posted on March 27, 2004 03:10:39 PM new
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - President Bush, hunting for votes in hotly contested Sun Belt states, said Friday his administration is working toward wiring homes throughout America with high-speed Internet access by 2007.
"We've got to make sure this country's on the leading edge of broadband technology," Bush said. It is vital, he added, to open "new highways of knowledge" to spread innovations in education, medicine and other areas, and keep the country competitive in global trade.
During the last three years, Bush has sporadically sought to focus public attention on expanding the number of homes connected to high-speed Internet providers such as DSL and cable. But his call for "universal, affordable access" by 2007 was new.
It was a cause sure to resonate with voters still exasperated by slow dial-up Internet connections, or none at all.
I think that's a good plan and I think most of Canada is presently on high speed internet (I have been since '98). Affordable access to the internet should be made available to everyone as it's such a great learning tool and almost a necessity now.
Now I'm wondering if President Bush knows how to use a computer and if he spends anytime online. Does anyone know? Not like he's going to drop into the RT anytime soon.
posted on March 27, 2004 08:05:48 PM new
How this could garner votes is beyond me. How in the world does anyone think the President is going to help get people connected to cheap high speed access? When the net is government subsidized, it will be the end of internet freedom as we know it.
___________________________________
posted on March 27, 2004 09:02:41 PM newIn his Albuquerque speech, Bush warned lawmakers not to impose taxes on high-speed access. A temporary ban on such taxes expired last fall. The House has passed legislation to make it permanent.
profe51, I'm reaching here. Someone recently accused me of not saying anything good about President Bush here so I'm trying to find something.
posted on March 27, 2004 10:09:46 PM new
Maybe he is not out getting votes but stating an opinion.
I would like to afford High speed Internet but it is not within my reach and probably never will be. In fact what is the advantage of it. I would like to know? I am not a high speed person so it really doesn't matter. I have a very great ISP, not high speed but dependable. In fact in all the years I have been with them (5) I have never been unable to connect. What happens when the cable goes out doesn't that mean you don't have Internet access? Ours is out a lot as we have some fierce storms. Sometimes for 4 - 8 hours. Then what do you do? Cable goes our more than our electricity.
Maybe you will have a different opinion of him if he loses and Kerry gets in....
posted on March 28, 2004 06:26:54 AM new
I don't have cable high speed. As we are way out here in the hinterlands, our high speed option is wireless. I have a transducer on my roof which points at a broadcast tower on a mountain top about 20 miles away. It is unaffected by storms, unless of course they lose their power at the broadcast point. In three years, we've only had 2 or 3 outages due to the weather. Unlike satellite internet, the signal is terrestrial and isn't affected by the weather. The advantage of high speed is the speed at which pages load, and at which large files can be sent back and forth. Also, with a high speed connection, you are always connected to the net. If you think of something you need to look up, or do quickly online, there is no tedious wait for your modem to connect. You sit down and do it. The computers in the house and barn notify us the moment we get email. Our interface with the net is transparent like it should be. I currently get a 1 megabit download speed and 512kb upload. I am paying 40 bucks a month for the service and I consider it a smoking deal. There are 4 computers on the place, at least 3 are always on. My main box has not been shut down in over a year. They can all access the net at the same time, with no discernible slowdown. Try hooking up two machines on the same 56k connection and download or send some big files. Mind numbingly slow... Previously, I paid 20 a month for a dialup connection, and another 20 for a separate phone line. Same price, 10 times the speed, ease of use and reliability. That's the advantage.
Suggesting that the president can do something to help wire the whole country to cheap high speed to me smacks of government subsidizing (and by definition regulating) the internet. No thanks. What is he, some kind of socialist?
BTW, I didn't like it when Clinton's crowd wanted more control over the net either.
___________________________________
posted on March 28, 2004 07:02:03 AM new
After using dial-up internet service alone, I switched to DSL with dial-up option when cable is down. I had an excellent internet service ...nevery busy and very seldom down just like yours, Libra --so when I switched to DSL the only advantage to me was a little speed along with the convenience of a constant connection.
Federally subsidized internet could become federally controlled internet and under the Bush administration that is scary to me because freedom of speech could be compromised along with loss of privacy. And the possibility of censorship could become a problem.
posted on March 28, 2004 07:57:48 AM new
In Canada the internet providers are privately owned companies with no government involvement.
At present, my high speed internet costs me about $36 US a month including taxes for two computer outlets. There have only been a couple of outages for short periods of time in the six years that I've been with the company.
posted on March 28, 2004 08:29:33 AM new
It looks like South Korea is leading the way when it comes to high speed internet so I can perhaps understand why President Bush thinks it's important to catch up.
America's Broadband Dream Is Alive in Korea
NY Times May 3 2003
By KEN BELSON with MATT RICHTEL
The Chos' high-speed digital line — 100 times faster than the typical dial-up connection in the United States — is their zippy gateway to home entertainment, education and shopping, all for $32 a month.
The Chos are at the cutting edge of South Korea's grand experiment with all things broadband, the catch-all name for high-speed digital connections. With a hefty push from the government, South Korea's telecommunications providers have built the world's most comprehensive Internet network, supplying affordable and reliable access that far surpasses what is available in the United States, even in those homes that have their own broadband setup.
The numbers are startling, given that South Korea was among the nations hardest hit by the Asian financial crisis just half a decade ago. But rather than retrench, the country turned a disaster into an opportunity. Spending on broadband and other high-technology gear helped lead a transformation of the economy, pushing the overall information technology sector to about 13 percent of economic activity and making South Korea much less dependent on heavy industry.
"In Korea, there was a sense of crisis and they needed to take aggressive action to keep up with globalization," said Izumi Aizu, who runs the Tokyo-based Asia Network Research Inc. "In the U.S., the Internet has turned into a very conventional business."
By racing the fastest down the information highway, Korea has highlighted how far the United States has to go. Though broadband connections are increasingly common in America, service is comparatively expensive and coverage spotty.
Telecommunications companies in the United States, from start-ups to long established businesses, spent hundreds of billions of dollars to build fiber optic networks, but many ran out of cash before they brought those lines the "last mile" to people's doors.
When it comes to high-speed penetration of the home, the United States lags well behind South Korea and Canada, and has slipped below Japan.
