Well, yeah. So who would be pushing the "broadband is above 10 meg" canard anyway? I know of no present common internet application that needs in excess of 3mbit to work well. Perhaps as you suggested, the speed was chosen as a specific elimenation of most wireless and copper based DSL.
For the vast majority of things, even 1mbit is "adequate". I often show my clients the TV network's websites and let them see the tv episodes available online, and 2mbit seems to be well more than required to watch them. I don't think this is going to be necessarily true in the coming years. I chose 2mbit when I did because I figured on a 4 year lifespan. Looks more like that'll be 5-7 years. The next question is, what's the next level of "adequate" for network design, and can we keep that from being officially declared "obsolete" before it gest there? I know that around here, the cable co offers in excess of 10mbit, but it costs something like 120/mo when bundled with TV. That raises the question... who's willing to up the price for internet from 35-40 to over 100 to have "broadband"? I think that moving the definition will result in a lot of consumer rejection of that high of speeds and "worsen" the political numbers of "broadband". There's nothing as hypocritical as moving the goalposts to claim that you need government feeding and care in order to provide a "needed service". ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ <insert witty tagline here> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Scrivner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 3:13 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Article > The article represents thoughts of individual members of this group in its > initial meeting. I see trouble with some of the things noted. Especially > things like saying "we now acknowledge there is a broadband problem". I > did > not like the definition of broadband as "10 megabit or more" either. This > is > definitely an attempt to force fiber into everyone's diet. At least WISPA > has a seat in this group and hopefully we can fend off some of this forced > fiber rhetoric. Rick, was your impression of the outcomes of this meeting > in > contrast to those stated in the article? I hope so or this group will not > help, and in fact will hurt, the WISP industry. > Scriv > > > On Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 2:40 PM, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> And which telco is this going to bail out? Money from Congress to >> industry = pay off Unions for votes. >> >> We will never, ever, ever, ever qualify. >> >> Another headliner article I read on this will redefine "broadband" as >> over >> 10 Meg. >> >> Nothing like disqualifying almost the entire WISP industry... >> >> >> >> >> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >> <insert witty tagline here> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Rick Harnish" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: "'WISPA General List'" <wireless@wispa.org> >> Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 11:20 AM >> Subject: Re: [WISPA] Article >> >> >> > Jeff, >> > >> > Just to let you know, I am in Washington DC this week participating in >> the >> > events below. WISPA has signed on as a supporter of the Call to Action >> to >> > define the Nationwide Broadband Strategy. It was great to see all the >> > players of the Broadband Industry working together to attempt to bring >> the >> > US back up to the top of the Broadband Access ladder. It will be a >> > busy >> > three months while this strategy is defined and presented to the Obama >> > Administration. >> > >> > Respectfully, >> > >> > Rick Harnish >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On >> > Behalf Of Jeff Broadwick >> > Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 1:21 PM >> > To: 'WISPA General List' >> > Subject: [WISPA] Article >> > >> > >> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120203 >> > 164_pf.html >> > >> > New Coalition Drawing Up Nationwide Broadband Access Strategy >> > >> > By Cecilia Kang >> > Washington Post Staff Writer >> > Wednesday, December 3, 2008; D03 >> > >> > President-elect Barack Obama has said getting affordable high-speed >> > Internet >> > service to every American home would create jobs, fuel economic growth >> and >> > spark innovation. Yesterday, representatives from technology and >> > telecommunications companies, labor unions and public interest groups >> > frequently at odds with one another agreed to provide the next >> > president >> > with a roadmap for how to accomplish those goals. >> > >> > That map could include tax breaks, low-interest loans, subsidies and >> > public-private partnerships to encourage more investments in upgrading >> and >> > building out high-speed networks, representatives from Google, AT&T and >> > public interest group Free Press said during a panel discussion on >> > broadband >> > policy that also served as a coming-out party for their newly formed >> > coalition. >> > >> > The details of how to meet those goals still must be worked out by the >> > group, whose aim is to bring more affordable high-speed Internet access >> to >> > every consumer. >> > >> > Many of the group members