Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Does Broadband Need a Stimulus?

Does Broadband Need a Stimulus?
New York Times - United States
While these issues were very much in the public debate in the last month, the Obama transition team again seems to have focused on projects for which the logic is clear. Most of the $6 billion is meant to subsidize broadband service in "underserved areas," mainly the small fraction of households in rural and some urban areas that can't readily connect to any broadband service.
Interestingly, much of the money will go to fund wireless broadband service. That may be an efficient way to reach some rural areas. Moreover, it is faster to construct antenna towers than to string cables, and the main point of the stimulus plan is to create jobs soon. Nonetheless, if this helps get accelerate the development of wireless broadband services, it may ultimately create more choices for people in urban and suburban areas, too. (The details of how this wireless service will work and who would provide it haven't been determined.)  ...





Windows Live™: E-mail. Chat. Share. Get more ways to connect. Check it out.

No comments: