Over 20 million Americans
lack broadband, says senator
Washington Times,
by
Christopher Vondracek
Original Article
Posted By: Ribicon,
4/17/2020 3:18:41 PM
More than 20 million Americans lack “meaningful broadband service” as people turn to the internet for school and work during the coronavirus crisis, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner warned federal regulators. “Under the current circumstances, this lack of broadband access threatens to greatly—and potentially lastingly—exacerbate disparities in health, education and economic equity,” said Mr. Warner, a Democrat, in a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on Thursday. He noted that 770,000 Virginians don’t have broadband access. Mr. Warner urged the FCC to take immediate steps to help close the “digital divide,” including relaxing restrictions on signal contours in rural and exurban areas,
Reply 1 - Posted by:
DVC 4/17/2020 3:20:47 PM (No. 383061)
And life goes on just fine.
19 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Avikingman 4/17/2020 3:39:02 PM (No. 383073)
Warner's a putz.
From what I understand, Elon Musk's Starlink is supposed to "fill the gap" w hi speed service. Many satellites already in low earth orbit. Not sure of govt. interference.
5 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
stablemoney 4/17/2020 3:42:01 PM (No. 383078)
Mr. Warner, I do not have cable tv or a smart phone. Not missing any of it.
12 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
MindMadeUp 4/17/2020 3:43:32 PM (No. 383079)
And I lack access to mansions, limousines, yachts, and body guards like you have, Mr. Bigshot Senator. And that leads to disparities in my "economic equity." You gonna take immediate steps to give me yours?
18 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
marbles 4/17/2020 3:54:57 PM (No. 383091)
Never ever trust a democrat.
16 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
John C 4/17/2020 4:05:12 PM (No. 383099)
We have been surcharged for service to the poor, since Al Gore invented the internet.
17 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
Bur Oak 4/17/2020 4:05:59 PM (No. 383101)
Oh good grief senator. Go find something useful to do.
9 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
earlybird 4/17/2020 4:24:37 PM (No. 383116)
How on earth did the world and our country manage before broadband? Tsk tsk tsk.
Crooked, corrupt Mark Warner has a lot more to worry aboutthese days than trying to divide us up even more….
7 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
Ming 4/17/2020 4:28:46 PM (No. 383119)
So? If you think that's such a travesty, Mark, you pay for it.
13 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
marbles 4/17/2020 4:54:38 PM (No. 383129)
Current special devoted to Earth Day issue of People magazine , a major article re "50 Things You Should Know & Do To Help The Planet " , # 40 " Bring High Speed Internet to the Heartland" For the farmers. I do not believe in coincidences.
9 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Starboard_side 4/17/2020 5:01:07 PM (No. 383133)
Another Democrat reacting, not being pro-active.
He's only now noticing that 770,000 Virginians don't have access to broadband? What has he been doing the last few years?
I guess he was too busy with impeachment the last couple of years, despite likely knowing the Steele Dossier was bogus Russian misinformation, bought by Hillary campaign, and then used against Trump.
8 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
red1066 4/17/2020 5:17:51 PM (No. 383143)
Every month my bill adds a fee to pay for internet access for those that can't afford it, and it's been on there for as far as I can remember 20 years or more. For the amount of money we pay for internet, downloading anything should be done in less than a second. Now, if I want faster internet speeds, Verizon will allow me to get it for $100 bucks more a month. I could understand paying the amount of money I pay now when they were laying lines and setting up the infrastructure, but not now. It's all greed not a reasonable profit.
10 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
NYbob 4/17/2020 5:18:42 PM (No. 383144)
Whatever. What I want to know is when is this fencepost going to get me that Tesla sedan I 'need?'
5 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
Vesicant 4/17/2020 5:22:04 PM (No. 383149)
Well, it's not as if dhimmicrats have broadband brains.
2 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
HotRod 4/17/2020 5:46:11 PM (No. 383162)
Another freebie for democrats to give away. Pandering for votes with taxpayer dollars isn't cool!
