"Unfortunately, the companies--including Verizon, Comcast, AT&T and more--will still be required to share information regarding connections from central areas to the main Internet arteries. The latter data will prevent said companies from advertising and charging for Internet speeds they cannot provide."

How is that unfortunate? I mean who ENJOYS being ripped off by comcast? i know i dont...

hope this helps give us better selection and services that actually live up to their marketing hype...

Ummm...ya it seems reasonable to me, i currently have Verizion FOIS and i love it..but i expect it to drop over time with more people leeching off of the nodes.

So, the stimulus money here is used to expand bureaucratic control and red tapes over otherwise well-functioning business. Blech! And, they want to nationalize broadband service, too!?

We pay roughly the same amount of the money that Comcast charge for the same amount of bandwidth in Taiwan. In Taiwan, the broadband service is handled by state-own Chunghwa telecomm, and no one can compete with them for last-mile connection except more expensive broadband-via-cable, which also cost about the same to Comcast. You can't get any socialized than that except in China. In the end, nationalized or state-controlled broadband service will charge you at Comcast fee. Japan and ROK both have private ISP operators, and they provide way higher bandwidth and service than what Taiwanese can choose from.

Maybe i read it wrong but it sounds to me like this is just enforcement, making sure that they can’t 'false advertise' the speeds of what they promise. I see nothing of a national program, or socialist lol. IF thats correct it sounds like an OK thing to me...false advertising is weak.

I am in the very lucky crowd. I have comcast and by sheer luck no one else is on our line. I am paying for 8 and on average getting 11

That's actually a good point, information like this in the end should be public, so you can get some realistic numbers on the performance of services in your area and be able to make a better selection then just picking randomly out of a hat.

I am curious to see what they will be doing with the mapping information and the exact information that will be collected.

Perhaps this could be tied into the Cyber Security Act.

Does any one here actually pay attention to what goes on over on capitol hill. Those people cant even set a proper budget for "Cash For Clunkers". They aloted the an annual amount and it only lasted 4 days, thats right 4 days; then they had to get more money to fund it for the rest of the year. This is how these people do everything.

Its all trial and error up there and their doing it with our money. None of these guys know what their doing, its a bunch of lawyers who only represent the interest of their benifactors and NOT the people.

"False advertise" is just a clause. You don't need no government agency to do it for you. Get a few friends and neighbors to test it out. If they cheat so obviously, then it's profit time.

As for government regulation on business: if it moves tax it, if it keeps moving regulate it, if it stops moving subsidize it. We're reach Phase II for broadband service in the US.

I know I wont be using internet access from the gov't. I might as well tell them when I take a dump so they can charge me for damage to the environment.

I'm glad to see the dems digging their own grave.

Like the saying goes, "there is no such thing as a free lunch."

Keep your stimulus and let people be free.

Now do you see why so many were against the stimulus and are today fighting against nationalized health care? A huge part of the stimulus was just pork, a couple of billion for a commission to figure out to provide "sustainable, affordable broadband access". We need to pay that much just for a commission to study it? This is just the first part, $350 million to "map" what we already know. Then the commission will have to "study" the matter and order more useless surveys and papers. Then debate will begin and more meetings will be scheduled along with more studies and more reports and more paperwork. Finally, the commission will use up all of the billions assigned to it years in the future, which will be outdated and useless since new developments will have popped up.

In short, I can sum up what this commission will spend billions to figure out. I bet the final report will state the following, "Although significant progress has been made in terms of broadband accessibility, more must be done to make sure the underprivileged are not left out. While further research in this area is needed along with additional funding before a definitive solution can be found, the commission recommends the following:

1) Give more money to the poor so they can buy broadband.

2) Give more money to cable and DSL operators so they can connect the poor.

3) give more money to us so we can do another study and continue this useless commission.

4) Create a new "Bureau of Internet Access" so that we have jobs after this commission is disbanded, if it is ever disbanded.

