I just heard somewhere that...

i hope so.

J/K

I knew about the Analog-to-Digital cable TV thing but this seems rather drastic...What about the ppl who cannot get DSL or cable?

I think by then they should have that access available for everyone, else face consequences. Maybe Al Gore will invent something.....

Maybe Al Gore will invent something.....

What about the ppl who cannot get DSL or cable

Satellite service: maybe they will bring the price down.

I dont really think there is much of a market for Satelite...Yes there are many people in rural areas that can only get dial-up, but Broadband will eventually make it to them. Most people would rather go along with dialup than pay astronimically high prices for satelite.

Heres an example of what you'd be paying for their service...

http://www.netinc.ca/satellite.htm

$80 a month for the service plus $250 for the dish and $90 and hour for them to install it... Its also slower than many ppls DSL connection...Our old one was 580kbps at less than half the monthly rate.

It will not be long before Broadband makes it out to the 'outback,' and in the time it does, I doubt the satelite service prices will have dropped much...if at all.

Don't worry, EH. You can always come down off the mountain and upload your masterpieces at my house. I have RoadRunner.....

Actually so do I...

Astronomically*

Ive been instant messaging too much lately...

...Cant wait when I apply for a job and my resume has the word "ppl" on it.

I recently bought a wireless usb network adapter for my mom so she could receive interent from a router on another computer into the one in her office. I found 3 different networks (one was the correct one) and I was able to log onto a public interent access point. I sorta was pysched about it but then thought it was illegal or something. Anyway, could this be a free alternative to paying for high speed internet?

Ah the internet age.... water from a tank.. yet broadband......

hehe. You must get fine reception up there.

Green Armani - it's not illegal...they're called hot spots and you fine most in major cities and surrounding areas. They're airports, libraries, McDonalds(!) and places like that. They cover a very small range so someone being able to hook one at home is about zero. Just be careful that you have a firewall up when you latch on to one...

I think that is a possibility. Broadband prices are dropping drastically. Aol now charges 24-29US for dialup. And here, the telephone company is charging 29US for dsl. It's really close to happening already. Dial Up will just become obsolete and internet services like Aol will probably be forced to offer broadband as a normal subscription service.

But is there some sort of deadline that was passed that says that something to the effect of... 'Dial-up must be eliminated by Jan 01 2006?"

Ah the internet age.... water from a tank.. yet broadband...... hehe. You must get fine reception up there.

Yup, I can easily get 3mbps on my downloads...Im also using their hideous mouse pad (albeit as an armrest) with that Roadrunner bird on it...

If I remember right there was a requirement for all-digital television by a certain date. All dust in the wind it seems.....

Right, its supposedly also for 2006...

Well, I think I heard quite awhile back that that date was defunct... and no future date mentioned.

dono if it was a change of policy, administration, goals, dreams...
could even still be on.

Someone needs to contact my phone company, and inform them of this deadline. I've talked to them about getting better service, and they have no plans to do anything other than keep patching the phones lines out here (with bubblegum and bailing wire). I'm too far away from the Central Office for DSL, and they have no plans to install the equipment for IDSL (no distance limit). The only plans they have is to continue taking my money.

We have no cable service out here. It's not cost effective to run cable lines out to rural areas.

Satellite cost too dang much, and from what I hear isn't great anyway.

I guess by 2006, I won't have access to the internet. Either my dialup will be done away with, or the phone lines out here will be in such bad condition that connecting won't be possible anyway....... 

actually there is already a 256 connection through cellular service, though I think the pricing is way high right now.

LEO (Low Earth Orbit) Sat system is supposed to be used eventually for more than global positioning. A few years ago I went to this convention where they explained it would eventually be used for public access to the intenet from phone booths, table top touch screen displays, homes, and so on...

Though I wouldn't hold my breath...

Satellite connections are much different that they used to be.  They are quite fast (not as fast as most cable, but faster than DSL).  They are also not *that* expensive.  It costs $69 a month for mine.  Yes, you have to buy a modem, but you have to buy a modem for other broadband, too.  Considering that my only other alternative is dial up through AOL or MSN (only ones with local dial-up) and they cost about $30 a month for as much time as I use, I can't live without Satellite. 

However, mother nature plays a huge part in satellite.  Not only locally, but wherever your processing hub is.  So, there are drawbacks.  that said, it is still more reliable than the dial-up that I had, and it is always on and doesn't tie up my phone line.  (Ever try and use phone support for dial-up?)

I would gladly use DSL or Broadband if it were available.  We are about 7200 feet from either of the two, unfortunately.

Yes, you have to buy a modem, but you have to buy a modem for other broadband, too.

No you do not have to purchase a modem for DSL or Cable. My providers out here - qwest for DSL and Comcast for cable both let you lease the modem for about 2 dollars a month.

I pay 40 a month for wireless 2mbs+ in a town of 5000 peeps.This setup works anywhere you can put up a tower with a T1 line.Radio reaches the backwoods areas and I think they can even set up relay towers.

Durn...speaking of which,my bill is overdue...OH NO! signal...fading...service discon---------------

relay towers

repeaters

No you do not have to purchase a modem for DSL or Cable. My providers out here - qwest for DSL and Comcast for cable both let you lease the modem for about 2 dollars a month.

psst...Kona...I'm not sure about your math, but $2 a month is still $24 a year that you are paying for it.  It doesn't matter if you lease or buy, it still costs money.