3 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
Mass Minority 4/17/2020 5:48:25 PM (No. 383166)
That means that 94.2% of the population does have access to high speed internet. Wonder where exactly that 5.8% of the population lives. Somewhere north of Fairbanks, in the remoter sections of the Rockies, in the denser hollows of Appalachia? I am guessing that that last 5% lives in areas where transmission lines are exorbitantly expensive to route.
5 people like this.
I don’t have a 24,000 dollar refrigerator either...
11 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
lisa belanger 4/17/2020 6:37:03 PM (No. 383185)
his family is so rich he has interest in he broadband.....time warner
2 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
lisa belanger 4/17/2020 6:38:16 PM (No. 383186)
he has such big teeth....friends of mr burr
he always talks to him in his ear....wow
1 person likes this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
anniebc 4/17/2020 7:14:14 PM (No. 383202)
It won't affect students if they can just go back to school. What a concept? The poor you have with you always. Stop!
5 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
skacmar 4/17/2020 7:47:44 PM (No. 383221)
Apparently internet access is a right enshrined in the Constitution now? I don't recall ever seeing where it is the government's responsibility to make sure that everyone has broadband internet. Go to the public library and use their computers. Yes, you can't do it right now but as we keep being told by politicians, we must all make sacrifices.
2 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
BGray2 4/17/2020 8:18:42 PM (No. 383240)
Why is that the federal government's problem? It seem like that should be the responsibility of the individual states if the can get their voters to buy into the expenditure.
2 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
hershey 4/17/2020 9:31:27 PM (No. 383277)
Oh man, 20 million out of 350 million...lets form a gummint commission to form a committee to investigate this and come up with a plan to redistribute some more gummint money....
1 person likes this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
padiva 4/17/2020 9:40:42 PM (No. 383281)
Maybe these people don't want access to the internet.
4 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
Rumblehog 4/17/2020 11:07:24 PM (No. 383310)
Ha! So what did you all Congresspukes do with all that money Clinton and Gore took from taxpayers and promised would fund Internet into all the schools and homes across America??
3 people like this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
Pat26.2 4/17/2020 11:22:16 PM (No. 383315)
Let the peasants eat dial-up.
0 people like this.
Reply 27 - Posted by:
Geoman 4/18/2020 12:00:44 AM (No. 383320)
While Sen. Warner is indeed a flawed, progressive messenger, the problem of reliable internet access is very real. If it can be resolved by relaxing some overzealous regulations, probably put in place by Warner's fellow progressives, then it should be. Choosing to live in a rural area to avoid the big Blue cities while raising some livestock and growing vegetables to supplement the family larder and trade with like-minded friends is typically not looked down upon by conservatives; however such a choice most often leaves only HughesNet or one of its satellite clones as the only source for millions of Americans to be digitally connected. My college student son and elementary student daughter both have significant on-line school requirements that necessitate at least modest bandwidth. They are students; neither are "gamers." We're not talking about roughing it in the wilds of Alaska but less than 150 miles from the four most populous cities in Texas. I'd pay more than the current $500/month I already pay but I'm maxed out on what I'm allowed to have. The company blames "federal regulations" for the service restrictions.
2 people like this.
Why not have free broadband for everyone so no one is embarrassed ? Kids aren't getting a decent education, so what is the big deal?
If only the majority of Americans knew what is on the free gravy train, and it's delivered.
0 people like this.
Reply 29 - Posted by:
franq 4/18/2020 9:04:53 AM (No. 383538)
Yes, and before it was wifi, or cell coverage, or some other vital Constitutional right. Pity those without indoor plumbing. Or maybe they're the lucky ones.
0 people like this.
Reply 30 - Posted by:
jacksin5 4/18/2020 9:47:58 AM (No. 383577)
There is a growing segment of young Americans where being "Off the Grid" is a goal, rather than a hinderence. I go to a hunting camp to get away from such distractions.
0 people like this.
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How much money did Verizon, ATT, Comcast, etc "donate" to this crook's campaign? Not content with charging US customers the highest fees in the world for internet and cellular connectivity, with poor speeds relative to other developed nations, these companies lust after additional customers whose bills are paid by taxpayer money. It's obscene.