this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2023
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I object to your editorial post title on the grounds that it trivializes a real issue: rural broadband access in the US just SUCKS.
Rural America is a LOT of miles of nothing with a critical minimum of subscribers. Federal subsidies make DSL available to these households while the cities enjoy unfettered access to Gigabit speeds and faster. It's hardly fair access when most of those DSL providers are Sinclair affiliates.
It's an uncanny divide just from the standpoint of access-to-internet-media, but rural communities generate a TREMENDOUS amounts of data that the Dept of Commerce, USDA and FDA all could use to track US cattle herds, crop health, soil health fertilizer use and pest controls. Backhaul is key here, and the telcos resent being paid to run miles of fiber to cover pastures with LoRA or 5G.
I forget whatever my point was, but everyone should have good Internet access.
I wish I did. One provider at 500Mbps, one at 50Mbps, and a cellular provider that kind of works at 12-100Mbps. Very much in a suburb/city area. I'd sooner say put the $930M to breaking up the internet provider monopolies.
ISPs in the US: Can we still charge $100/month for basic internet?
US Gov: Yes but now you actually will have to allow data to transfer across your network.
ISP: First of all, how dare you?
If you live in a market within TV broadcast range of any significant Metro, then you have access to dedicated Internet feeds (DIA, in the parlance) under tariff for a cost. That cost may well be thousands of dollars monthly recurring, but it's available. Sign on the line and wait 180 days for provisioning.
My point is, even a fraction of that access us unavailable to rural communities because there is not infrastructure, full stop. We the US taxpayers funded it, and the telcos pocketed it and crowd poverty.
This next round of funding is sorely needed but I expect the same BS because the FCC is toothless. Ptui.