http://cloudythinking.disqus.com/Ron K. Jeffries writes longer form stuff here.enSun, 04 Jan 2009 13:18:11 -0000http://blog.eronj.com/2009/01/04/big-bucks-flowing-into-us-broadband-infrastructure/#comment-4880625<p>Um, there are rural areas where not everyone even has a *phone*. SW Virginia, for one. So this may help *some* rural areas, likely those where people can spell network and regularly scream (on-line) that they're not being served. Ignore all those folks who *cannot* scream on-line...</p><p>"Broadband" is a cute term, but pretty much content-free. There are "rural wireless" initiatives in this area, but none of them even receive the funding to pay the installers much less actually build a network. So where has that money gone, and where will this money go?</p><p>My anonymous bet: It will disappear into the standard telco/cable companies. They'll spend some of it on basic infrastructure to help modems actually connect when a phone line exists. Some *might* go to Verizon to build out the 700 MHz network. Maybe. Then it *might* have an impact in 3-5 years.</p><p>But the core infrastructure in many rural areas is so out of date and/or spread out that nothing much can change until really near (or after) the 2012 elections.<br>Unless someone really lights a fire under the 700MHz or UHF spectrum folks... But I don't see that happening.</p>anonSun, 04 Jan 2009 13:18:11 -0000