Using Technology and Innovation to Address Our Nation's Critical Challenges
Rural areas lack quick Internet
Submitted by Benton Foundation on November 25, 2008 - 8:20am
Last updated: November 25, 2008 - 8:21am
Last updated: November 25, 2008 - 8:21am
Source: Billings Gazette
Author: Charles Johnson
RURAL AREAS LACK QUICK INTERNET
Montana Common Cause and Montana State University Professor Richard S. Wolff find that many rural Montana areas can't get high-speed Internet service, and their county governments lack interactive Web-based services. The research concludes that Internet access in Montana costs 20 percent to 40 percent more than the average charges for all categories of service nationally. Many rural counties' Web sites, sponsored by tourism agencies and local chambers of commerce, offer little to enable people to engage in government online.
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Smart Spectrum Use
Smart Spectrum Use 11/28/08
It seems intuitive that this piece would not be the only rural setting that points to significant US Regulatory failures on the "Broadband Policy" front. If one puts this issue into a question: Should we expect that spectrum license holders will build out spectrum they own if there is no significant financial incentive to do so, and should government provide incentives to offset such costs?
Perhaps more than the 4 Watts EIRP language from the recent TVWS R&O, the coming TV Whitespace High Power NOI might be a way to fix these failures.
It remains to be seen however if Regulatory & Industry "broadband stakeholders" will step up and "do the right thing" by using the TV Whitespace as a rural last mile solution with so many other investments in infrastructure already having been made.
One can hope that President Elect O'Bama's idea of Smart Government will include (on the FCC front) Smart Spectrum Use to help build a long term & "market viable" foundation for a National Broadband Policy.
SmartSpectrum