Archive for Thursday, May, 22, 2008

The FCC Explains Why Broadband Continues to lag behind…

Thursday, May, 22, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

For the second year running, the U.S. ranks 15th among the 30 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development when it comes to broadband availability.  The question becomes why should Denmark, at the top of the charts for Broadband speed and several European and Asian nations, clean our clock every year?  What are they doing right - what are we doing wrong???

The FCC points out  that differences in population and geography have made it more difficult for the nation to catch up with smaller countries.  It’s easier to deliver broadband in densely populated areas where the same cables can serve hundreds, if not thousands of subscribers giving phone and cable TV companies the financial incentive to upgrade their networks.  The U.S. has rural areas where the revenue to be made from laying down fiber-optic cables to reach scattered households hasn’t proven alluring to many providers.  “It’s easier to achieve a high penetration in Manhattan than Mississippi“, says  FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate in a recent Broadband speech in Dallas…

From what I can gather it’s more cost efficient in Japan, France, Sweden, Korea, Finland and Australia to produce a better broadband product than it is here.  the other key factor is the competition available in those countries where here we have little or no competition to push Verizon, AT&T, Time Warner and Comcast, which results in higher prices and less of a need to give us faster technology.  Unless or until that happens we’ll continue to lag behind in broadband access and speed.  The non-aggressive FCC’s approach on Broadband is explained by FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate:  “The government’s role is to have a light regulatory touch easing restrictions for broadband requirements to encourage competition and cracking down on acts that stifle competition, such as exclusive service deals between broadband providers and apartment building owners.”  And how’s that working out so far, FCC???

10 Timeline Memories:

  1. 1892]  Tubing it:  Dr. Washington Sheffield, a New London (CT) dentist manufactures toothpaste in a tube…
  2. 1954]  Today I am a man:  Robert Zimmerman is bar mitzvahed in Hibbing (MN) after taking private Hebrew lessons.  Robert becomes a man and will eventually change his name to Bob Dylan, not because of Dylan Thomas but “because it sounded like a Scottish King and I liked it”.  Those are Dylan’s own words…
  3. 1963]  A Ballantine Blast:  Mickey Mantle  blasts a home run off the facade atop the rightfield deck at Yankee Stadium.  Two more feet and Mantle would have been the first and only player to hit a ball out of Yankee Stadium in fair territory…
  4. 1967]  Will the real Bud Collyer please stand up:  “To Tell The Truth” bows out after 11 seasons.  The original panel consisted of host Bud Collyer, Polly Bergen, Hy Gardner and Hildy Parks, who would soon be replaced by Kitty Carlisle.  Here’s a video clip  from 1967…
  5. 1967]  And Flo, she don’t know:  Florence Ballard appears with The Supremes for the last time on “The Tonight Show“.  In July Motown replaces Flo with Cindy Birdsong…
  6. 1977]  I am woman hear me roar:  Janet Guthrie becomes the first woman to earn a spot in the Indy 500 since its inception in 1911.  Here’s a video clip  of Janet from 1978…2003]  Annika Sorenstam becomes the first woman since 1945 to tee off against the men in the Colonial Golf Tournament in Fort Worth (TX) but will miss the cut.  Annika who recently retired read Letterman’s Top 10  just a few days ago…
  7. 1980]  Wedding Bells:  Marlo Thomas  and Phil Donahue swap “I Do’s”.  We’re not sure who wore the wedding gown…
  8. 1992]  Get the Kleenex out:  Johnny Carson hosts his final “Tonight Show” with Bette Midler  singing to him.  There was not a dry eye in the audience or at home.  Johnny started hosting the show on October 2, 1962.  What a phenomenal run…
  9. 2002]  ‘Happy Trails’:  The remains of Chandra Levy  are found in a Washington (DC) park.  California congressman Gary Condit is questioned because of his personal relationship with the intern but was never charged…
  10. 2004]  Don’t buy any green bananas Adriana:  Christopher’s girlfriend Adriana gets whacked by Silvio on the “Sopranos“.  Christopher will join her in 2007…

Music Memories:

Commentary:

This is the traditional ‘Fleet Week’, an annual Memorial Day Weekend event in New York City but the size of the fleet will be smaller due to rising fuel costs, used to sail the boats into the city.  Even the armed services are forced to economize during tough times…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”:

Naomi Campbell (38), Bernie Taupin (58), Bernard Shaw (68), Richard Benjamin (70), Peter Nero (74), Michael Constantine (81), Charles Aznavour (84) and Judith Crist (86)…

Timeline Countdown:  4 days until Memorial Day, 24 days until Father’s Day, 31 days until summer and 44 days until July 4th…

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