| Broadband in Lafayette Hello All:
I happened across these postings purely by accident. My family and I moved to Houston, TX from Lafayette in 2001 after spending 15 years living in Acadiana. My wife and I are U.S.L. Alumni also.
I see that the city of Lafayette is trying to get into the broadband business now?
Some of you are against it (public dollars and all) and others are for it.
Here are my thoughts:
Having lived here in Houston now since 2001, private industry has done a great job at bringing broadband to the masses. I remember how long it took bellsouth to get DSL to our home and we only lived a few blocks from Lafayette High.
Here in the greater Houston Metro area, phone, satellite, and cable companies are competing for broadband dollars and the municipal govts aren't even thinking of getting involved.
Get this:
Time Warner Communications offers the following services:
digital cable (movies on-demand)
2mbit internet (768k upstream)
home security monitoring
digital phone service ($35.95/month [no additional fees])
The phone service has virtual area codes so that the folks back in Lafayette can call us here in Houston and dial 337 + our number and receive NO long distance charges.
Phone companies:
Alltel:
DSL
local and long distance
SBC (Southwestern Bell):
DSL
local and long dist.
Verizon:
DSL
local and long distance ($56.00/month unlimited long dist)
Not only that, the phone companies have partnered to complete the fiber runs throughout the greater Houston area.
By summer 2005, they will be in a position to offer all of the same features that Time Warner is offering (including TV) at fiber optic speeds.
Granted, we now live in an area where there are about 4 million people, so it's a much bigger market than Acadiana.
I just hope that whatever the City/Parish govt decides to do does not impose too large a financial tax burden on all of you, but having the technology in place opens up a realm of additional, beneficial possibilities for you folks back home.
As a software developer, I can and do actually do much of my dev work at home on my laptop while vpn'd into the office and running terminal services. I can also provide customers with direct support via vpn and webex over my broadband connection at home with no delay.
Don't slow down the progress of getting technology back home. It's important to get more competition so that the prices can come down. |
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| Lus is talking about a $90 package for:
- 5-10 Mbs of data (still not decided - but could go to 15)
- Data would be up & down
- Digital video with the typical cable package (premium channels would be extra)
- Telephone via VOIP
I've even heard that they are talking about partnering with a wireless company to build out a meshnetwork to compliment the fiber service.
On another subject... Louisiana is building out LONI (Louisiana Optical Network) this will connect the universities togather via fiber... Louisiana also bought into the National LamBdaRail. Imagine this... LUS FTTH network connects to LONI which connects to the National LambDaRail. What type of researchers do you think that we could attract to our community? Couple all of this with a $20 million visualization center and a vibrant community of entrapeneurs we could be on track to build out a new industry in cajun country. |
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| What type of researchers do you think that we could attract to our community? Not sure. One thing that really upset me during Mike Foster's administration back home is that he allowed the oil and gas industry to leave LA and move here to Houston. For decades, they plundered the oil and gas resources of our home-state and yet the state govt did little to nothing to make their decision to remain there more attractive.
Right now, Houston has ALL the majors and large independents located here. The govt here (state and local) have made Houston a very attractive option for them. It's not just oil and gas either, it's financial services and medical as well.
The new governor (Kathleen Blanco) has her work cut out for her because oil and gas companies aren't coming back to LA for the foreseeable future.
Business folks here just (unfortunately) don't see LA as an option. To them (just like the oil companies), they see it as a cost.
I truly hope that some day, my wife and I can return home, but I've got to tell you, I see more and more displaced Louisiana folks here every week and it's because they want to make more money.
Good luck to yall. |
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| We have to create that opportunity. We still have a few independants left in town. Companies like Stone Energy are committed to staying here. The community must work to develop the Acadiana technology immersion center into a first class facility which can cater to O&G, Medical, and coastal erosion research/development.
As a small community we need to be flexible and focused on moving faster than the bigger communities to build economic development opportunities which provide an environment that makes it a no brainer to grow a business in. When we have that environment - businesses will relocate here. |
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| GREAT! Do you think ULL (I still call it U.S.L.) can contribute (or have they)? |
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