inteller
Sociopaths always win.
join:2003-12-08
Tulsa, OK
| bizarro....
I thought MA was a lot more dense than that. they actually have rural areas? If they call those black holes, then the rural areas in OK must be in an entirely different universe!
--
"WHEN THE LAUGH TRACK STARTS THEN THE FUN STARTS!" |
|
stephenju
Premium
join:2002-05-17
Bedford, MA
| The loop...
quote:
...will be managed by a new division within the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
Allocate budget -> create new government organization to manage the budget -> use all of the budget on the new organization itself -> ask for more budget -> create even bigger organization ...
Well, at least they create more jobs this way. |
|
AnonProxy
Proxy of Anon
Premium
join:2001-05-12
ß
| Rural in regards to density and service
These are as rural as you get in terms of service and population density on much of the east coast.
It doesn't have to be "big" to be rural.
Basically, Verizon et al have ignored much of the western part of the state due to density (or really lack there of).
In a nearby town, they can not even get regular PHONE SERVICE, let alone broadband.
|
|
erikthebean
join:2007-06-25
Manchester, NH | HEY!!
Yea im from mass and trust me it is extremely rural...along with the rest of new england |
|
halfband
Premium
join:2002-06-01
Huntsville, AL
| Anything below about 30 users per linear mile is not very attractive to the cable/telcos.
In the south our rural areas are often 2-5 per mile areas. At about $10 per foot of capital investment to hard wire up an area, it is not going to happen anytime soon. Wireless is the only possible option.
Now the gap between 5-30 per mile sometimes gets handled by the smaller providers, but it is real hit or miss and none of them are going to be running FTTH any time soon.
--
Registered Bandwidth Offender #40812 |
|
pende_tim
Premium
join:2004-01-04
Andover, NJ | Perfect for USF
This seems like a funding need that could be very easily justified from the Universal Service Fund.
--
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits. |
|
DoctorDoom
Troll hunter
Premium
join:2006-09-19
Becket, MA
| Rural Massachusetts
In the Berkshires, where Becket (cited in the article) is located, there are large "rural" areas dues to the terrain. Where I live, 4 miles west of Becket center, there are two and only two choices: dialup at 28.8 Kbps max (usually slower) or satellite. Given that the Web is becoming inaccessible to dialup users—websites simply assume that everyone is on broadband—I switched to Hughes. It's not perfection, but it beats the phone lines.
Verizon at one time had a plan to extend broadband here, but abandoned the idea because FIOS in areas already saturated with broadband is more profitable.
I've seen this talk before, and I'm a skeptic. IMO, the likelihood of broadband in those 32 unserved towns is approximately equal to that of an invasion from Mars. |
|
Ahrenl
join:2004-10-26
North Andover, MA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| reply to inteller
Re: bizarro....
Western, MA and OK only differ in the distance they have to drive to actually be "somewhere". They're both "the middle of nowhere".
That being said, I notice my town is listed as a Duopoly when it shouldn't qualify, since Verizon can only offer 768k DSL because the CO that serves us is in Lawrence. (which is why we'll never get FIOS either) |
|
romulusnr
join:2007-08-01
Federal Way, WA | everything is relative
heh... "Rural" in Massachusetts equates to "dense suburb" in much of the rest of the country. |
|
WALL_E
Premium
join:2003-05-28
USA
| Makes Sense
Compare the ISP map to a map of population density, and it mostly makes sense.
Fortunately for me I live in a suburb of the densely populated area surrounding Springfield in Western Massachusetts, so I do have HSI. Unfortunately for me my area is serviced by Charter. 
--
Been around the world and found
That only stupid people are breeding
The cretins cloning and feeding
And I don't even own a TV. |
|
printscreen
join:2003-11-01
Juana Diaz, PR | reply to Ahrenl
Re: bizarro....
Why not? There is FIOS in Lawrence. N. Andover is just a short distance away. |
|
gordonjones
join:2002-09-02
Framingham, MA |  Can FIOS Break Cable146;s Stranglehold?
on a related note - story on the Verizon's attempt to break into the local towns:
Can FIOS Break Cable’s Stranglehold? (from ElectronicHouse.com) |
|
Ahrenl
join:2004-10-26
North Andover, MA
·Verizon FIOS
| reply to printscreen
Re: bizarro....
said by printscreen  :Why not? There is FIOS in Lawrence. That's news to me. |
|
printscreen
join:2003-11-01
Juana Diaz, PR
 ·Choice Cable TV
 ·Coqui/PRTC
1 edit | A friend of mine lives there and is considering getting FIOS after she got some offer or promotion. And I have visited Lawrence a few times, last visit was last month. I noticed some new aerial installations in many areas of the city that I thought were newer cable TV plant but later saw Verizon people working with them. There were many boxes in poles with fiber cables going into them. Too bad I didn't take a picture of one of them. I did find a picture on the Internet. You will see these things all over Lawrence.
»www.bruce.wells.name/fios/thepolemarked.jpg
Have not found a picture of the large boxes in the poles conected to these black boxes in some places. |
|
Ahrenl
join:2004-10-26
North Andover, MA
·Verizon FIOS
| I did see that Lawrence was trying to approve Fios TV. I don't think they are wired yet. (probably in process) I haven't yet found ANYONE who actually HAS fios in Lawrence. (I live maybe 100 feet from the Lawrence/North Andover line) Of course Verizon also claims North Andover has FIOS because a few people on the Andover line are the Andover CO and are able to get FIOS. So I'll believe it when some people actually report that they have it. |
|
printscreen
join:2003-11-01
Juana Diaz, PR | Then they are probably building the fiber infrastructure at this time. I did see a few Verizon crews here and there during my stay in Lawrence last month. |
|