have been at odds with each other on whether >> the >> > government should set limits on how much spectrum a company can hold, >> > the >> > use of unlicensed devices on fallow broadcast airwaves and net >> > neutrality -- >> > the notion that network operators should be prevented from blocking or >> > slowing Internet traffic. The formation of the group is an effort to >> > move >> > beyond their differences. >> > >> > "The coalition is a positive in that it demonstrates we agree that we >> have >> > a >> > broadband problem, which not everyone was willing to admit to two years >> > ago," said Ben Scott, policy director at Free Press and a member of the >> > group. "The key is whether we'll see this group produce policy >> > solutions >> > that will require difficult choices." >> > >> > At stake is the nation's ability to compete technologically and >> > economically, the group said. The United States has dropped from the >> > top >> > 10 >> > nations for broadband access, speeds and price in the last several >> > years. >> > The coalition is pushing for a federal plan that would provide access >> > to >> > high-speed Internet service, much as the government did with >> > electricity, >> > roads and phone service. >> > >> > Obama famously used the Internet for outreach during his campaign and >> > received 370,000 donations online. He's proposed using blogs, social >> > networking tools and community Web pages known as wikis to connect >> > citizens >> > to government agencies. And Obama has argued for massive upgrades to >> > technology infrastructure such as high-speed, or broadband, Internet. >> > >> > So far the coalition's plans to increase broadband usage mirrors >> > Obama's >> > plan, but there could be disagreement over deployment, analysts said. >> > >> > Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen said the union >> > supports a proposal by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) to >> > increase >> > definitions for broadband to 10 megabits per second for downloads by >> 2010. >> > The current definition for broadband speed in the United States is 768 >> > kilobits per second downstream, which is far below standards in many >> other >> > nations. >> > >> > Achieving that goal at prices acceptable to consumers, however, would >> > be >> > expensive for telecom and cable network operators. Some in the >> > coalition >> > could push for laws that would achieve lower prices and higher speeds >> > through more wireless and telecom competitors, but that could cause >> > further >> > disagreement among members, Scott said. >> > >> > Some have already suggested requesting funds from the federal economic >> > stimulus plan for broadband deployment. Yesterday, an aide to House >> > Speaker >> > Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Pelosi was in favor of that idea. >> > >> > AT&T chief lobbyist Jim Cicconi said the company has moved closer to >> > the >> > view of public interest groups and Google that the Web should be open >> > for >> > all users without discrimination of technology and content on their >> > network. >> > But unlike Free Press and consumer groups, AT&T opposes new laws or >> > rules >> > on >> > net neutrality, saying Federal Communications Commission rules are >> > sufficient, and any violation should be handled on a case-by-case >> > basis. >> > >> > "There will be significant outstanding debates that will be very tough >> and >> > there will still be daylight between the groups on many, many issues," >> > said >> > Rebecca Arbogast, an analyst at investment firm Stifel Nicolaus. "But >> both >> > sides are in a phase right now where they are emphasizing how much they >> > share in terms of their views on what is an appropriate framework for >> > looking at this issue." >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > Jeff Broadwick >> > Sales Manager, ImageStream >> > 800-813-5123 x106 (US/Can) >> > +1 574-935-8484 x106 (Int'l) >> > +1 574-935-8488 (Fax) >> > >> > >> > >> > >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > ---- >> > WISPA Wants You! Join today! >> > http://signup.wispa.org/ >> > >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > ---- >> > >> > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org >> > >> > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >> > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >> > >> > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >> > >> > >> > >> > >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > WISPA Wants You! Join today! >> > http://signup.wispa.org/ >> > >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > >> > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org >> > >> > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >> > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >> > >> > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >> >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >> http://signup.wispa.org/ >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org >> >> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >> >> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >> > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! 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