[RFI] wideband service availability

[jimjarvis at comcast.net]

Ed, K0IL wrote:
snip>Sure, some small percentage of customers today now have cable modems, DSL, and the like, but not ALL of them.  Not even most of them.  Most of them have no reliable or easily accessed data link into the home.<snip
Sorry, Ed...not even close.   In 1996, the cable industry announced that they had fiber to the curb in 88% of the standard metropolitan statistical areas...and would be at 97% within two years.   They estimated that was 80% of the US population at that time.   The remainder is in largely rural areas.   Of the major metro areas, most are served by both cable and dsl, and many have multiple cable providers.
The reality is, if someone doesn't have wideband service today, there are only three reasons.  1) they live in an area which cannot be economically serviced by either phone or cable systems, or 2) they don't want it, or 3) they can't afford it.
Studies of the economics of BPL service have shown that there must be 5 homes served by a wifi link across the residential drop transformer, in order for service to be provided for under $40 a month.   Try and find that in the middle of Iowa corn country!    
N2EA