Americans don’t think internet access should be a government priority
Posted: August 12th, 2010 | Author: Dan Misener | Filed under: tech | Tags: broadband, CRTC, pew | 1 Comment »Earlier this week, I posted about the CRTC’s open consultation on basic phone and internet service, which asks: “[W]hat role, if any, should the CRTC play in ensuring that all Canadians have access to broadband Internet service at comparable rates?”
Stateside yesterday, the Pew Internet & American Life Project published a new report on home broadband, with some surprising results:
By a 53%-41% margin, Americans say they do not believe that the spread of affordable broadband should be a major government priority. Contrary to what some might suspect, non-internet users are less likely than current users to say the government should place a high priority on the spread of high-speed connections.
Seems like the majority agrees with The Thrill.
[Via David Weinberger]
Don't say that like you're surprised.
Seriously: making it a priority, or ensuring it at all, means money. Is this really what you what your government spending money on? Do you really think that the folks who don't have broadband internet access in their home are somehow "less fortunate" or "in need"? Come on. People with no home access who live in any kind of city can just got to the library if they need their Boingboing fix THAT BAD. And the guy who lives on a farm in a remote area of Iowa? Something tells me he likes the simple life (though he could probably get his fix somehow there, too).
This is like the "one laptop per child" idea. http://philipsullivan.blogspot.com/2005/12/dumb-i…
If people are really that cut off and in need they probably are in need of the government's money for FOOD, not for broadband.