 Mr NeutronLooks like I picked the wrong week toPremium
join:2005-05-30
Gorham, ME | Why are taxpayers... ...(apparently) being forced to fund broadband?
According to agency analysis, expanding broadband into all the country's nooks and crannies could cost carriers and taxpayers between $20 billion for 768 Mbps-3 Mbps service
Shouldn't individuals be paying for their own broadband service? Since when did I become obliged to pay for my neighbor's broadband service (and he for mine)? |
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| said by Mr Neutron:Shouldn't individuals be paying for their own broadband service? Since when did I become obliged to pay for my neighbor's broadband service (and he for mine)? Since the US became a welfare state. And a welfare state that is getting worse and worse. Before next year is out 1/2 the people in the US won't be paying income tax. |
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Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA | reply to Mr Neutron
said by Mr Neutron:...(apparently) being forced to fund broadband? For the same reason taxpayers help fund roads and highways, bridges, flood control, electrical service, telephone service, etc. Infrastructure is considered important to the overall economy of a country and is one of those things that separates developed nations from the third world countries. |
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 calvoiper
join:2003-03-31
Belvedere Tiburon, CA | Yes, but where do we draw the line?
Choosing to live in the sticks has advantages and disadvantages. Parking costs less (often zero), homes cost less, piano delivery costs more, basic necessities often cost more because of no nearby Target or Walmart.
I should subsidize your rural broadband when you subsidize my urban parking--both are necessary to commerce.
(Instead, the FCC should foster small providers serving rural areas--essentially getting the heck out of the way. Particular encouragement should be provided to wireless providers in rural areas, including pre-empting NIMBY restrictions on wireless antennae.)
calvoiper
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VoIP--the death knell of remaining voice monopolies! |
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Mr NeutronLooks like I picked the wrong week toPremium
join:2005-05-30
Gorham, ME | reply to Sammer
said by Sammer:said by Mr Neutron:...(apparently) being forced to fund broadband? For the same reason taxpayers help fund roads and highways, bridges, flood control, electrical service, telephone service, etc. Infrastructure is considered important to the overall economy of a country and is one of those things that separates developed nations from the third world countries. I'm not convinced that some guy out in the sticks being unable to get broadband is going to render the US a Third World country. 
As far as those other services you mentioned, I think you'll find that people would be perfectly willing to pay for them of their own volition, assuming that they were needed.
But I'm not convinced that creating a big pool of money to pay for infrastructure does anything but result in a great deal of waste. Broadband is not different than any other service insofar as if a market exists, providers will find a way to meet the demand. Assuming, of course, that consumers are willing to pay enough to cover the costs involved in bringing the service to them.
But I find myself regarding country folks (of which I am one) who think they should be getting their broadband service at the same price point as city folks with some amusement. If the service means so much to them, then they should be willing to pay more, as it does not cost the same to provide broadband to someone 30 miles out in the sticks as it does to provide to someone in the middle of a city.
It's high time people started bearing their own costs for the goods and services they want, including broadband.
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Damascus, Aurens.
Aurens, not this. Go round.
Damascus, Aurens - Damascus!
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 mrkevinKnowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.Premium
join:2007-08-07
Aurora, ME | reply to Mr Neutron
I went to a Telephone Association of New England (TANE) symposium a few years ago. The director of universal broadband for New York was proposing 10Mb to every home in New York within 10 years.
He said (note the quotes)
"Just think of the convenience of being able to file for your unemployment or welfare benefits without having to trudge two blocks through the snow"
I swear to God he said this. It blew me away...
So we have to pay for them to conveniently take more of our money. It's like paying someone to rob your house. It doesn't make sense to me...
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An army of sheep led by a lion, will always defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. |
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