March 2010 Archives

Interesting article from Time Magazine:

But these incidents aren't just stories of human folly or corporate greed, they're subtle signs of a deeper issue: the increasing shortage of bandwidth relative to Americans' growing appetite for it. In the U.S. in 2010, a family can easily spend hundreds of dollars a month on cable, mobile phones and Internet and telephone services. Some families already spend at least as much on bandwidth as they do on energy. Face it: Americans love their smart phones and Internet television as much as they love their cars and air conditioners.

Bandwidth Is the New Black Gold - 10 Ideas for the Next 10 Years - TIME

Cost and bother were cited as reasons for not getting broadband at home. But what if it could be cheaper and easier?

Not surprisingly, more than a third of broadband laggards, 36 percent, cited the high cost of broadband and technology, even as entry-level computers and laptops have become very affordable. But survey users report they spend an average of $41 a month on broadband -- which comes to nearly $500 annually.

...

Nearly 20 percent without broadband say they don't bother to subscribe, because there are 800 million web sites, but nothin's on -- or if they have dial-up, that there's nothing worth getting faster.

Cost, Crotchetiness Keep Broadband Out of 1/3 of U.S. Homes | Epicenter | Wired.com