Rural Broadband

[Rhea]

There’s a lot of talk about gettting broadband to rural homes. I feel that the time has come that it is actually a utility and necessary to participate in the economy. I don’t support government-installed internet to hunting cabins or anything, but I sure do support making it available on every road that contains more than one year-round house.

 

[TV and credit cards]

There’s a lot of talk about gettting broadband to rural homes. I feel that the time has come that it is actually a utility and necessary to participate in the economy. I don’t support government-installed internet to hunting cabins or anything, but I sure do support making it available on every road that contains more than one year-round house.

Starlink is starting up.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...net-price-at-99-per-month-email-idUSKBN27C30D

 

[Rhea]

Starlink is starting up.

We’ve been waiting a very long time for them... and his doesn’t look like it’s coming very soon.
It would be nice, but they’ve been promising for a long time.

 

[Rhea]

which makes me wonder - what about all that space litter!? There are going to be so many satellites it’ll be dangerous to launch. I wonder if saellites will make it more dangerous to use the space sation because of decreased launch windows in case anything happened.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

There’s a lot of talk about gettting broadband to rural homes. I feel that the time has come that it is actually a utility and necessary to participate in the economy. I don’t support government-installed internet to hunting cabins or anything, but I sure do support making it available on every road that contains more than one year-round house.

Do you realize how expensive that would be? I can see merit in subsidizing farming areas but most rural living doesn't actually require being out there, why should it be subsidized?

Besides, the issue is becoming moot with Starlink.

 

[ideologyhunter]

These things need to go in order. Let's start with smart urinals (the ones with TV screens) in the outhouses. And for god's sake, no-touch flush.

 

[ZiprHead]

There’s a lot of talk about gettting broadband to rural homes. I feel that the time has come that it is actually a utility and necessary to participate in the economy. I don’t support government-installed internet to hunting cabins or anything, but I sure do support making it available on every road that contains more than one year-round house.

Starlink is starting up.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...net-price-at-99-per-month-email-idUSKBN27C30D

My brother had Hughesnet. It sucked.

 

[Toni]

There’s a lot of talk about gettting broadband to rural homes. I feel that the time has come that it is actually a utility and necessary to participate in the economy. I don’t support government-installed internet to hunting cabins or anything, but I sure do support making it available on every road that contains more than one year-round house.

Do you realize how expensive that would be? I can see merit in subsidizing farming areas but most rural living doesn't actually require being out there, why should it be subsidized?

Besides, the issue is becoming moot with Starlink.

I’m not sure what you mean re: ‘most rural living doesn’t require being out there?’

Can you please explain?

 

[Rhea]

There’s a lot of talk about gettting broadband to rural homes. I feel that the time has come that it is actually a utility and necessary to participate in the economy. I don’t support government-installed internet to hunting cabins or anything, but I sure do support making it available on every road that contains more than one year-round house.

Do you realize how expensive that would be? .

Do you realize how good for the economy that would be? To be able to work from anywhere? Entrepreneurs able to make their home businesses and take online orders. Companies seeking cheaper land for satellite offices.

 

[Toni]

Starlink is starting up.

We’ve been waiting a very long time for them... and his doesn’t look like it’s coming very soon.
It would be nice, but they’ve been promising for a long time.

Yes and in the meantime, children in rural areas have less access to internet services that children living in small cities, suburbs and urban area take for granted. If nothing else has illuminated that stark difference, surely the pandemic has!

As much as city folk like to believe that country folk aren’t as bright or ambitious or intelligent and sopihisticsted as city folk are, the truth is that people in rural areas need the same internet access and services.

 

[Rhea]

Indeed. And it is SUPER frustrating to hear all this talk about subsidizing 5G buildouts so they can put faster and more in some areas. Faster to an extent that they can’t even detect. While we still measure speeds in kbps. Stay at 4 G until we’re all at 4G, yanno!?

 

[barbos]

I don't really understand why is it hard to pass an optical cable along power-lines which are already there?
I guess they do that for new constructions, but retrofitting old power-lines should not be too expensive.

Here, in russian shithole I stuck in, they started providing GPON to private (not apartment) houses.
Apartment buildings have been GPONed few years ago. There are not many standalone farm houses in Russia, though.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Starlink is starting up.

We’ve been waiting a very long time for them... and his doesn’t look like it’s coming very soon.
It would be nice, but they’ve been promising for a long time.

Yes and in the meantime, children in rural areas have less access to internet services that children living in small cities, suburbs and urban area take for granted. If nothing else has illuminated that stark difference, surely the pandemic has!

As much as city folk like to believe that country folk aren’t as bright or ambitious or intelligent and sopihisticsted as city folk are, the truth is that people in rural areas need the same internet access and services.

Meanwhile I get 1 Gbps for $40 a month and families in Akron can't get anything at all. At least something can be made to happen in the city. In the rural area, science technology gets in the way. Of course, there are a couple different types of rural, rural and really rural. I'm all for expanding access to Broadband... but there are a few things I'd want in return from the flyover people that have a tendency to vote red.

 

[Toni]

Yes and in the meantime, children in rural areas have less access to internet services that children living in small cities, suburbs and urban area take for granted. If nothing else has illuminated that stark difference, surely the pandemic has!

