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I once lived in the area where one of the Freifunk core contributors lives (Mannheim / Heidelberg / Karlsruhe / Rhein-Neckar Region). For years we also talked t

I once lived in the area where one of the Freifunk core contributors lives (Mannheim / Heidelberg / Karlsruhe / Rhein-Neckar Region). For years we also talked to the municipalities and the mayors of towns around the area, especially the smaller ones that had troubles getting their internet connections and bandwidths beyond 768kBit/s because they were ignored by ISPs and are kind of the best case for mesh networks. But, as the saying goes, with the incompetent conservatives (CDU) there's no limit on how they waste tax money. If there is a friend of them doing something for more expensive, it's getting bought; because cheaper means always worse, right? Right? For example, in a small town with around 20k citizens, they spend more than 50k EUR per year for two Wi-Fi spots near the local library, and those are "maintained" by an energy company. They also had to buy those access points for an initial sum of 20k EUR per access point, because they were very special and integrated in the street lights (not kidding you). Network speeds are less than 10Mbit/s. For that amount of money per year, you could've easily gotten a fibre connection to the library building (which also has less than 10Mbit/s internet connection, so they are kinda fucked once more than 5 people use the internet there). The moral of the story is somewhat that it's so ridiculous how incompetent politicians are when it comes to tech. I'm kind of glad that this is an EU-driven project that's delegated top-down, because that means those incompetent politicians have no excuse to buy overly expensive tech stuff from their golf buddies anymore.

carlosjobim 2y ago
> The moral of the story is somewhat that it's so ridiculous how incompetent politicians are when it comes to tech. "Incompetent"... Everything within Europe and especially within EU runs on corruption. You're either a parasite or a host if you live in Europe. Reap that juicy corruption money by befriending people with influence or pay the salaries and luxurious lifestyles of the people who do with your taxes.
- wkat4242 2y ago
  The EU just throws too much money around without checking. I've seen whole parks being built with a huge sign saying funded by the EU but they never opened or even built an entrance to it. Because that would mean maintenance and the subsidy had already been cashed. I don't think it's corruption per se on the part of the EU (it is on the builders' part of course). But rather a lack of interest in how the money is spent.
  - 7373737373 2y ago
    That is difficult to disagree with when I see this: > The suburb of Budapest has built a luxurious kindergarten that suspiciously looks like a private residence - with €550K of EU money. It doesn't accept any children. https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/1ejr4a8/the_suburb_of_budapest_has_built_a_luxurious/ https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/1ejr4a8/the_suburb_... When they throw hundreds of thousands of Euros around, without having the competence for spending a fraction of that for checking that it is used as intended, then they shouldn't have that ability.
  - cocok 2y ago
    I saw an asphalted road on the mountain ridge, along the E-3 hiking route, in a national reserve territory, with a EU funding sign saying that it was built "for the benefit of the local species". The road leads to a chalet, and the only one who it benefits is the chalet's owner, making it easier for his drunkard customers to drive right to it on the weekends, with zero walking involved.
    - lock-the-spock 2y ago
      Such projects are EU funded but in fact implemented through national or regional programmes agreed by the regional authorities... So it's usually at that level that favouritism or corruption plays in.
      - carlosjobim 2y ago
        The point is that the EU funders of course know this and turn a blind eye in order to keep the people in power in the regions supporting the EU. It's just how it has always been in Europe with vassals. Feudalism has always been the government of the old world, and will always be, and the people will always love it. Now get back to work so you can afford your rent or your mortgage. Funny how most all the ancestors of Europeans worked their whole life to pay the mortgage, yet it's still not paid!
yunohn 2y ago
Though Wifi4EU's website doesn't seem to have any clear indication on expected speeds of the networks they offer? Further, their selection criteria includes things like the historic value of the municipality rather than actual unmet demand or something connected to user desires.
radicaldreamer 2y ago
Incompetence or corruption?
- atoav 2y ago
  Yes?
- moi2388 2y ago
  They can, but don’t have to, go hand in hand.
- cookiengineer 2y ago
  One relies on evidence and chain of custody, the other does not.

carlosjobim 2y ago

> The moral of the story is somewhat that it's so ridiculous how incompetent politicians are when it comes to tech. "Incompetent"... Everything within Europe and especially within EU runs on corruption. You're either a parasite or a host if you live in Europe. Reap that juicy corruption money by befriending people with influence or pay the salaries and luxurious lifestyles of the people who do with your taxes.

wkat4242 2y ago
The EU just throws too much money around without checking. I've seen whole parks being built with a huge sign saying funded by the EU but they never opened or even built an entrance to it. Because that would mean maintenance and the subsidy had already been cashed. I don't think it's corruption per se on the part of the EU (it is on the builders' part of course). But rather a lack of interest in how the money is spent.
- 7373737373 2y ago
  That is difficult to disagree with when I see this: > The suburb of Budapest has built a luxurious kindergarten that suspiciously looks like a private residence - with €550K of EU money. It doesn't accept any children. https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/1ejr4a8/the_suburb_of_budapest_has_built_a_luxurious/ https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/1ejr4a8/the_suburb_... When they throw hundreds of thousands of Euros around, without having the competence for spending a fraction of that for checking that it is used as intended, then they shouldn't have that ability.
- cocok 2y ago
  I saw an asphalted road on the mountain ridge, along the E-3 hiking route, in a national reserve territory, with a EU funding sign saying that it was built "for the benefit of the local species". The road leads to a chalet, and the only one who it benefits is the chalet's owner, making it easier for his drunkard customers to drive right to it on the weekends, with zero walking involved.
  - lock-the-spock 2y ago
    Such projects are EU funded but in fact implemented through national or regional programmes agreed by the regional authorities... So it's usually at that level that favouritism or corruption plays in.
    - carlosjobim 2y ago
      The point is that the EU funders of course know this and turn a blind eye in order to keep the people in power in the regions supporting the EU. It's just how it has always been in Europe with vassals. Feudalism has always been the government of the old world, and will always be, and the people will always love it. Now get back to work so you can afford your rent or your mortgage. Funny how most all the ancestors of Europeans worked their whole life to pay the mortgage, yet it's still not paid!

yunohn 2y ago

Though Wifi4EU's website doesn't seem to have any clear indication on expected speeds of the networks they offer? Further, their selection criteria includes things like the historic value of the municipality rather than actual unmet demand or something connected to user desires.

radicaldreamer 2y ago

Incompetence or corruption?

atoav 2y ago
Yes?
moi2388 2y ago
They can, but don’t have to, go hand in hand.
cookiengineer 2y ago
One relies on evidence and chain of custody, the other does not.