5) The government is currently not spending enough money on providing sustainable and affordable broadband access. People are suffering and are dying in the streets, kids are growing increasingly illiterate and violent without broadband. Action must be taken immediately or else our children will become nothing more than stone age Neanderthals.

6) The government must spend more or else the world will end.


The government is the ultimate scam, making us pay so they can run around pretending to work. Enough is enough, no more stimulus, no more government health care, no more carbon credits and stealth taxes.

When we're all having to cut back thanks to the recession, when will it be time for the government to cut back? Tax Payers Unite!

people like azxcvbnm is what is destroying our country - so much hate but zero ideas. All he wants is everyone to die because god forbid we try and help someone or create a better system.

Whats truly hilarious is too see so many of you republicans screaming on here - where were you when bush destroyed another county and the whole while finishing off ours with a global recession - where were you than? So much hate from these nutso republicans that continue spreading fear of the governement and lies over and over - lies, fear, and war is the only game card republicans use.

Whats truly sad is that the democrats cant get their heads far enough out of their ass to see whats going on in the real world. Bush started the recession? How about democrats started the recession with their Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae fiassco. Start paying attention to whats going on and not what the democratic leadership tells you.

Im not a republican, but you dont have to have a better idea to point out a bad one. What I do find odd is how people Goose Step within party lines no matter how bad the idea is. Weither it be Democrate or republican. Both of you fucks have no quarums about taking hard working peoples money to fund retarded programs.

As for Bombing other peoples countries. i served in the Military under Bill Clinton and ended up fighting in 3 theaters. When i got home I surprised to find that the media reported very little of what went on. Its not like GW was the first Moran that ran around bombing people. Weve been in a perpetual state of war since the end of WWII.

PS. Harry Truman killed more people then any president and was the only president to Nuke people and he was a Democrat.

wooohoooo!! 100mil left over! Lets give it back to tax payer. Or the dept can take a vacation to Hawaii.

That is part of the plan, but not the main part. In the article it does mention a "national broadband plan". I think some people are think this means a government run ISP rather than a plan for extending broadband services to more/all people (hence where they are getting the socialist crap from).




First of all I salute you for doing a job most are too cowardly to perform. You guys really don't get enought respect. Second, I agree with you wholeheartly that one of the major problems with US government is parties aka gangs. It is so idiotic to believe someone just because they have the same party as you or wear the same colors. How in the world do we chastise gangs and yet have the biggest example going on in Washington.




Ummm, the recession was caused by multiple factors, one of which was the deregulation of US banks and groups such as Fannie Mae (the only Repub against them was McCain hence why he was called the Maverick). As sic stated, stop goose stepping within party lines. Enough blame to go around.

@azxcvbnm321

Do you know the latest definition of commission, don't you ?
A group of the unwilling chosen from the unfit to do the unnecessary.

^__^

Wow thats just so great how the government can just tell companies what to do now, you know remove CEO's force them to share sensitive info. I'm glad I love in a socialist country the USA.

I am glad Obama wants to spend money on broadband expansion, instead of the war.

@azxcvbnm321

It's the FEDS we have to worry about. The people run the government. Totally two different entities.

Wow, I am surprised at how many people are interpreting this article incorrectly (at least irrationally) and then going off a tangent.

There are two things indicated in the article:

1. The US government is trying to build infrastructure to ensure the majority of the country has access to broadband internet services (ie. similar to how the government had to lay down water pipes, sewage treatment plants, roads, etc) by using public funds (through the stimulus package). The only controversy here is whether you consider the internet (@ broadband speed) to be an important element of a country's infrastructure or not. This has nothing to do with the government regulating pricing or trying to take over any businesses, they're just trying to expand the structure required for broadband speeds to ensure more people have the choice/access.

2. The US government wants ISPs to disclose information regarding their ACTUAL performance in the areas they service. This is basic Accounting 101, if you say you spent $10, show me the receipt. Same idea here, if you charged someone $XX for Y speed, show me the proof. Of course ISPs don't want to release the info since its easier to make a claim and not have to prove it. Ultimately, this is no different that "fuel economy" ratings on cars. Someone needs to make a common formula that everyone adheres or else you'd have everyone saying they get 70MPG with no proof to back it up.