As much as city folk like to believe that country folk aren’t as bright or ambitious or intelligent and sopihisticsted as city folk are, the truth is that people in rural areas need the same internet access and services.

Meanwhile I get 1 Gbps for $40 a month and families in Akron can't get anything at all. At least something can be made to happen in the city. In the rural area, science technology gets in the way. Of course, there are a couple different types of rural, rural and really rural. I'm all for expanding access to Broadband... but there are a few things I'd want in return from the flyover people that have a tendency to vote red.

Why? They are Americans, citizens, who work, live, die, provide you with your food. They are as good a human being as you are. Why do they deserve less? Because you don't like (some of) their politics?

You realize your conditioning of providing a needed service to a population of fellow Americans puts you right next to the way that Trump likes to run the presidency, right?

 

[RVonse]

I don't really understand why is it hard to pass an optical cable along power-lines which are already there?
I guess they do that for new constructions, but retrofitting old power-lines should not be too expensive.

I totally agree with you barbos. Especially fiber optic cable which is totally compatible right along side high voltage power.

There is no technical or economical reason it can't be done. Its got to be political.

 

[barbos]

I don't really understand why is it hard to pass an optical cable along power-lines which are already there?
I guess they do that for new constructions, but retrofitting old power-lines should not be too expensive.

I totally agree with you barbos. Especially fiber optic cable which is totally compatible right along side high voltage power.

There is no technical or economical reason it can't be done. Its got to be political.

The only reason against it, I can come up with. Optical cable is hard to repair. So if something happen with over the air cable it would be a real hassle. And it happens a lot with power-lines. In any case, retrofiring will not be cheap especially if it's, I don't know, 20 km just to get to one farm house. GPON is cheap becasue single fiber is usually shared by 16-32 users, and single cable is shared by the whole damn building.

Short distance over the air optical cable is fine because you simply replace the whole thing. Still it's not DIY job to say the least.


https://www.otelco.com/fiber-infrastructure/

For a one mile build with 13 homes, the total project cost would be $20,000 PLUS the $600 for each home that connected to the service, about $2,140 per home – assuming that every home took service. If only 7 of those homes sign up for service, the cost per home served jumps to $3,460. By dividing the cost per home by the net revenue per home of $33, you’ll see that it will take nearly nine years for the provider to break even on the investment.

$2000 per home if everyone agrees. I think it's reasonable.

 

[TV and credit cards]

Starlink is starting up.

We’ve been waiting a very long time for them... and his doesn’t look like it’s coming very soon.
It would be nice, but they’ve been promising for a long time.

which makes me wonder - what about all that space litter!? There are going to be so many satellites it’ll be dangerous to launch. I wonder if saellites will make it more dangerous to use the space sation because of decreased launch windows in case anything happened.

Their website states that after this current beta test, they will quickly ramp up and be nearly worldwide in 2021. So, hold your breath. Here it comes.

The DoD tracks all space debris and satellites use this information for avoidance. At the end of their useful life, Starlink satellites utilize their ion propulsion systems (developed right here at NASA Glenn in Cleveland, OH) to deorbit the earth. Reminds me of Dewey with his watering can drifting out into deep space caring for the last biodome in Silent Running.

I think of not just rural areas but mountainous areas. This is particularly difficult to serve as the topography oftentimes inhibits even cell tower signals. Thing is, Starlink is $500 to set up and $100 per month. Hopefully President Trump, in his second term will insist government help subsidize these costs for his staunch rural supporters. But seriously folks, I think what this virus has taught us and what will work well for rural areas is to have some elearning in place and maintained for student homework assistance, snow days, or regimented home schooling for very remote students. It would also be nice if universities implemented online courses. Real online courses, not the pseudo online courses I've taken in the past where they tell you it's online and you quickly learn you actually do have to go out and interact with others. This just doesn't work for folks living out in the boonies.

 

[Toni]

Doesn't it depend on whether we see internet access the same way that we see access to gas/electricity/water/sewage? We see those as necessary to life in 21st Century America.

 

[Elixir]

I don't really understand why is it hard to pass an optical cable along power-lines which are already there?
I guess they do that for new constructions, but retrofitting old power-lines should not be too expensive.

I totally agree with you barbos. Especially fiber optic cable which is totally compatible right along side high voltage power.

There is no technical or economical reason it can't be done. Its got to be political.

A lot of the fibers optic cables serving this valley are buried. Seems like every few weeks some idiot somewhere along the line decides to go nuts with a backhoe... usually takes at least a full day to repair.

 

[barbos]

I don't really understand why is it hard to pass an optical cable along power-lines which are already there?
I guess they do that for new constructions, but retrofitting old power-lines should not be too expensive.

I totally agree with you barbos. Especially fiber optic cable which is totally compatible right along side high voltage power.

There is no technical or economical reason it can't be done. Its got to be political.

A lot of the fibers optic cables serving this valley are buried. Seems like every few weeks some idiot somewhere along the line decides to go nuts with a backhoe... usually takes at least a full day to repair.

Well, as long as auctioning backhoe covers the cost of repairing optical cable ....