Posted on 08/18/2002 5:40:13 AM PDT by Suzie_Cue
Edited on 04/22/2004 12:34:29 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Rural residents desperately seeking fast Internet connections are taking it upon themselves to get broadband service.
Last year, residents in Summit County, Colo., formed the Ruby Ranch Internet Cooperative (RRIC) Association, otherwise known as "the Co-op."
After 10 months of negotiations, Qwest, the main local telecommunications provider, told them it would cost too much to roll out digital subscriber line (DSL) or cable Internet access to the area.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
DSL? Forget it! The complex's telephone wiring is too cheap and antiquated to support it.
A digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM) delivers exceptionally high-speed data transmission over existing copper telephone lines. A DSLAM separates the voice-frequency signals from the high-speed data traffic and controls and routes digital subscriber line (xDSL) traffic between the subscriber's end-user equipment (router, modem, or network interface card [NIC]) and the network service provider's network.
Don't these people realize what a poor example they're setting by not insisting that the government solve the problem for them?!!!
The parasites on the coasts will be outraged!!!
< /sarcasm >
I would guess that you have never experienced broadband. After getting it in January, I would sooner give up food before going back to dial-up. It is a complete life-changing experience. My television hasn't even been on (other than football) all year. I can get all my news and information right here. Streaming video, radio stations around the world, it's incredible. Don't know how I lived without it.
When I want a weather forecast, I get it in streaming video. I can get up to the minute scores on virtually any professional or college game along with real-time statistics. With the click of a mouse, I can get the latest posts from Free Republic any time of day. No having to fuss with busy signals, dropped connections or that aggravating "squealing" noise as you wait to make the connection. You are always on. What's more, I have the broadband shared with my wife's computer and my kid's computers so there is no contention in the house for the Internet anymore. We can all be on at the same time in different parts of the house with no perceptible loss in bandwidth (which is always fast).
People that don't have broadband have no idea what they are missing out on. I used to be one of them. I was one of the ones who kept putting it off saying "Who needs it?"
Remember that a business has to show a certain return on investment within a specified time frame to keep its Board of Directors and stockholders happy. A co-operative mutual-assistance venture doesn't have to do that.
All the same, this is a heartening article. I love it when people brush aside "it can't be done," and actually go out and do it!
Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit the Palace Of Reason: http://palaceofreason.com
Since I already had AT&T for phone lines (which comes through a cable) I was told they'd set up Broadband for service without any installation fee. And while I was guranateed 19.95 for 6 months when I asked they told me there were no plans to raise the rate.
Too good to be true? Well, in a way. I WAS a pain when @home collapsed. Took about a month to get things back to normal. THen again they creditied my account for that and more.
The BIG trouble came when I had a fire in my electrical service box. It was in April-May and I figured with the power out it would be a good time for me to rewire the house and put in a "fancy, newfangled CIRCUIT BREAKER" box. I had 8 circuits with screw in fuses before.
Anyway, I wasn't in a hurry so I did the job myself in my spare time. Took me about three weeks working on and off.
I forgot to notify AT&T and they turned the service off. No biggie I figured. Just pay 'em the back balance and get back to surfing. Sadly it wasn't that easy.
Basically what I had to do was set up the service again in a different account. I had to turn my old cable box back in and have the service man bring me out a new one. He came to the door, looked at me puzzlingly and handed it over. He couldn't figure out why I needed a different box either.
Bottom line is I think they wanted to get rid of all the folks who were paying only 20 bucks a month. The bill has jumped to $50!
A similar thing happened to several friends who also have had the rate skyrocket.
Despite that none of us has cancelled! The cable line is WAY faster than the SDSL line at work the engineer is so proud of. And just like you TV time is WAY down. Wife and Kidz are incredibly good at finding and downloading shows they want to see.
The only problem is now I am being told to hurry up and get the house wired for a LAN so everyone can be on at the same time.
I forsee in the very near future family meetings taking place online, even though were only rooms apart!
prisoner6
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