Tag: Broadband

Coming To A State Near You

Just yesterday our governor here in Mississippi, Tater Twat Reeves, made the announcement that he was bringing broadband to the state…..actually that is BS he did nothing…the whole country will be getting money to expand across the nation.

They are the outliers in a modern age, and not by choice: More than 8 million homes and businesses in the US do not have broadband service that meets bare-minimum standards, reports Engadget. But a major push to remedy that was unveiled at the White House on Monday—a $42 billion initiative to bring high-speed internet to pretty much anyone who wants it, even if they live in far-flung rural locales deemed unprofitable by major providers. Some highlights:

  • Money: Every state will get at least $107 million, and 18 will get more than $1 billion, including Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Virginia. Those getting the most are Texas ($3.3 billion) and California ($1.8 billion). CNN has the complete list. Territories also get money, starting with the Virgin Islands at $27 million.
  • Examples: The Washington Post has a graphic listing the number of people “unserved” by the internet in various states, starting with Texas at 779,000. Other examples include North Carolina (376,000), Michigan (368,000), Virginia (364,000), Missouri (337,000), and California (306,000).
  • Now what? States will start submitting their plans to deliver internet later this year and unlock 20% of their allotment, per Reuters. The full amount likely won’t be released until plans are finalized in 2025. The White House goal is to have everyone in the US connected by 2030 under what’s known as the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.
  • The pitch: “It’s the biggest investment in high-speed internet ever,” said President Biden on Monday. “Because for today’s economy to work for everyone, internet access is just as important as electricity, or water, or other basic services.” The money is part of the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.

Personally I like the idea….this world today one needs access to be successful in whatever they attempt….plus it would be good for education as long as the idiots keep their hands out of the pie.

Will this make a difference?

Do you have an opinion?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Obama’s Scheme to Regulate U.S. Into ‘Net Neutrality’ Nirvana Could Kill Broadband – Hit & Run : Reason.com

There is a battle going on for net neutrality…several plans….none of which I am convinced will protect that neutrality.

The prez has been praised, by some, for his plan…..but will it be the answer all seem to be searching for or will it crap all over the neutrality?

Questions……I have questions……

 

Obama’s Scheme to Regulate U.S. Into ‘Net Neutrality’ Nirvana Could Kill Broadband – Hit & Run : Reason.com.

Stay Connected

I have written in the past about Americans access to the web…mainly that I thought it was BS that more are not able to use the internet.  When the Arab Spring started I recall a story that told how the protesters were using social networking to organize….it got me to thinking…..how can a country whose citizens make less than $5000 a year able to use an expensive service like broadband?  How is the possible and since it is how come the US has should shoddy record with broadband and when you can get it…..it costs are almost prohibitive……..

I found an article on the US and broadband……….

Newser) – The real threat to US Internet isn’t foreign intervention—it’s that it currently sucks. Cable companies have kept access limited, expensive, and relatively slow by global standards, complains Susan Crawford at Wired. Roughly a third of Americans don’t have broadband access, and for about 19 million who live in rural areas, it’s not available at any price, because cable companies refuse to expand there. The FCC, which is supposed to ensure reasonably-priced communications access for all has “failed in that task,” Crawford writes.

“Yet we’re moving in the opposite direction,” with telecoms focusing on wireless, and refusing government subsidies to service rural areas. Cable companies “face no real competition or pricing pressure,” and we still have no national plan to switch to fiber-optic cables. Everyone in America should be able to get fast internet, voice, data, and basic cable for $30 a month, and if private companies won’t step up, the government should. “It’s embarrassing that one of the most innovative nations in the world can’t do this.” Read the full column here.

When will corporations let the country become a member of the 21st century?

My Connectile Dysfunction

Daily Agitator

I have joked about the connectivity of my electronic stuff for sometime now…it seems that I have a major problem with connection…..I have made many jokes….but that was a coping mechanism…..there is NOTHING funny about the problem….at least not to me….

It all began with me wanting to move into the 21st century and get a Blackberry….that way I could stay connected even when out and about….yes, it is important to me….I am a news and political junkie, so knowing who was doing who is preferable…..

I got my phone in the mail and set about activating it….that was 3 weeks ago and ….you guess it!….I am still NOT activated….I call the techno geeks for some assistance and they go about issuing ticket numbers and having me wait for 24 hours before activation…..3 weeks later I am still waiting for the goddamn activation.  I am over the 24 hour phone tag!

I have given them a choice…..new phone or money returned and I am waiting for that to materialize…(update to follow)…..

My next trip along the connectile dysfunction was my wireless router crap out and had to get a new one……NOTHING is ever simple!  My defunct router was a simple box that connected to the cable modem and away we went….lots of connectivity……

I spent most of a day trying to find a simple router that would just get me connected wirelessly….HA HA HA HA HA!……in the 21st century NOTHING is that easy!  After scouring the area I was left with about 10 different routers, none were a simple fix, that I had to program my PC to do everything but give me a blowjob….but if you just want to be connected you are shit out of luck!  Now they are for the gamers, and the photo freaks and the youtubers, etc…..NOTHING IS SIMPLE!

