The FCC’s Plan to Bring Broadband to Rural America

The FCC’s Plan to Bring Broadband to Rural America

According to the June 30^th article in The Daily Item, by Tricia Pursell, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is working on a new initiative to bring broadband Internet access to rural areas across the country.  As with any new initiative, there are some positive and some not so positive effects of this initiative.  Here we will attempt to look at both sides of this situation.

• This initiative will definitely make life easier for those who currently are unable to access the Internet from their homes. Take Susie Ewing for example. Susie works in Beaver Springs where she is able to access the Internet at a decent speed. This is a good thing, she says, because her job requires access to the Internet, but when she goes home at the end of the day, it’s a different story.  Living in rural McClure, she has no Internet access.
• Currently there are families in rural Pennsylvania that do have Internet access, yet their neighbors just a quarter of a mile down the road, do not. The FCC’s plan will help to even this out and make the Internet accessible, at a decent speed, to everyone; not just people living in rural Pennsylvania, but in rural areas across the country.
• The FCC has a history of bringing communication technology to rural areas. In the past, they used monies in their fund to support telephone communication to rural areas. By implementing this project and helping to make Internet access, another form of communication, to everyone, will help to move this country forward.

On the surface this all sounds great. But there are some underlying difficulties that should also be considered.

• Typically the FCC has not been able to distribute the funds equally. This issue will leave some people and areas without access in spite of their efforts. They state that they will not increase the size of their fund, which means that the whole process may take longer and leave many areas still waiting.
• Their Connect America Fund plans include subsidizing Internet service providers if ‘their costs to bring service to rural locations is way high above what the norm is.” This opens up a whole lot of questions as to who determines whether the cost is “way high above what the norm is,” and what prevents a service provider from taking advantage of this subsidy?
• The Universal Service fund, from which the Connect America Initiative fund comes, has been accused of being wasteful and inefficient in the past. There is concern that this will continue, but the FCC has answered that concern with its plan to require accountability from the companies receiving subsidies and will distribute the funds for access more evenly.

As with any new plan or initiative there are positive aspects and some negative aspects; the Connect America plan is no different. The people in rural areas who will be getting broadband Internet access for the first time, because of this initiative, will agree- there will be only positive aspects!

From 

    http://www.broadbandserviceproviders.com/

10 Reasons Your DSL Broadband Connection Cuts In and Out

Sometimes when accessing the Internet, you may notice your connection cuts in and out. This can be frustrating at a minimum and devastating at the worst. So, what can be causing it? If you find that out and fix the problem, you will find your next “surfing” expedition to be smooth sailing. Here are 10 reasons your DSL Broadband connection may be cutting in and out:

1. Distance: Speed of Internet access and clarity of connection depend on the distance between your home and the telephone exchange that is providing your service. The further away you are from the exchange the more likely there will be interruptions.
2. Equipment at the exchange: Your ISP/telephone company that provides your Internet service, must keep up with the advancing technology, if they have any equipment that would be considered out-dated in this fast-paced technological world, you could have breaks in your connection.
3. The Contention ratio: Find out how many other people in your immediate area share the DSL Broadband signal with you. This is the contention ratio. The more people who use the signal means there will be more uploads, downloads  and general traffic which can cause connection problems with your broadband DSL.
4. Equipment at home: With the amount of power a broadband DSL supplies to your home, you need to make sure your modem and router can handle the speed. Some people have found improved performance of their DSL broadband by trying a different modem or router.
5. Broadband contract: If your broadband connection seems slower than you expected it would be, take another look at the contract with your ISP. You might have signed up for a slower version of access. If that’s the case, you can contact your provider and change your contract.
6. Phone line: Broadband DSL is fast and if you have copper phone lines that have not yet been replaced by fiber optic lines, you may experience outages in service. Copper lines just can’t handle the speed.
7. Extension sockets: Double check your extension socket and make sure it is properly installed. Noise and crackles on the line can result if they are not.
8. Junction boxes: In the same vein, you’ll want to double check the condition of the junction boxes outside your house. If moisture gets in there, your modem can be upset and the connection reset.
9. Trees: Yes, trees can be a nightmare. When it is windy the branches can stress the line & which in turn will cause crackling and static within the connection.
10. Other wireless components: Is it possible that you’re using a cordless telephone and a wireless router? Since they use the same bandwidth, they could be interfering with the connection causing it to slow down, become noisy or cut out.

Once you’ve looked at all the possible causes for the disruption in your DSL Broadband connection, you will be able to take the steps needed to get it fixed.