Hey Michael, could I quote you on www.dailywireless.org? - Sam ------
On Tue, Aug 18, 2009 at 10:07 AM, Michael Weinberg < [email protected]> wrote: > > One Economy (who I have no desire or intention to disparage beyond > this particular lousy idea), has teamed with Cricket Wireless to apply > for broadband stimulus funds in order to provide low-income residents > of Baltimore, Washington D.C., Houston, Memphis and San Diego with 3G > modems (using the Cricket network) as a means of bridging the digital > divide. > > Ignoring, for a moment, the fact that Cricket is basically applying > for federal funds to buy their own service, this is a lousy project > because 3G is often slow and inconsistent, is absolutely over-priced > for the speed it delivers (when viewed as a fixed location service) > and it does not represent a substantive infrastructure improvement. > Lack of (affordable) infrastructure is quite often the chief factor > leading to digital exclusion, and applying a single closed network, > even with subsidized pricing, does nothing to alleviate the problem in > the long-term. This proposal is akin to buying people helicopter rides > instead of building roads to connect their homes to the highway. > > Perhaps the saddest part of the press-release, is the way it cites One > Economy's success in Portland. Much of One Economy's Portland service > (at least to my knowledge) was actually built out by NetEquality, > using DSL, T1 and fixed WiMAX service to feed OpenMesh and Meraki > units. Perhaps they have also begun to offer subsidized Cricket 3G, > but the work that won them accolades was definitely not that. > > Shame on One Economy. > > Read more here: > > http://www.fiercewireless.com/press-releases/cricket-one-economy-seek-expand-project-change-access-five-cities > And here: > http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/leap-wireless-one-economy-team-vye-broadband-stimulus-funds/2009-08-18 > -- > Michael Weinberg > Volunteer > Personal Telco Project, Inc. > A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit > > > > -- Sam Churchill (www.dailywireless.org) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ The Personal Telco Project - http://www.personaltelco.net/ Donate to PTP: http://www.personaltelco.net/donate Archives: http://news.gmane.org/gmane.network.wireless.portland.general/ Etiquette: http://www.personaltelco.net/index.cgi/MailingListEtiquette List information: http://lists.personaltelco.net To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
