[garyhope]

I don’t know about the movies and music, but trading stocks and currencies online requires a good fast broadband or cable connection. Speed is good.

I wish there were fibre optic lines everywhere. Try getting a good internet connection out in the boonies.

I use Verizon for my cell phone and out in the sticks, it stinks.

Europe has better cell phone systems. I don’t know about their internet connections.

There’s no reason why America shouldn’t be as modern, up to date or better than the rest of the world in communications.

[DB]

Europe has good cell phone systems because their wired phone service is terrible. Cell was the first alternative they had and they siezed it.

America has a large part of its populaton in the “boonies” where Europe does not. That’s the difference and the reason we have many more roads and cars than Europe does.

[billybudd]

How many people trade stocks and currencies in the US? A tiny fraction. And for that tiny fraction, it is worth their while to invest in a high-speed connection. This is neither an argument for widespread broadband coverage, nor an argument for 100mbit lines.

This article doesn't talk about the cell networks, it's saying that high-speed landline connections are critical to our economy. The issue with the cell networks deals with how the FCC auctions off spectrum. Right now, it's not a very open system, but maybe things will change with the new FCC rules in response to Google.

[CDHart]

"Try getting a good internet connection out in the boonies."

We are in the 'boonies' and I have dialup at home and my cell phone won't work at my house! We have wireless at work, because we couldn't do our billing without it, but there was only one provider available and it was expensive to get into.

Carolyn