chartist
8/27/2013 10:44:13 AM
User Rank Village Voice
Internet connectivity
Fascinating to read examples of how local communities are dramatically increasing their broadband speed through collaborative effort (e.g. residents laying their own cables at Arkholme in rural Lancashire, UK).
sdinfoserv
8/27/2013 11:28:18 AM
User Rank Village Voice
Re: Internet connectivity
"Free and fast"... there's no such thing as free. Someone pays. If City pays, then you're paying in taxes.
Re: Internet connectivity
Certainly true that there's no such thing as "free." So what's your take on city-sponsored WiFi in general, then?
sdinfoserv
8/27/2013 2:01:54 PM
User Rank Village Voice
Re: Internet connectivity
It depends...
How woud you feel if Detroit spent money on "city sponsored wifi", knowing 1/2 their ambulances don't run and emergency reponders - police and fire - take 3 to 4 times longer to respond then national averages - if they respond at all.
Re: Internet connectivity
Not great! Actually, while city-sponsored WiFi certainly helps keep a city connected, I personally am not really in favor of it. I've said on the boards here before that I think it's great if private businesses want to provide WiFi (it's a good way to attract patrons, after all). But I don't really think it should be on the cities themselves to do so, though some are trying/have tried. Indeed, as we write in this report, Seattle tried and then gave up but encouraged the private sector to take over as WiFi sponsors. As you rightly point out, there are other services cities need to spend money on. Again, surely a city that can manage to provide "free" WiFi is going to rank high for connectivity, but that doesn't mean I agree with those who think free citywide WiFi is a priority!
Re: Internet connectivity
@chartist: Indeed! Speaks to the notion that if you want something done, you've gotta do it yourself, eh?
chartist
8/27/2013 12:07:37 PM
User Rank Village Voice
Re: Internet connectivity
Dunno, @chartist. Grassroots movements to obtain Internet connectivity are a struggle. I know, I did this in a rural area where I lived and it was quite an experience. It worked for awhile, but I am grateful it didn't have to be a long-haul solution.
PeterJ
8/27/2013 8:50:02 PM
User Rank Urban Legend
Re: Internet connectivity
Mary/All, I just had a bad experience today with poor Internet quality/bandwidth and it added to my interest in this thread. I also chuckled that maybe Microsoft is outperforming Google in one arena (Seattle). Anyway, my experience today made me hark back to the days of AOL and the mega-waiting for the simplest of downloads to occur. I also read once before that a significant amount of broadband in the US is used for Netflix watching. I guess I'm wondering what this capacity translates to in terms of productivity, enrichment, competitiveness, etc.
Re: Internet connectivity
Ha, @PeterJ, yes, those were the bad old days when we had to wait for the materialization of the most basic pages on the Net.
Surprising to hear what people are doing with all that bandwidth, eh?
Don't forget, though, that businesses are enjoying the benefits of bandwidth. To me, that alone justifies the expense and effort to install better facilities.
And I agree, you have to wonder what's behind the resistance to moving forward. The US and Canada should be in the vanguard here, not taking up the rear.
PeterJ
8/28/2013 9:14:42 PM
User Rank Urban Legend
Re: Internet connectivity
Yes, Mary. It does seem we have lost the lead in connectivity and speed. We've had other discussions around attention to infrastructure, but your point about relevance to business is especially important. Broadband is a utility but service levels are so varied. I looked at a couple of articles about it today and leaders in technology really stress that it needs to be a federal priority to move us forward.
Re: Internet connectivity
The problem with leaving the future of broadband in government hands is that, IMO, the government typically doesn't understand enough about Internet issues -- I mean the underlying technology issues as well as the application effects -- to make wise choices about regulation. Sad but true.
Hazel
9/15/2013 3:58:41 AM
User Rank Urban Legend
Re: Internet connectivity
You raise a valid point, Mary. But I was thinking, perhaps we could give them more credit, assuming that they choose to bring in experts from the field when they embark on these kinds of projects. It would be futile if their efforts were half-baked.
Re: Internet connectivity
@Hazel, yes, if the legislators bring in experts with the right amount of knowledge in the right areas. But if they don't know enough about what they don't know, it is likely they may trust "experts" with just surface knowledge -- or an axe to grind. Lobbyists aren't the best for making impartial technology judgments.
Hazel
9/15/2013 3:56:50 AM
User Rank Urban Legend
Re: Internet connectivity
I agree, Peter. Looking at the list, it seems that many other cities have taken the lead. It should be made a federal priority, given the impact it has on businesses and education, but I can't help thinking that this could be because other sectors were prioritized.
PeterJ
8/27/2013 8:53:11 PM
User Rank Urban Legend
Re: Internet connectivity
I also have to think that the major ISPs have thwarted some of these efforts over time. it is perhaps a cynical view, by the major providers want paying customers, have heavy investment in infrastructure, and strive to protect eat their interests.
Blaming the government
For those blaming the government for stalling US Internet progress, this report in the WSJ may shed some light on why we have less competition than other nations.
The link between US security and the telecom infrastructure seems to be holding up some activity that could result in a broader cast of carriers and ultimately faster services.
vimalp
9/18/2013 6:39:36 AM
User Rank Village Voice
internet cities
This is really a nice post. it is so enjoyable. Thanks for the post.
Flanagan55
9/24/2013 8:12:35 PM
User Rank Village Voice
Re: internet cities
I believe this is a critical element for cities to market themselves to the world and something that will only grow with importance in the coming years. Great post.
SwissExpat
3/20/2014 12:27:44 PM
User Rank Village Voice
-
Thank you for this fascinating study. Having lived in Geneva for several years, I can only second this report - it's very accurate. Something to keep in mind though, no matter how awesome your city's internet access is or the good reputation of your ISP providers, the problem is often the cost of living. Living in Geneva is crazy, even for Swiss residents. Prices are so high that living close to the urban center is at best a chimera. e-reputation
So while some very high-tech urban centers can boast unbelievable connectivity, the flip side of the coin is that it rarely benefits the common people.
Agreed
totally agreed with your ISP provider thing. Mostly ISP are strictly monitize your activity and usage. Although they gave you unlimited usage but it was never true.
Great article though
ivy33pal
8/26/2014 4:32:15 PM
User Rank Village Voice
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