Suspected PayPal Hackers Seek Deal To Stay Out Of Prison
Scripps Employees Called 'Hackers' For Exposing Massive Security Flaw
U.S. Considering Nationwide Internet Access Plan
Believe it or not, the ol' U.S. of A. is the only industrialized nation without a nationwide Internet policy, and, as LiveScience reports, we've begun to lag even further behind the rest of the countries seated around the big kids' table. According to 2008 broadband access figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the U.S. ranked 15th among the organization's 30 member countries, after coming in 4th back in 2001. Unlike Finland, the U.S. reportedly won't go so far as to officially declare broadband access a basic human right. But at a time when the FCC says that more than 75-percent of employers accept only those applications submitted online, it's more or less an essential asset for anyone wanting frivolous things like a career.
It won't be easy -- and it certainly won't be cheap. The FCC is estimating that it would take about $350 billion to guarantee 100 megabits-per-second broadband access to all Americans. Despite all of our fiscal worries, President Obama seems committed to the plan, after earmarking $7.2 billion for broadband expansion in his stimulus package, and calling for America to "lead the world in broadband access and Internet penetration." Basic human right or not, Internet access has now become a capacity building prerequisite for individual and national advancement. If the U.S. wants to emerge from the financial crisis towards the front of the herd, we'd better get our act together, and get connected. [From: LiveScience]
Charlie Sheen Gets Back To His Roots
The List #0147: Escape a Car Underwater
WHOOPS! Obama Makes Big Gaffe
Visit the Maldive Islands Before It's Too Late
H&M's Plus-Size Model Jennie Runk Says She Chose To Gain Weight
Jury Foreman: '18 Days Of Testimony Hurt' Jodi Arias
Okla. Sheriff's Deputy Finds Dog Guarding Body Buried Under Destroyed Home
Reptiles Make Home in UK Man's Cable Box
New Trayvon Martin Evidence Features Incriminating Photos, Texts From Teen
Springtime Budget-Busters -- Savings Experiment
Is This Woman Too Pretty To Work?
Mariah Carey Curses And Busts Out Of Dress On Live TV
Mariah Carey Suffers Wardrobe Malfunction on Good Morning America
Parents Face Tough Choice When Tornadoes Bear Down
What It's Like To Talk To A 2-Year-Old
The Story Behind Hairspray
Best Friends Reportedly Die Holding Each Other In Tornado
Killed Soldier In London Attack Identified
Rapper Accused Of Faking His Own Death To Escape Payments
Bridge Collapses In Washington State
Helen Flanagan Launches PETA Campaign As Only She Knows How
LISTEN: Terror Inside Elementary School As Tornado Hits
Danny Tanner Is Fighting With Topanga
Jodi Arias Jury DEADLOCKED
Surgeons Remove Giant Hairball From Tiger
WATCH: Police Force Shows Up To Support 5-Year-Old Who Lost Her Dad
Teenager's 'Awww'-Inspiring Drawing Wins Big At Google
Brave Woman Stood Down Armed London Attackers
Luke Wilson Caught Staring At Fan's Chest
Pope Francis Says All Who Do Good Are Redeemed - Atheists Included
REVEALED: Disturbing Trend In Human Intelligence
PHOTO: Dog Guards Dead Victim's Body After Oklahoma Tornado Disaster
Comments
55
Subscribe to commentsTerriFeb 2nd 2010 9:39AM
Wow, does this mean the Gov't could gouge us instead of the cable and telephone companies?
pootFeb 2nd 2010 9:55AM
Perhaps you should just go to the library, where it's free.
marianwynnFeb 8th 2010 1:08PM
As for the library - yes it is free however, public libraries have been overwhelmed with the increase in usage. Our library's usage increased 406% between 2005 and 2008. Ours is a rural / farming community. Our phone company has changed ownership 3 times in the past 10 years. These "new" owners have no interest in investing in rural areas. Therefore, our phone lines are decades old and unable to handle "high speed" anything. If I talk to fast - the line goes dead. :)
So back to the "free" library internet access... Most libraries have had to implement very strong policies regarding patron using public computers. Time is limited to one hour per day. If you are looking for a job or filling out an application on line - you better be quick. If you have to take an exam "on line" you have to make an appointment so that a computer may be set aside that will not time out after 1 hour.
"Free" isn't so free. We should not be so behind other developed nations in internet access or health or anything else.
Just imagine if "public libraries" did not exist in the U.S. Then imagine what it would be like to get that idea through Congress now. If they don't care about our health or education or internet access, do you think they would care about how many books you have access to?
JMFeb 2nd 2010 9:52AM
I say LET THEM if it is a way for the consumer NOT to get screwed as we are now. Go for it!!!
