Free 7-Year Google Fiber Service in Kansas City!

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by kazyn

Every aspect of technology cheapens as we move forward EXCEPT data costs.

Has it gotten more expensive? I'm paying about what I was paying 10 years ago yet the bandwidth has doubled. The issue is so much more data being sent. 10 years ago people were not sharing GB's of movie data, Netflix, etc. Video has really caused a very large increase in data usage hence the caps and other issues.

Having said that t will nice to see what Google does, competition is always good especially if they start moving into these markets where the cable/DSL has the market monopolized.

[509]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

But it's mandated and those costs are hidden in your utility bill if I recall correctly, yes? There is no free lunch.

There is no free lunch. They are NOT hidden.

The people of Seattle, Portland, Eugene, and other communities in western Oregon and Washington are paying for it.

By owning the dams on the Columbia the local counties used the electricity sales out of region to pay for the fiber network.

It only works in places like central Washington where the communities OWN the utility company AND have surplus electricity to sell. However, there are other possible solutions that communities should explore.

In the 1940's the Seattle utility companies refused to provide electrical service to rural areas. So the counties bought out their dams and set up their own utility companies. That worked out well.

Time for people to consider doing the same when it comes to high speed access to the internet.