TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: FCC Should be Required to More Accurately Count Broadband Users

Re: FCC Should be Required to More Accurately Count Broadband Users

Matt Simpson (net-news69@jmatt.net)
Thu, 31 May 2007 12:29:43 -0400

In article <telecom26.150.9@telecom-digest.org>, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
wrote:

> Sounds rather expensive. How much would it cost the taxpayer?

> Of what benefit would it be?

One possible benefit of more accurate reporting of broadband coverage
might be more chance of somebody providing coverage to those who don't
have it. An area with no existing competition might be more
attractive to a provider who is considering serving that area. In my
area, for example, a provider who looks at the false maps created with
my tax dollars might assume that they would have a hard time
convincing users to switch from cable. In fact, customers don't have
cable and might happily jump at any option that was offered.

Whether or not this is worthy of taxpayer dollars may be a matter of
opinion, which may depend on whether or not you already have broadband
coverage and don't care if anybody else does, or whether you're one of
those on the wrong side of the digital divide. There are many in
government (state, local, and federal) who feel that reliable
broadband access for all is a plus for economic development, and that
efforts to make that happen are worthwhile. Unfortunately, they're
currently doing it in such a half-assed manner that their efforts may
be worse than nothing at all.

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