off dialup when DSL alternatives exist for $27 in their area. :P

With that line of thought if I paid x amount to have fiber, than when I moved to a new location I can take what I paid for with me? Also will I get a discount from the provider I go with since I purchase additional equipment?

Well, that is like my company thinking they could take the fiber with them when they leave. I would have to say...why not? You paid for it. I can't see us leaving behind 500 feet of fiber if we left one of our plants. That is expensive wiring. As for the discount, I don't see any reason why not.

All this is just a big "what if" scenario obviously. The main point I was trying to make is why you won't see FTTH anytime in the near future. It isn't like it runs through wiring that is already in the home. You are looking at an INCREDIBLE expense of money and time to run the fiber to your home. Especially if you have lit fiber already within 400 feet of your home. You think 400 feet is very close, but the wiring and equipment to do the job costs thousands of dollars.

That along with the fact that people are so unwiling to pay for high end broadband for a premium price. Heck, we can't even get people to pay $45 a month without complaining about something. Then we have the users on dialup AOL with a extra phone line when they have DSL alternatives for $25-$30 a month in their area.
--
My Domain
Nightfall's Hockey and Life Journal
JimmySask

join:2004-06-24
Regina, SK

Geography has nothing to do with it. I live in Saskatchewan, Canada, population: =/- 1,000,000. Geographically, we are roughly twice the size of most states in the US. Why does this matter? The Telco here has at LEAST 1.5/384 ADSL to roughly %80 of the population, and has just announced that they will now be expanding to even more remote rural areas, via wireless broadband @ 2mbps/128kbps. Not blazing speeds, but because they use land-based towers,it is lower latency than satellite, and far better than dialup. If they can get service to that many people, in an area so geographically spread out that roughly %50 of our population is considered rural, and as a company still post excellent profits, why can't anybody else?

Nightfall
My Goal Is To Deny Yours
Premium,MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI
clubs:
·Site5.com
·AT&T Midwest
·Comcast

Re: yea

said by JimmySask See Profile:
Geography has nothing to do with it. I live in Saskatchewan, Canada, population: =/- 1,000,000. Geographically, we are roughly twice the size of most states in the US. Why does this matter? The Telco here has at LEAST 1.5/384 ADSL to roughly %80 of the population, and has just announced that they will now be expanding to even more remote rural areas, via wireless broadband @ 2mbps/128kbps. Not blazing speeds, but because they use land-based towers,it is lower latency than satellite, and far better than dialup. If they can get service to that many people, in an area so geographically spread out that roughly %50 of our population is considered rural, and as a company still post excellent profits, why can't anybody else?

First, the government has to make a dedication to rolling this broadband out. Either that or a cable/dsl company has to foot the bill for it. That is part of the problem as I see it. I know a lot of areas that don't even have cable TV much the less broadband due to the fact it is so rural. Why should DSL/cable providers run services all the way out there if they only get one customer or two? It makes no sense to them.

Really, it all comes down to money.
--
My Domain
Nightfall's Hockey and Life Journal
JimmySask

join:2004-06-24
Regina, SK

Re: yea

Exactly! The company I mentioned has been expanding to most communities with population of X, obviously the most profitable ones first. I think the latest bit in the paper said that any community of 150 ppl or more has DSL now. After that, most things that are smaller are a money losing proposition. Hence the wireless, Each tower with a range off approx 30km, LOS.
achuchma

join:2001-04-11
Tampa, FL

said by JimmySask See Profile:
Geography has nothing to do with it. I live in Saskatchewan, Canada, population: =/- 1,000,000. Geographically, we are roughly twice the size of most states in the US. Why does this matter? The Telco here has at LEAST 1.5/384 ADSL to roughly %80 of the population, and has just announced that they will now be expanding to even more remote rural areas, via wireless broadband @ 2mbps/128kbps. Not blazing speeds, but because they use land-based towers,it is lower latency than satellite, and far better than dialup. If they can get service to that many people, in an area so geographically spread out that roughly %50 of our population is considered rural, and as a company still post excellent profits, why can't anybody else?

Rolling out DSL and rolling out fiber are two completely different things.

For DSL, the only equipment upgrades required are DSLAMS in the CO, and remote DSLAMS at remote areas.

Fiber, however, requires digging up the ground to lay brand new cable. All the new equipment required for that line (no, fiber is not one long cable from point A to point B - Fiber uses tons of equipment), upgrading the CO to support a fiber connection, and so on.

With DSL, the lines are already there...

Here's a thought for you...It costs a Customer roughly $75,000 to have a fiber line laid between our POP and their office that is only 5 miles away. That is the very reason why FTTH is far off in this country.

Geography has everything to do with it.
--
Playing the Tuba isn't an art, it's an adventure! http://www.lakesidepride.org
johnh123

join:2002-11-19
Chicago, IL

said by JimmySask See Profile:
Geography has nothing to do with it. I live in Saskatchewan, Canada, population: =/- 1,000,000. Geographically, we are roughly twice the size of most states in the US. Why does this matter? The Telco here has at LEAST 1.5/384 ADSL to roughly %80 of the population, and has just announced that they will now be expanding to even more remote rural areas, via wireless broadband @ 2mbps/128kbps. If they can get service to that many people, in an area so geographically spread out that roughly %50 of our population is considered rural, and as a company still post excellent profits, why can't anybody else?

Do they face a lot of wireline competition up there? Do they face a lot of competition from cable internet?

Its easy to do these things as a monopoly provider, but you are putting all of your eggs in one basket. Look at the mess much of the rest of the world is in with their choice of GSM. I'd rather have more options and get to the better solution in the end.

asdfdfdf

@xtraport.net

I'm curious.

How do many of you square the claims that government shouldn't be involved in broadband build out and that we should let the market work, with your incessant claims that it is not economically feasible to build out in many areas of the country because population density isn't high enough, which is another way of saying that the market is not going to deal with this(even though costs have been dropping over the last decade, they never seem to drop enough to make the business case for build out).
Is the market going to be able to provide the infrastructure necessary for 21st century economic activity or is it not?

Should we simply say that the have nots are shit out of luck and tolerate the development of the digital divide?
achuchma

join:2001-04-11
Tampa, FL

Re: yea

said by asdfdfdf:
How do many of you square the claims that government shouldn't be involved in broadband build out and that we should let the market work, with your incessant claims that it is not economically feasible to build out in many areas of the country because population density isn't high enough, which is another way of saying that the market is not going to deal with this(even though costs have been dropping over the last decade, they never seem to drop enough to make the business case for build out).
Is the market going to be able to provide the infrastructure necessary for 21st century economic activity or is it not?

Should we simply say that the have nots are shit out of luck and tolerate the development of the digital divide?

The problem is capitol. Yes, Japan may be leaps ahead of the US, but people do not live on 1/4 or great acre lots in Japan's cities.

Even in the most crowded US cities, there is still plenty of space to cover. And that is the issue.

While fiber and equipment may have gotten cheaper, it still costs money, a lot of it...

Do you realize that there are still parts of this country that do not have POTS service? While high speed internet may be nice, it is not something that we need to go into serious debt about, not to mention the costs involved.

Remember that Japan is only the size of one of our largest States of the Union. The costs involved in deployment would very easily push your monthly rate for such a service in the upper $100 - $200 range.

Is this something you are willing to pay? Is this something Joe User is willing to pay?

More than likely not. Hence, bad investment.

Companies are in business to make money. If a business venture does not yield a good return, it is a failure.

Businesses try to avoid ventures that cost tons of money and has no return.

I also feel the same about using my tax dollars to build such a network. There are plenty of other things my tax dollars need to be spent on before everyone and their brother gets a 100MBPS fiber line to their home.
--
Playing the Tuba isn't an art, it's an adventure! http://www.lakesidepride.org
Beeper
Part Of The Problem

join:2001-09-27
Dayton, OH
clubs:

said by asdfdfdf:
Should we simply say that the have nots are out of luck and tolerate the development of the digital divide?
Yes.
--
Guaranteed Fear and Loathing. Abandon all hope. Prepare for the Weirdness. Get familiar with Cannibalism.

DaDogs
Semper Vigilantis
Premium
join:2004-02-28
Deltaville, VA

said by asdfdfdf:

Is the market going to be able to provide the infrastructure necessary for 21st century economic activity or is it not?

Should we simply say that the have nots are shit out of luck and tolerate the development of the digital divide?

Cogent argument, well said.

Wireless Broadband.... operating in the 700 MHz portion of the spectrum... and mesh networks.

Yes we are going to be able to provide the infrastructure.

If it is not cost effective to lay the wires, then don't.

The system is already heterogenious. That is not going to change. What we will be doing is using the most appropriate technology at the most appropriate place.
--
»members.ozemail.com.au/~lbrash/msjokes/

coffaro
Moonie
Premium
join:2003-07-05
Arlington, TX
clubs:
·RoadRunner Cable

I'm sick of hearing about the cost (US vs Japan). All cable has to do is a software upgrade (DOCSIS 1.0 or 1.1 to 2.0). Yes that will cost money. But it seams from what I read here at Broadband reports that we do have people willing to pay for it. Most company's paid a big chunk of it running all the fiber that still is dark (not being used). Fiber is much cheaper now because every one has it already so there is not much of a demand. Telcos have a little more work to do but it seams they are happy with what they have. They are still making money why upgrade. Cable is my only line for me and I live in a good size city. All the test markets I read about for faster internet is no where close to me. So if the test today, maybe for 6 mon. to see if it works it still will be about 2 years before most people can get it. That's slow progress. Just my 2 cents....
stunod2002

join:2003-11-07
Carol Stream, IL

Why deploy a new technology when there is still an ample of $$ to be made out of DSL.... The Bell companies will not deploy new stuff until it is absolutely necessary...

