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I didn't look up any sources, but if I remember right, the difference was massive government assistance. edit: Yep - rural electrification was pretty much comp

by schwap 12y ago

I didn't look up any sources, but if I remember right, the difference was massive government assistance. edit: Yep - rural electrification was pretty much completely government driven[1] [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_electricity#United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_electricity#United_State...

madengr 12y ago
Didn't telecom get billions of tax $ last decade for broadband deployment, with nothing to show for it? Anyway, looks like they were interest free loans vs. outright subsidies. At least something came out of the New Deal, whereas fedgov spending during this recession is pissed away.
- schwap 12y ago
  Looks like it's been/is being talked about, but no money's gone anywhere yet [1] [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband_universal_service#United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband_universal_service#Uni...
  - nitrogen 12y ago
    There was another program in the 1990s under Clinton that benefited the telcos, but no development happened. I don't remember what it was called.
- adventured 12y ago
  Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they got tax breaks (tax incentives). The numbers thrown around have tended to be intentionally over-estimated by a huge factor, typically critics will proclaim the telecoms got $200x billion, the real number was closer to the low tens of billions (substantial, but not $200b crazy).
- mikecb 12y ago
  Lots of money was spent to connect things like schools and libraries with fiber, and were.
  - zaroth 12y ago
    Such a shame, and a sham. Pay for internet to schools, and you get a single machines hooked up to redundant Cisco edge routers capable of serving 10,000 nodes with ISDN uplinks for $1,000/mo. On the other hand, give fast track regulatory approval for poles and right-of-ways to ISPs for fiber infra and you can wire a whole town, and let the library pay for their 100Mbps line like everyone else. Bet you that library ends up with a properly sized $100 SOHO router and a $100/mo broadband plan if they have to pay for it out of their books budget. I think at least one side of the equation or 'market' has to be driven by someone who is paying with scarce money, not just Benjamins hot off the presses, to keep things under control.
    - mikecb 12y ago
      That has happened in some circumstances, yes.

by schwap 12y ago

madengr 12y ago

Didn't telecom get billions of tax $ last decade for broadband deployment, with nothing to show for it? Anyway, looks like they were interest free loans vs. outright subsidies. At least something came out of the New Deal, whereas fedgov spending during this recession is pissed away.

schwap 12y ago
Looks like it's been/is being talked about, but no money's gone anywhere yet [1] [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband_universal_service#United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband_universal_service#Uni...
- nitrogen 12y ago
  There was another program in the 1990s under Clinton that benefited the telcos, but no development happened. I don't remember what it was called.
adventured 12y ago
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they got tax breaks (tax incentives). The numbers thrown around have tended to be intentionally over-estimated by a huge factor, typically critics will proclaim the telecoms got $200x billion, the real number was closer to the low tens of billions (substantial, but not $200b crazy).
mikecb 12y ago
Lots of money was spent to connect things like schools and libraries with fiber, and were.
- zaroth 12y ago
  Such a shame, and a sham. Pay for internet to schools, and you get a single machines hooked up to redundant Cisco edge routers capable of serving 10,000 nodes with ISDN uplinks for $1,000/mo. On the other hand, give fast track regulatory approval for poles and right-of-ways to ISPs for fiber infra and you can wire a whole town, and let the library pay for their 100Mbps line like everyone else. Bet you that library ends up with a properly sized $100 SOHO router and a $100/mo broadband plan if they have to pay for it out of their books budget. I think at least one side of the equation or 'market' has to be driven by someone who is paying with scarce money, not just Benjamins hot off the presses, to keep things under control.
  - mikecb 12y ago
    That has happened in some circumstances, yes.