Btw READ the instruction first….believe me it makes all the difference in the world……

The good news is I am connected wirelessly and can feed on the political stuff until I am full….but I cannot leave the house……I still DO NOT have a goddamn phone…..!!!!!!!!!

Have a nice day, my ass!

E-Democracy?

Inkwell Institute

Professor’s Classroom

Subject:  Electoral Politics/Democracy/Political Theory

Paper #5

I have written a post on participatory democracy and how I think it would be a better way of governance….but then there is the question of how would the people stay totally informed…..My friend Quin or Quinesstential Havoc (go to blogroll) has said that technology would be a good starting place….so I decided to start there…….

So why not give wiki a shot at a definition:

a form of direct democracy that uses information technologies and communication technologies and strategies for political and governance processes. Such processes can be used for governance of local communities, nations and internationally. Democratic actors and sectors in this context include governments, elected officials, the media, political organizations, and citizens/voters.E-democracy aims for broader and more active citizen participation enabled by the Internet, mobile communications, and other technologies in today’s representative democracy, as well as through more participatory or direct forms of citizen involvement in addressing public challenges.

E-democracy is a relatively new concept, which has surfaced out of the popularity of the Internet and the need to reinvigorate interest in the democratic process. Access is the key to creating interest in the democratic process. Citizens are more willing to use Web sites to support their candidates and their campaign drives.[5] In the United States, just over 50% of the population votes, and in the United Kingdom, only 69% of citizens vote.

The research indicates that the political process has been alienated from ordinary people, where laws are made by representatives far removed from ordinary people. The goal of e-democracy is to reverse the cynicism citizens have about their government institutions. However, there are increasing doubts about the real impact of electronic and digital tools on citizen participation and democratic governance, and warning against the “rhetoric” of electronic democracy.

I am positive that Quin will have a comment or two……

The Internet provides a distinctive structure of opportunities that has the potential to renew interest in civic engagement and participation. Civic engagement can be understood to include three distinct dimensions: political knowledge (what people learn about public affairs), political trust (the public’s orientation of support for the political system), and political participation (conventional activities designed to influence government and the decision-making process).

The information capacity available on the Internet allows citizens to become more knowledgeable about government and political issues, and the interactivity of the medium allows for new forms of communication with government and elected officials. The posting of contact information, legislation, agendas, and policies makes government more transparent, potentially enabling more informed participation both online and offline.

Broadband,  an up and coming phenom will be the greatest tool for the people’s participation…….but now we ask….will the people actually give a sh*t and actually participate in their government?  Or will they continue to piss and moan about it?  My guess is the later…..

This IS the future of politics and governance….like it or not…does not matter….it is coming and coming quickly!

Big Brother IS Watching!

A lot of people have used that term from the book “1984”….it has been used to categorize a lot of stuff the government is doing and how it could effect the people……the Patriot Act comes to mind….there has been a lot of things that have been predicted as Big Brother sticking his nose into ordinary people’s lives….and then there is France……

The lower house of the French parliament has approved a draft bill that will allow the state unprecedented control over the Internet. Although the government says it will improve security for ordinary citizens, civil rights activists are warning of a “new level” of censorship and surveillance.

For members of the French administration, it is a law against digital crime. For civil rights activists and politicians from opposition parties, it is a plan for censorship that excites fear and loathing — and even conjures up the specter of Big Brother and the surveillance state.

The new legislation could in the future force Internet service providers (ISPs) to shut off access to criminal sites, should they be officially instructed to do so. According to the draft legislation, the law “makes it the responsibility of each Internet service provider to ensure that users don’t have access to unsuitable content.”

Now that brings in the question….who will decide what is “unsuitable content”?  This is akin to someone decide which books I am allowed to read….my mother did not do it: government definitely does not have that right…..

I bring this to everyone’s attention because if it succeeds in France it will be coming to a country near you!  Today the French, tomorrow YOU!  Then BIG BROTHER will have his way and you will have your “security”……..While you were sleeping you have been losing your rights slowly but slowly…..Happy Now?

A Chicken In Every Pot And Broadband In Every House

I recall, I believe, this was promised by Obama during either the primaries or the election as a way to increase the education of the people of the country.  Personally, I think it is a helluva idea.  The economy has pretty much taken that idea off the table for now and probably for the first four years of the Obama admin, but there are others who are moving to get the jump on the rest of the world.

All UK homes should have access to broadband and faster download speeds by 2012, the government has said.

An interim report on the UK’s digital future also looked at plans for public service broadcasting.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said digital technology was as important today as “roads, bridges and trains were in the 20th Century”.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham told MPs it would help Britain secure a competitive low carbon economy in the next five to 10 years, adding the country “led the world in content creation”.

The report called for everyone in the UK to have access to a broadband speed of up to two megabits per second (Mbps).

This would make internet connections capable of handling much more video and sites that offer greater interactivity.

By the time of the final report, the government will know whether internet service providers (ISPs) can build next generation networks themselves or if government help will be needed.