Sunday, February 03, 2008

Fixing US Broadband

Arc Technica comments on a new EDUCAUSE reprot, Fixing US broadband: $100 billion for fiber to every home. "Between 1999 and 2006, the US fell from third place to 20th in the International Telecommunications Union's broadband usage measurements." We're behind Norway, Portugal and Luxembourg.

"The solution, according to the report, is one that has been adopted in other countries and some US states already. EDUCAUSE calls for the construction of a national fiber network that would reach every home and business, with the $100 billion cost split equally between the federal government, the states, and a private- or public-sector entity that would actually build and maintain the network. All that's needed is $8 billion a year for four years from the feds, with the states also coming up (collectively) with the same amount. Put another way, 116 days of the Iraq war could fund the entire federal $32 billion contribution."

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