Neyland
join:2003-02-04
USA | Great... sorta
So what exactly is the definition of broadband then? |
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TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
| said by Neyland  :So what exactly is the definition of broadband then? The original draft was a MINIMUM 2/1 mbps. The marked up final committee draft removed any mention of broadband speeds.
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sirwoogie
Blah
Premium
join:2002-01-02
Carleton, MI
 ·AT&T Midwest
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
| Oye! Then this stops before it starts. If you have no bar to measure to, then how do you measure success?
Them: How many widgets can you produce?
Me: What is a widget?
Them: We're not sure. How many can you produce?
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Guess I have to go read this thing. |
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lastmile
join:2007-09-08
Robertsville, MO
·Cingular Wireless
| reply to Neyland
I wonder if they take latency into consideration? I certainly hope so.
Although you can acceptable bandwidth on Satellite, the high ping times defeat many applications suited for Broadband such as gaming, voip, vpn, etc.
High latency shouldn't be considered broadband. |
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benc
Premium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL
·Charter Pipeline
 ·Future Nine Corpor..
·Callcentric
·AT&T Midwest
| reply to Neyland
said by Neyland :So what exactly is the definition of broadband then? I don't know, and that's what's bothersome.
There not only has to be a minimum transfer rate requirement, but there needs to be a price requirement as well.
I suggest a minimum speed of 768kbps, and a maximum monthly cost of say, 15 x Min. Wage. That figure would currently come out to $77.25/mo. There also needs to be a latency requirement, and a requirement of the minimum percentage of street addresses that have access.
Why all these requirements?
SPEED:
384kbps DSL currently fits the guidelines, but it's hardly what I consider broadband. 768k is barely there, and even that will seem slow.
PRICE:
Suppose I live in Dinkyville, WY or SmallTown, MT. No offense to Wyoming or Montana residents of course. Then suppose I was loaded with money and financed the build-out of an OC3 line out to my house. Then, according to the present guidelines, I would be the one house with a connection faster than 200kbps, and then the zip code will "have broadband." Thing is, an OC3 costs far more than $100/mo.
LATENCY:
Without a latency requirement, anywhere with EDGE access counts since it's *theoretically* faster than 200kbps. Again, no latency requirement means the ability to use satellite Internet counts as broadband. Satellite Internet also sometimes fails the price requirement.
MINIMUM PERCENTAGE OF STREET ADDRESSES:
I think this speaks for itself. Going back to my previous example of the OC3, it would mean that the zip code is "broadband ready," even if a next door neighbor can't pay for the connection. How "broadband ready" does the zip code look to average people in that zip code?
Of course, I don't really have an OC3, though I wish I did. I've always considered small-town living as very expensive since A) you have to drive long distances to do anything (time, maybe gas), and B) needing a T1 since DSL and Cable probably won't be available. Locally available goods will also be expensive due to transportation costs.
Thankfully, where I live can't be considered really rural, although it's the most rural area I've ever lived in. |
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tad2020
join:2007-07-17
Orange, CA
·AT&T DSL Service
| An OC3 in so. California, 2 blocks away from from a Level 3 interchange, is over $1000/mo non-wholesale.
Some one that works "at" my office works from her home in Montana, she can get a 10Mbps cable connection for under $49/mo while I can't even get cable TV service at the office in one of the "technology capital" of Orange county, go figure. |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| reply to benc
said by benc :I suggest a minimum speed of 768kbps, and a maximum monthly cost of say, 15 x Min. Wage. That figure would currently come out to $77.25/mo. Redo your math, 15 X $5.85 is $87.75 |
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benc
Premium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL | Thanks.
I forgot that the minimum wage increased from $5.15/hr. |
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