Bill T.Feb 2nd 2010 10:07AM
I would rather pay a little more then have the gov involved..been to the DMV lately? plus why give them the extra chance to filter ALL our information. Big Brother at work again
b collinsFeb 2nd 2010 10:03AM
Have you ever seen the government run anything well? And what will it cost the taxpayers? This is not necessarily a good thing. More government in our lives! This can't be good
bradFeb 2nd 2010 10:13AM
you sound like a loser
JohnFeb 2nd 2010 10:26AM
I may be mistaken, but I THOUGHT we were already paying a surcharge for Internet access for years now. This was SUPPOSED to pay for new fiber optic lines. So let's see -- now we get to pay AGAIN! It makes you wonder where all that surcharge money went!
This is like the SIX different taxes I pay for my telephone landline! Pay and then pay again, and again, and again! You have to hand it to them -- this is quite a racket!
emily29388Feb 2nd 2010 12:32PM
We have been subsidizing telephone, electricity and god only knows what else since they were starting to spread so what is a few more cents now? Though I will tell you that I do believe that every time the government says it is here to help, someone is about to get screwed.
And if France has nationwide service it is sorta like Texas going state wide.
Tracie SmithFeb 2nd 2010 10:28AM
Where exactly is the money coming from? More than likely those of us who actually PAY for our internet will be paying for those who 'can't afford it.'
If they put a tax on MY internet, I'll just cancel it. I do not want to give the government ONE MORE CENT of my money, just so they can give it to those TOO LAZY TO GET A JOB. Say what you want. You know there are those people who are parasites and mooch off the government.
This makes me SICK. The government can't do ANYTHING right. They need to stick to doing their jobs, and stop trying to run our lives.
Obama just wants MORE control over us, and to monitor what people say on the internet, so HE can ban them from using it, if he feels people aren't praising him. He MAKES ME SICK!!!!!!!!! We might as well be in a communist nation.
NoelFeb 2nd 2010 10:32AM
I can only get dial up where I live...tried high speed through my phone company and for a very expensive fee, found the wireless to only work sporadically-usually at 3 a.m. So is the government going to insure service at a reasonable rate,respect my privacy and not control where I browse on the web? I think not!
The bundle packages from different companies are costly too, but they can't provide good service in a dead zone.
rayFeb 2nd 2010 10:32AM
this is not surprising at all. what was that again about nobody wanting to know what your doing. those of us that actually connent the dots & dont work for the government know as well as everyone else if the government gets involved in this they will have thier own rules this will be pretty close to the end of anything called privacy. as for the library for free yes it is but when the library apparently has to give information on books that people read this is wrong. if there is government control internet that would apply to the library to, so again they will could make their own rules bypassing privacy. Im just waiting in a few years to when the govrnment makes an excuse to run the grocery stores to. in my opinion only since their is only about what 5 or less major food chains that wont be to hard for them to slide into this government controlled senerio. Of course this will all done for the safety concerns of the children. it does not matter what administration (party) will be in charge. If we the people continue to let this happen without question then we deserve what we get. OF COURSE THIS IS ONLY ONES OPINION.
JoshuaFeb 2nd 2010 12:16PM
Preach on brother.
stalbot3Feb 8th 2010 8:14PM
well said my friend
MartaFeb 2nd 2010 10:39AM
b collins, I live in PR, you should come to one of our government offices and see for yourself what really is a bad run government office. After you do you will go back praising USA government offices. I lived 20 years in NJ, and I have no complaint about the offices I had to visit, including DMV, now PR, that's another story!
rayFeb 2nd 2010 11:02AM
With government involved in the internet business they like some other countries could at any time deem it a national security risk & shut it down, do not think it wont happen. They can determine websites costs the search providers or anything else they choose.
PatFeb 2nd 2010 10:56AM
Obama's government in more of our business! What is next? Government censorship? Government control over what we say in an email? ...what websites we frequent? It's none of the government's business! Nope...don't want it!
DanFeb 2nd 2010 3:37PM
Does the Patriot Act ring a bell? Gov't already has access to any record of any book we get from the public library. That was a Republican thing.
Big business can now, thanks to thier fear of piracy (loss of phantom profits), trace any internet to sue you.
We lost any real sense of privacy on 9/11.
rayFeb 2nd 2010 11:05AM
Then if enough people dont want it we have to speak up theres only 11 days til i guess theres a vote on it
UnremarkableFienFeb 2nd 2010 11:26AM
LOL at the idiots who, when presented with the reality that the U.S. is behind most industrialized nations in broadband access (broadband access being a key to future prosperity) they still jump at screaming "socialism" from their comment board pulpit.
Seriously, you guys who do that are morons. I don't even care about trying to fight for things like this anymore. It would bring me more pleasure to see you idiots wallow in your third world misery once you wake up in 20 years and see that everything you worked for and believed in has been pulled right out from under you because you did nothing to prevent it, you just sat in the corner with your wittle blankey and whined about the evil socialists coming to take your medicare away.
Funny as hell.