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Economy
New data: 40 percent in U.S. lack high-speed Internet access at home
2010-02-17
Roughly 40 percent of Americans do not have high-speed Internet access at home, according to new Commerce Department figures that underscore the challenges facing policymakers who are trying to bring affordable broadband connections to everyone.
Since when did this become a policy issue ...
40 lacking it would imply 60 percent -- a majority -- do. Since it's a growing majority it represents a bandwagon to be jumped with credit to be taken down the road.
The Obama administration and Congress have identified universal broadband as a key to driving economic development, producing jobs and bringing educational opportunities and cutting-edge medicine to all corners of the country.
Expect Bambi to propose universal broadband reform ...
''We're at a point where high-speed access to the Internet is critical to the ability of people to be successful in today's economy and society at large,'' said Larry Strickling, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), an arm of the Commerce Department that released the data today.
Posted by:Fred

#21  300,000,999 Americans will die in the next 100 years. Where is the outcry?
Posted by: Skunky Glins****   2010-02-17 22:12  

#20  I run into many seniors while running errands at the stores, and most of them are afraid of that computer 'contraption'..

Just how "Senior" are they, I'm 63 and love mine, Win 7 and Google chrome. and yes I have high speed internet I love online movies, there's no way I could pay to go to the theatre these days, not to mention that what I want to see is not playing
But I have absolutely no interest in Face book.
(None of your damn business what I do daily and minute to minute.)
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2010-02-17 21:29  

#19  This is like the canard that somewhere between 20-300 million people don't have health care coverage. For many of them, it's not that they can't get it, it's that they don't want it, or at least they don't want to pay for it.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia   2010-02-17 18:02  

#18  Brer Rabbi, I believe that Obama should fix that last problem.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia   2010-02-17 18:00  

#17  It's not 40 don't have access to broadband. It's 40% don't want or won't pay for it. Entirely different things.
Posted by: ed   2010-02-17 17:53  

#16  Some people are too stupid to know how to logon to a computer. I'm not saying its 40% of the country but its sizable.

You know half the people in this country have an IQ that's below average.
Posted by: BrerRabbit   2010-02-17 17:50  

#15  There are taxes to be levied and contracts to be let to campaign donors.

In addition to the usual, uhhh, 'revenue opportunities', once we have universal internet access, we can all vote from home. No more inconvenient driving to the polling place, none of that complicated 'showing id' stuff. And no more hanging chads, since the whole process of counting votes can be automated. The possibilities are boggling!
Posted by: SteveS   2010-02-17 15:42  

#14  Oh, the HUMANITY!
Posted by: mojo   2010-02-17 15:38  

#13  I run into many seniors while running errands at the stores, and most of them are afraid of that computer 'contraption'..
Posted by: Tom-Pa   2010-02-17 14:23  

#12  Out here in "God's Country" United Communications. a private entity, ran fibre optics to all the small towns ten years ago. Those people that do not have the high speed acces do so because of the cost. Yea, greedy capitalist want you to pay for the service.
Posted by: bman   2010-02-17 12:20  

#11  Matters not. There are taxes to be levied and contracts to be let to campaign donors.
Posted by: Fred   2010-02-17 10:59  

#10  New data: 40 percent in U.S. lack high-speed Internet access at home

...and the 60% that currently have DO high-speed Internet DON'T WANT a gov't provided and controlled internet scheme.
Posted by: Besoeker   2010-02-17 10:20  

#9  Expect Bambi to propose universal broadband reform ...

Didn't Algore, inventor of the internet and saviour of the planet pbuh, already solve this with an extra tax on our phone bill?
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2010-02-17 10:15  

#8  Jeebus. I didn't have internet access at home at all until December, and I'm in my Thirties with a steady job. What the hell, people? Why is this even a concern? I'm more pissed about the fact that they're using food stamps in Southern California at restaurants now, and crowing about it on NPR as if it wasn't a feckless waste of the public fisc.
Posted by: Mitch H.   2010-02-17 09:57  

#7  Roughly 40 percent of Americans do not have high-speed Internet access at home, according to new Commerce Department figures that underscore the challenges facing policymakers who are trying to bring affordable broadband connections to everyone.

I watched a segment of old CnetTV in which an advocate was comparing the US with South Korea on high speed internet connectivity. No where in the discussion were the pertinent facts considered. South Korea is about the size of Kansas. One quarter of the population lives in and around Seoul. That South Korea has no history of 'United States' with sovereign powers vested in those states [and 50 public utility commissions]. The four corners area [NM, CO, UT, AZ] has huge areas lacking basic telephone service [and even electrical power], particularly on the Navajo Reservation which is a huge piece of the area. It was never going to get 'wired'. Only the advent of cellular service is making it technically feasible to consider. Basic point is that there are geographical limitations to laying broadband that there are in laying any other physical means of transmission.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2010-02-17 08:47  

#6  I wonder how much the Internet companies will have to bribe Americas "representatives" in order to force taxpayers to bump up their rent-seeking profits.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2010-02-17 08:34  

#5  A lot of the folks who don't have internet don't care about it. My dad is 84 and high tech to him is a land-line telephone. Any more than that he couldn't or wouldn't use. What business is it of the government?
Posted by: Spot   2010-02-17 08:15  

#4  Because those on welfare and don't work need high speed internet access paid for by those who work...

Your right - its a chicken in every pot an internet connection in every house!

And what's wrong with the Library? Most have internet access now.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2010-02-17 05:37  

#3  Obviously what we need is a 12,000% tax on the service purchased by the 60% who do have high speed Internet at home in order to build a slush fund to subsidize the purchase of service for the 40% who do not. It's the (new) American way.
Posted by: AzCat   2010-02-17 01:55  

#2  not 'cant get' tipover, but 'dont have'

they are fishing for a new entitlement giveaway to buy some votes with shiny objects.
Posted by: abu do you love   2010-02-17 01:04  

#1  There are funds in the $780 billion "stimulus" bill to install broadband nationwide. Of course there is no mention that if you can get Dish Satellite you can get broadband.
Posted by: tipover   2010-02-17 00:57  

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