I'm not saying that there is no reason to be in disagreement or against the government initiative but no one is actually raising valid points of contention and instead going off on tangents on what they deem to be ulterior government motives. I think the only comment I read that was anywhere near the ballpark was the fellow mentioning the blatant overspending on surveys/studies and I would agree although its not just limited to this survey/study.

My issue in all of this is not that the government wants to get broadband to more people, thats a good thing, its that they are missing the biggest problem. The REAL issue is that Comcast or whoever can buy a contract and lock out all competition from the area so they have no reason to excel or get better. Bring back competition and just watch what companies will do to expand service and lower prices. Its government granted contracts that are killing us and slowing broadband growth.

My issue in all of this is not that the government wants to get broadband to more people, thats a good thing, its that they are missing the biggest problem. The REAL issue is that Comcast or whoever can buy a contract and lock out all competition from the area so they have no reason to excel or get better. Bring back competition and just watch what companies will do to expand service and lower prices. Its government granted contracts that are killing us and slowing broadband growth.

What is hilarious is that the stimulus does not actually provide funding or even propose for the government to BUILD broadband infrastructure. All it does is spend lots of money STUDYING how to provide broadband access. It doesn't take billions to figure out that all you have to do is either subsidize cable/DSl operators or the consumer and they will get broadband access.

Gee, can I have those billions now? It would just seem logical to me that all Americans would be upset at this obvious waste of money and pork. It would be something else if the government were actually building some broadband infrastructure, but it isn't, all the money is pure for commissions to study the problem and file useless reports of stuff we already know.

Furthermore, someone has to pay for all of this you know. I guess that makes me a Republican, though I'm registered Libertarian, to be concerned with having to pay for such useless crap. And yes, when it comes for the bill to be paid and politicians shout that taxes must be raised or else doomsday will occur, I will be one of the disgruntled and pissed. Of course I'll be demonized and accused of denying food to starving children when all I want to do is end the stupid programs like this one. How come politicians never give us the choice between raising taxes and eliminating the commission to study sustainable affordable broadband access? How come the choice is always between raising taxes and something involving needy children? Humm, maybe someone needs to think outside of the box a little?

Think about it this way, what if I were able to access your money and use your money to provide you with services that you ostensibly need? Now what if I said, hey, maybe you need a better computer. Look, I'm going to form a commission and investigate if you need a new computer and how to get a new computer for you. This commission will report every so often and it'll take years for it to arrive at a conclusion, but in the meantime, I'll have to spend your money to pay for their valuable services. With staff and everything, it'll cost you $5000 a month and there's no telling when this commission will be able to issue a recommendation. Would you remain calm? I'd bet you'd start screaming, "For $5000, I could just buy the best computer out there! I don't need this commission!". But oh no, I'm the government and I say that we need to investigate if you need this computer and just exactly what this computer will have in terms of components. You say, "But I already know it's an i7 loaded up with the max RAM a premium motherboard can handle and Crossfire or SLI the best GPU out there". No, I'm the government and I insist that YOU spend $5000 a month for the commission to come up with an unbiased opinion and they will be very through. They'll ask Tom's Hardware for the detailed results of their tests, and perhaps they'll even do their own tests, of course you'll have to pay for all the hardware they'll need to do the tests and that'll cost several thousand more...

You see, this is exactly what is happening with this commission to study broadband. It doesn't take a Republican to be outraged.

Gee i ALMOST feel sorry for them. Oh wait... nope I dont feel sorry for ANY big business as they have forgotten who really makes them their money. THE EMPLOYEES.

broadband coverage and speed is pathetic in the united states. I have headaches with every isp i have encountered concerning the speeds and latencies. pathetic that i am forced to call them on this on a regular basis.