We need a permanent solution for universal broadband access
We need a permanent solution for universal broadband access
A federal subsidy for internet access for low-income households is about to run out.
how about we get universal health care and universal food, and universal savings accounts first.
what do u mean by universal savings accounts? I have never heard of savings accounts being inaccessible but I am not American
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NO TRUE SCOTTSMAN!
We did do something permanent: We let the private sector fuck us all in the ass while the rest of the world passed us by.
How about we launch a few thousand low orbit satellites and create a mesh network accessible by anyone anywhere.... oh, wait...
Starlink plugs the rural coverage gaps, but in urban areas it's still more expensive than either conventional fixed-line connections or wireless (4G/5G) broadband. Even in rural areas, while it's the best option, it's rarely the cheapest, at least in the NZ market I'm familiar with.
It also doesn't have the bandwidth per square kilometre/mile to serve urban areas well, and it's probably never going to work in apartment buildings.
This is a funding/subsidisation issue, not so much a technical one. I imagine Starlink connections are eligible for the current subsidy, but in most cases it's probably going to conventional DSL/cable/fibre/4G connections.
Because these access companies DO NOT COMPETE with each other. Without that competition we all get the shit end of capitalism. The landlines all have their own fiefdoms. Wireless is balkanizing based on tower placement, and satellite is for rural areas that don't rate wired connections or cell towers. The politicians can point to all this and say we have options, but really you're lucky if you have two options.
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