Canadian Broadband → Re: Harper Government declares Internet a Necessity

Because voters in Saskatchewan are part of their western base, if this happened in Toronto , they wouldn't care less.

And you completely missed this :So they make a lot of noise but support the incumbents and their over the top priced mobile service.

Paradis is an idiot if he things mobile internet is a replacement for cable or xdSL

Fixed it for you.

For places where running cables or fiber makes little to no business sense, wireless is the most logical/practical option.

With the proliferation of wireless tablets, smartphones, nettops, etc., the main thing preventing more widespread adoption of wireless is hefty wireless data prices.

I honestly think you are correct. There are thousands in Ontario rural area's who have to relay on WISP or xplornet. There is nothing else. There are prov's that don't even have a choice or 5-meg internet.

Yet, the Harper gov just said to his voting base in Sask, Saktel's HTS 5-meg internet (»www.sasktel.com/about-us ··· rnet.pdf) is not a real choice. Nor is Xplornet's 4G wireless a real choice (»www.xplornet.com/how-it- ··· network/).

Why do these 8,000 people get singled out for special treatment with declaration of how this 5-meg service and 4G is not good enough, and speeches about how internet is a necessity?

Soap-boxing for votes?

Per cartt.ca
»www.cartt.ca/news/14363/ ··· ers.html
the federal government has intervened by deploying more spectrum and granting SaskTel a second extension to find a better solution.

Has there ever been an intervention by the Harper gov to date anywhere for people who were stuck with 5-meg sat or Xplornet 4G, and in the same breath declare internet a necessity while saying this is not a choice?

There are people in big cities that have 1-meg and can't get better cuz of aged decrepit bell lines.

This is indeed a funny one here.

I don't know how you interpreted that 4G is not good enough, unless you're saying it has to be 4G LTE?

If so, all 4G has an LTE upgrade path, so Xplornet's WiMAX platform fits the bill.

According to the Harper gov, this isn't good enough. Nor is it a choice for the people in Sask as he declared Internet a necessity for them...

Lots of weirdness in this.

One of the reasons given as to why this Xplornet 4g wireless stick was not good enough for the people of Sask was because devices like the iPad won't accept a 4G mobile internet stick. At least, that's what the press is reporting.

I'm not sure why Sasktel's HTS (High speed 5-meg satellite) was deemed not good enough for them. I would have to go back and read.

But yeah.. that's what it is.

To clarify, Xplornet doesn't offer a 4G wireless stick. It's WiMAX and it's a fixed-wireless service (a modem is mounted on your house). The RJ45 is then run to your PC or router inside.

What the press is likely reporting is what residents are experiencing with the cellular providers and their equipment...

That could be it.
So that 3 choices. Which is a heck of a lot more than many have.

Though I agree mobile should not be an option, but it is in many communities and the gov even gives Bell money to set this up (this is what the rural broadband fund has been paying for). But for Sask, they seem to be special for some reason.

CBC states they have the option of Xplornet & 4G mobile internet stick
See:
SaskTel changing rural high-speed internet service
»www.cbc.ca/news/canada/s ··· tel.html

PostMedia states people have the choice of satellite and 4G mobile internet stick
For example, SaskTel has calculated about 7,000 of the affected customers could move onto a high-speed satellite service option while "99.99-per-cent" of the remaining 1,000 could be covered by a "mobile stick" system that utilizes the new 4G (fourth-generation) Internet technology that recently became available.
See:
SaskTel plays down rural Internet changes that impact some users
»www.leaderpost.com/news/ ··· ory.html

PostMedia goes on to state 4G stick is unacceptable:
The other option being offered is an Internet "stick" which, as columnist Murray Mandryk noted Wednesday, only works with devices with USB ports, which excludes smart phones and iPads.
See:
SaskTel plan hurts customers
»www.thestarphoenix.com/o ··· ory.html

Plus they also have Rogers and Telus there.
See:
Rogers unveils LTE network for Regina, Saskatoon Rogers touts LTE network
»www.thestarphoenix.com/t ··· ory.html

That's more options than many in Ontario & Quebec and yet the gov never stepped in. Unless it was to give money to Bell, Rogers or Telus to bring you a mobile internet stick and rob you blind.

Per SaskTel:
"So there are two options; it just depends on whether you're in the coverage zone - or not - of our 4G or satellite because the high-speed throughput, for the moment, has a few whites spaces."

Seems to me everything is already covered. People just don't want the "usage plans", "Data limits", "Contracts", and "Fines" that come with 4g and/or satellite, and the gov appears to be agreeing with them.

So they already have coverage, there is no need to give a speech about internet being a "Necessity". They have more than what a lot of other rural people have.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.