🚀 go-pugleaf

On Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:13:32 -0700, John Higdon <higgy@kome.com>
wrote:

>That begs the question: then why is it so mediocre in the US *cities*?

There are also isolated areas in the middle of cities where there's no
broadband.  They're easy to find.  Just look on the rooftops for
HughesNet or Wild Blue satellite dishes.  For example, right next to
UCSC, which has excellent connectivity, is the community of Cave Gulch
with about 40 residences straddling Empire Grade.  The fiber for AT&T
goes up Empire grade.  Comcast cable/fiber stops at the University.
So, there's no DSL and no cable.  I know of several other communities
with similar isolated areas of no broadband[1].  My guess is that the
numbers are not huge, but still significant.  Oddly, as the FCC keeps
waving the mantra of connectivity to RURAL areas, none of these
qualify as genuinely rural, and will therefore be served last.

It's most likely going to follow the model of rural electrification in
the 1950's.  The government subsidized the power companies to provide
power to unprofitable rural areas.  I expect the broadband plan to
degenerate into much the same thing.  Whether that will provide more
or better service is debatable, but it will certainly add some taxes
to the existing services, that can be either stolen or redirected,
such as the FCC's Universal Service Fund, E-Rate, and 911 PSAP
funding.

[1] My favorite irony is that some of the major fiber runs in SCZ
County go through farm areas, or along the coast, that have no
broadband service.  The DWDM fiber bundle goes right through these
areas (because Caltrans won't allow cable runs on the freeways).
<http://noc.ucsc.edu/CCBC/UCSC-CENIC%2011-13-08.pdf>
<http://noc.ucsc.edu/CCBC/att-map.html>

-- 
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann     AE6KS    831-336-2558