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  • From: Mark Turner <jmarkturner AT gmail.com>
  • To: "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/" <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [internetworkers] Raising the broadband bar in NC
  • Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:19:55 -0400

Hi INWers,

There's been plenty afoot in the N.C. General Assembly this session regarding broadband internet, as those couple of you who read my blog are well aware.

Now there's an effort by the telecom industry to define "broadband service." House Bill 283 would define any Internet service with speeds faster than 1.5 Mbps down and 384 kbps up.

So let me ask you ... how many of *you* would consider that "broadband?" How many of you would die a slow death using the Internet at those speeds? A measly 1.5 Mbps/384kbs might have been considered "broadband" 15 years ago but it certainly doesn't pass for that today, now that countries like Japan have jaw-dropping 160 Mbps cable modem service. Arguably these slow speeds weren't considered "broadband" 15 years ago, either!

What's the implication? The telecoms wants the law to treat a sucky WiMax (or worse) connection as competition to a cable modem, DSL service, or a fiber connection (like Verizon offers in New England but not here). That way telecoms can claim what they're offering is good enough when we know it really isn't.

Fortunately, our municipal broadband advocates are pushing a substitute bill that defines "broadband service" as 5 Mbps *symmetrical*. This definition would conveniently make the municipal Internet systems of Wilson and Salisbury the only two in the state that qualify thus far as "broadband services."


This bill is in the House Ways and Means/Broadband Connectivity committee and with your support it will advance on Wednesday. Regardless of your thoughts on municipal Internet, I think you'll agree that the world has long ago outpaced speeds of 1.5 Mbps/384kbps. If you think it's time to raise the broadband bar to 5 Mbps symmetrical, let these folks know you enthusiastically support House Bill 283:

Bill Faison <Bill.Faison AT ncleg.net> 715-3019
Angela Bryant <Angela.Bryant AT ncleg.net> 733-5878

You can also write their legislative assistants:
faisonla AT ncleg.net
bryantle AT ncleg.net

Link to House Bill 283 (slow version written by the industry):
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009&BillID=H283

I'll put a link to the revised 5 Mbps version on my blog shortly.

Cheers!

Mark Turner
www.markturner.net



  • [internetworkers] Raising the broadband bar in NC, Mark Turner, 04/23/2009

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