Bush pushes high-speed Internet access by 2007

USA Today ^ | March 26, 2004 | USAToday.com staff

[BigSkyFreeper]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (Reuters)

[xrp]

Cool.

[BigSkyFreeper]

It's slow, expensive, and it's not widely or wildly popular.

[MizzouTigerRepublican]

why don't you just get Direcway? I live in the sticks here in Missouri and my Direcway satellite works great with my DirecTV. I am actually faster on this than I am when I am at my sisters who has a cable modem.

[xrp]

I have cable modem.

[Petronski]

Well, yeah, but I meant specifically for you. You're not blocked or over the horizon, right? It might not be the best solution, but it is possible, no?

[BigSkyFreeper]

Yes. There is line of sight to the south.

[Az Joe]

Beyond any shadow of any doubt.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Why is government involved in this?

[Joe Hadenuf]

you have to admit that some "government interference" has created the great infrastructure we enjoy today.

Boink! Look no further than most of our major cities.

If Clinton had suggested this, would you be supportive?

[Atlas Sneezed]

Thanks, Jorge. Let's turn the Information Superhighway into Amtrak.

[Paul_B]

Hey, let's write broadband into the constitution as a fundamental inaleinable right.

Of course, Bush feels he must preempt the Dems on welfare issues, but it's sad to see where we are perhaps inexorably headed.

[endthematrix]

Maybe like Gore?

Universal Internet access should be a national priority
Q: What specific social, educational, legislative and economic policies will you implement that will insure that minority communities will gain access to technology and resources essential to survival in this new information age?

A: I believe that we need to get computing centers in the community for children and for adults. And we need to finish connecting every classroom and library to the Internet.
Source: Democrat debate in Harlem, NYC Feb 21, 2000

[HAL9000]

Here are President Bush's remarks -

I want to talk about one other thing we've got to do to make sure this is a good place for people to realize their dreams and start a business and get well educated, is we've got to make sure this country is on the leading end of broadband technology.

You see, new ideas and new businesses and new ways to educate people in Farmington, New Mexico are going to occur when we're able to get information flowing across cables and telephone lines in a fast way. That's what broadband technology is. It means we'll open the highways of knowledge -- new highways of knowledge.

This country needs a national goal for broadband technology, for the spread of broadband technology. We ought to have a universal, affordable access for broadband technology by the year 2007, and then we ought to make sure as soon as possible thereafter, consumers have got plenty of choices when it comes to purchasing the broadband carrier.

See, the more choices there are, the more the price will go down. And the more the price goes down, the more users there will be. And the more users there will be, the more likely it is America will stay on the competitive edge of world trade.

The more users there are, the more likely it is people will be able to have interesting new ways to receive doctors' advices in the home. The more affordable broadband technology is, the more innovative we can be with education. It's important that we stay on the cutting edge of technological change, and one way to do so is to have a bold plan for broadband.

Let me say one thing about broadband -- we don't need to tax access to broadband. The Congress must not tax access to broadband technology if we want to spread it around. (Applause.)

It sounds like he is proposing that phone companies should be required to offer universal DSL access - but with no competition on telco lines.

[endthematrix]

What happened to everything over copper?

[HAL9000]

What happened to everything over copper?

The cost of installing fiber has come down, so there's no reason to install more copper.

The faster we get rid of copper, the better.

[pepsionice]

Does this mean I have to get rid of my 386 computer? I had been meaning to upgrade...but just kept putting it off.

[HAL9000]

Does this mean I have to get rid of my 386 computer?

I recommend that you donate it to a museum for their gallery of ancient computers - and get a Mac.

[endthematrix]

Why fiber? Why not wireless? My point is how much coverage is fiber? And cost IS an issue. especially if Bush wants to bridge this "divide" with Fed money.

"When we have more companies..."

Bush understands completely about acquisitions and mergers.

[HAL9000]

"Why fiber? Why not wireless?"

There are some practical problems with the current WiFi technology. There are only 3 non-overlapping channels. There is a lot of potential interference - microwave ovens, cordless telephones, etc. It needs line-of-sight clearance from the client radio to the access point.

But when it works, wireless is great. I'm on a 2.5 mile WiFi link right now. But fiber is better - if you can get it.

"My point is how much coverage is fiber? And cost IS an issue. especially if Bush wants to bridge this "divide" with Fed money."

The cost of the fiber is trivial compared to the economic harm our crumbling, 100-year-old telephone system is causing.

[endthematrix]

Believe me, I'm more with you on this, than against. I would like to see some standards in place. however, that's the role of industry, not government. Government polices usually centralizes and when regulations and purse strings are attached, something is wanted in return.