back to article FCC votes to bring faster internet to US schools

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to overhaul its E-rate program, which subsidizes internet and telecommunications access for schools and libraries, with a goal of facilitating greater availability of modern, high-speed wired and wireless networks. "Preparing our nation's students with the skills they …

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  1. Eddy Ito

    And?

    "A 2010 survey of E-rate applicants revealed that half had internet connections that were slower than the average American home"

    So how does their speed rate against the speed of the median American home? I have to figure the home net connections of Larry Ellison, Sergei Brin, et al does a bit to skew the speed of the average American home. Would it be too presumptuous to assume that homes without fixed, even broadband perhaps, internet access aren't included in the sample?

    "Moreover, the agency's own survey indicates that 80 percent of schools and libraries believe that their broadband connections do not meet their current needs."

    Given similar self evaluations, what percentage of home users think their internet connection meets their current needs? Personally since my upload speeds are on par with, if not slower than a good dialup connection I would say it doesn't but then I live with it because a subsidy isn't forthcoming based on my opinion.

    Meh, just work a deal with Google, high speed internet and monitoring for the school in exchange for ads with little pop-ups of content here and there. Have to prepare these kids for the future, right?

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    More Obama and his meaningless bullshit.

    "Preparing our nation's students with the skills they need to get good jobs"

    High speed internet will not stop jobs from going overseas.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: More Obama and his meaningless bullshit.

      But by 2017 100% of Americans will be employed in surveillance of other Americans -

      and since these are jobs that, for reasons of security, can't be offshored the future is looking good for the guardians of the nation's freedoms.

      1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
        Trollface

        Re: More Obama and his meaningless bullshit.

        > But by 2017 100% of Americans will be employed in surveillance of other Americans

        Truly, A Scanner Darkly. You can watch yourself on camera, via high-speed Internet.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: More Obama and his meaningless bullshit.

        I thought we had outsourced a good bit of it to GCHQ already. Why should we stop now?

    2. ratfox
      Facepalm

      Re: More Obama and his meaningless bullshit.

      So true! The proper way to provide jobs to the population is certainly not to make sure it gets a better education and training than the rest of the world in important technologies like the Internet; it is to make new laws that forbid US companies from outsourcing jobs!

      No wonder they prefer to hire foreigners.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: More Obama and his meaningless bullshit.

      Taking pizza delivery orders can be done over the Internet. That is their future.

  3. Kevin McMurtrie Silver badge
    Pirate

    My plan for success in the US government

    1) Buy hundreds of enterprise grade routers and pocket sales commission

    2) Legislate local telcos out of business to eliminate interference

    3) Auction off vague but exclusive telco contract for highest bribe, um, I mean commission

    4) Create expensive contracting agencies to oversee progress

    5) Drain local subsidies of all funds to cover "unforeseen problems" and "regulations"

    6) Say it's "almost done" and ask voters for more money

    7) Leave town and repeat in another state

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: My plan for success in the US government

      I'm afraid CISCO has a patent on that.

      http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/02/why-a-one-room-west-virginia-library-runs-a-20000-cisco-router/

    2. Keven E.

      The US government's planned "freedoms"

      The status quo is still selling the bullshit line that using the internet makes you smarter... they've clearly been successful making idiots feel good. It's quite rare (for the most part bullshit, as well) that you can get an education using a computer interface. You may be able to gather facts, and have it "compute" for you, but people learn from people and the most important thing they learn from other people is how to learn. They actually called it a "smart phone" for a reason, not a smart person tool... the achievment for technology is already there. The only reason for more bandwidth is to make the internet dumber (i.e. keep pushing pretty pictures and advertisement)... more and more in "motion picture form". They have to keep a certain % of thier own populace dumb... who else would continue to buy the poop culture produced? Or continue to vote for either of the two halves of the same basic "capitalist" party and still believe there's a significant choice? C'mon... don't you also want to be cool?

  4. Turtle

    A Man, A Plan, A... Word:

    Porkbarrel.

  5. Lockwood

    Misunderstood the title

    I was wondering why First Capital Connect would be trying to delivery fast internet

  6. Peter in Seattle

    Alternative headline

    FCC decides to preserve noncompetitive, oligopolistic ISP market, use surcharges on other users to subsidize inflated charges for schools.

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