GCI doens't have unlimited plan? (living in, pricing, vs)

[akck]

Originally Posted by Floyd_Davidson

Glitch meant the local distribution. The fiber is for the backbone connection to the Lower-48, as opposed to local distribution to each home.

They laid fiber for local distribution years ago in Juneau. When GCI got into the local phone business, they initially used ACS's wires. About 2 years ago, they converted their phone service to cable. We now have a modem device connected to cable which our phones are connected.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by akck

They laid fiber for local distribution years ago in Juneau. When GCI got into the local phone business, they initially used ACS's wires. About 2 years ago, they converted their phone service to cable. We now have a modem device connected to cable which our phones are connected.

That's the point though, they don't use fiber to the subscriber. Telco's use regular telco cable and xDSL while cable TV companies use 72 Ohm coax and a modem with an RF signal in the VHF/UHF spectrum.

The fiber used locally isn't really local distribution, it's between the wirecenters and also to remote units. That's been common since at least the early 1980's. Today they might actually run a fiber to a major customer location, but generally that is only done if the provider can lease a secure area and install a "remote unit" (a fiber terminal at minimum).

[smokeyta]

Do they use DOCSIS 3.0 or 2.0 in alaska? If they have the backbone to support it and using DOCSIS3.0 why do they limit bandwidth?

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by smokeyta

Do they use DOCSIS 3.0 or 2.0 in alaska? If they have the backbone to support it and using DOCSIS3.0 why do they limit bandwidth?

I don't specifically know which is used in any given area.

But the "if they have the backbone" is the operative concept here! For more than half the population of Alaska there simply is no capability for providing high bandwidth connectivity. The bush areas are all served via C band satellite systems. And while the urban areas are all connected via fiber optics, "suburban" areas may not be, plus the population density away from the major centers is a significant factor in the type of infrastructures that any company here is able to install.

[Wynternight]

Originally Posted by Floyd_Davidson

They were looking for some of that bailout money to finance it, and didn't get approval. The entire project is on the shelf.

What a shame, from our perspective...

[gobrien]

Shame the government didn't see fit to do this, I guess funding Nascar's capital improvements were more important.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by gobrien

Shame the government didn't see fit to do this, I guess funding Nascar's capital improvements were more important.

Nascar?

[gobrien]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

Nascar?

Nascar. These articles talk about sponsored race cars funded by the government.


Bang for Buck Not an Issue to Congresswoman Seeking to Defund Army Sponsorship in NASCAR - FoxNews.com

McCollum Offers Amendment to Cut Millions of Dollars in Wasteful Pentagon Spending by Eliminating Taxpayer Funded Sponsorships of NASCAR Race Cars;Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) News Release - NASCAR News | FOX Sports on MSN

[Alice2]

Did anyone's else's monthly usage go up by two-thirds between January and February 2011? Mine had DROPPED by two-thirds between July and August 2010 and had stayed exactly within 10-points of usage every month since then . . . until now.

I do see their website is pushing on-demand movies now, obviously not through their INTERNET connection.

[icarian]

Mine has stayed the same. Someone else asked earlier, but do you have a wireless modem? And is it encrypted? If not, someone (a neighbor) might be getting free WIFI from you (and hence a significant increase in usage). Perhaps doesn't apply, but if it does...