Interesting People mailing list archives
IP: Re: The Broadband Economy
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 12:04:40 -0500
From: "Dana Blankenhorn" <danablankenhorn () mindspring com> To: <farber () cis upenn edu> Subject: Re: The Broadband Economy Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 09:38:46 -0500 X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.1 This is what happens when politicians start fulminating on technical subjects. The "broadband bill" she mentions is the Tuazin-Dingell subsidized monopoly bill. She sloughs it off as "too little" and then demands outright government subsidies to light the optical cables. But look closely at this -- "Laying a second line to these customers can cost $1,500 per customer." That sounds like an extreme amount of money. But nearly every business, and most consumers, can easily afford it. It's about what they pay for a PC now. And given the long-term value of the upgrade (something you don't get in a PC, whose value declines with time) it's certainly possible to write a loan on it. Over two years, at present interest rates, you're talking about less than $100/month. This "user pays" theory isn't even discussed enough to be dismissed. Neither is 802.11, another technology well-known to this list. Its latest iteration, 802.11g, supports speeds to 11 Mbps. There's also an adjunct, 802.1x, which with a simple firmware upgrades supports authentication and security. Dana Blankenhorn http://www.a-clue.com @Have Modem, Will Travel dana () a-clue com Ph: 404-373-7634 fax: 404-378-0794
For archives see: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
Current thread:
- IP: Re: The Broadband Economy David Farber (Dec 10)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- IP: Re: The Broadband Economy David Farber (Dec 10)
- IP: Re: The Broadband Economy David Farber (Dec 16)