[RTC List] Time for Redundant Fiber

[Michael Welch]

Hi gang. I guess I could tell my story too. 

I work, telecommute, for a magazine in OR. We are in what we call "crunch time" right now, where the magazine is going through layout, proof, final proof, ad insertion -- all aimed at the deadline our printer gives us. This outage put my helping with that almost a day behind.

However, I would like to point out that my modem was working yesterday, via the AT&T local phone numbers. So, anybody with critical needs did have access, albeit at slower speeds. Also, both of my phones (Edge cell & AT&T land line) worked all day for long distance -- I just kept trying until I got through. Not sure where that limited long distance bandwidth was coming from if there was no redundancy.

It took me the greater part of the day to remember to try the modem, find it and figure out setup; but now I will be prepared for when it happens again, and it will.

OK, redundant fiber will cost $225 per Hum. Co. household (quoting Josh Koenig), more than double that for buried cable. Who's going to pay for that, the thousands of households that do not have high-speed access? 

Sorry, I do not want to subsidize high-speed internet for the relatively well-to-do. This is not like housing, medical, and food issues for the poor and homeless.

Also, to the folks attempting to use economic blackmail to get this changed, ala "I am going to take my bat and ball and go home if you don't do what I want."

That's fine, see ya, good riddance. We are better off with folks that are here for the "here," not fly-by-night, fair-weather, johnny-come-latelies with a poor 'tude.

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Michael Welch, volunteer
Redwood Alliance
PO Box 293
Arcata, CA 95518
707-822-7884
mwelch at redwoodalliance.org
www.redwoodalliance.org