Good example,
DSL only started to become widely available when the cable companies started taking their core business away..
--
Stunod

X

join:2003-05-27
Sacramento, CA

Yes, silly -_-

We are behind, and will stay behind, until more and more consumers take the buck away from greedy bastard companies. and as that's not gona happen - were screwed :/
Beeper
Part Of The Problem

join:2001-09-27
Dayton, OH
clubs:

Re: Yes, silly -_-

said by X See Profile:
We are behind, and will stay behind, until more and more consumers take the buck away from greedy bastard companies.

Let's see, you want to take money away from companies in order for them to spend tens of billions of dollars?

That'll work.

Greedy companies desiring bigger profits are required in order to widely deploy faster broadband.
--
Guaranteed Fear and Loathing. Abandon all hope. Prepare for the Weirdness. Get familiar with Cannibalism.
neftv

join:2000-10-01
Broomall, PA

People are blind.

Thank goodness for DSLReports and the articles.
Yes USA is falling behind in a lot of things but with broadband especially we got the blind leading the blind.

dslwanter
Broadband blackhole no more
Premium
join:2002-12-16
Lowellville, OH
·Armstrong Zoom In..
·AT&T Midwest
·AT&T Yahoo

Free Enterprise

Our problem is free enterprise, companies won't market in rural areas, and a good portion of the midwestern United States in particular is rural. The government can't force companies to offer broadband.
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Broadband allows me to run my own internet radio station, »www.thebomb102.tk, something I could've only dreamed of.

See 11 replies to this post

Count Hogula3
John Forged Kerry
Premium
join:2004-07-10
Corona, CA

I don't get it

What can you do with 100Mbps that you can't do with 3-5Mb as the US providers now seem to be moving to? Some say streaming HDTV, but of course few actually have the HDTV sets themselves and new compression techniques have brought HDTV quality pictures to under 10Mb and DVD is already at 5-9Mb. Speed is nice 'n' all, but it comes down to spending BILLIONS to get 100Mbps deployed when there aren't saleable applications for it.

It's one thing when you're in a very dense city...like I can see a Cogent type operation going into bldg after bldg offering fiber and people getting high speeds for fairly cheap money...but that's one city. Perhaps Chicago is another. You certainly can't do that in L.A. You certainly won't be able to do that anywhere else.

Would I like multi-megabit speeds? Sure. But I ask myself after downloading a s-load of warez and illegal movies, what the hell am I going to do with 100Mbps that I can't do with the 4Mb I have now. As I see it, damn little. I would rather have $20 for 4Mb than $40 for 100Mb.

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fundamentalz
The Basics
Premium
join:2004-04-30
Moorpark, CA

Envy

So we as the United States, have the technological equivilant of penis envy
nasadude

join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD
·Comcast

the author needs to get a clue

quote:
We shouldn't mess with the free market...
somebody needs to tell Mikey (Mike L, author of the article) to get a clue - what the h3ll does he think the FCC, congress and the incumbents have been messing with the last several years? If it's not congress mandating something they've been lobbied to do by the incumbents, it's the FCC mucking things up with rules that keep being overturned by the courts.

In my opinion, the free market for broadband hasn't yet been allowed to work and at the rate we're going, won't be for a while.
Sunburn

join:2000-10-05
Denver, CO

Re: the author needs to get a clue

Why does DSLR always feel they have to bring up the USA broadband sucks argument every other week? I am getting tired of this. See ya

TheGiant
Next Year Is Here.

join:2001-03-28
Knoxville, TN

Re: the author needs to get a clue

said by Sunburn See Profile:
Why does DSLR always feel they have to bring up the USA broadband sucks argument every other week? I am getting tired of this. See ya

Because it does.

I see ,if the pipe ever gets big enough and IPvs6 ever comes around, a life style change that would be about as different as it would be living in the 1800's now. With everything connected you would free up so much time that is currently wasted it would be amazing.

I would just like to see this by 2010 not 2100
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Keep America safe Bush 2004 »www.georgewbush.com/KerryMediaCenter/
Estragon

join:2003-06-20
Greenville, NH
·MV Communications,..

Because USA broadband sucks

said by Sunburn See Profile:
Why does DSLR always feel they have to bring up the USA broadband sucks argument every other week? I am getting tired of this. See ya

Vary simple: Because (1) DSLR participant want/like broadband, and (2) lots of them are in the US, and (3) USA broadband SUCKS

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest

Re: the author needs to get a clue

said by Sunburn See Profile:
Why does DSLR always feel they have to bring up the USA broadband sucks argument every other week?
Hmmmmmm.... Let's see... what is this site all about.... um.... Nascar.. Nope. Football?.... Nope. Dating...? Er, nope.... I REMEMBER... It's *GASP* about Broadband! Wow! And it's located in the USA! So, the state of Broadband in the USA is kinda, well, the KEY FOCUS of the site!

Sorry. I am overdoing the sarcasm.
--
"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!)

Kraphty
Lost In Translation
Premium
join:2002-10-14
Chile
clubs:

Re: the author needs to get a clue

Actually couldnt have said it better myself.

Transmaster
Onward Through The Fog

join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY

The real problem at AOL

"hoo hoo hee haa haa Hoo ooh!"
Tranlation: What do you do if a 400 pound Gorilla
likes dialup.
--
»www.gobpl.com