Two months have passed since we got this message informing us that Time Warner Cable Business Class was not going to honor its contract to supply us with broadband (see previous post for more details). So we thought it would be a good idea to publish the email so people can see for themselves the preposterous sum of "over $100,000" quoted for rural broadband access. We assume that they assumed we did not have over $100k on hand.
Note that we have obscured contact info to protect the TWC employee who at least had the courtesy to communicate with us (although they managed to spell my name wrong).
Join the club... The only option I have is satellite internet with low caps and high prices. I refuse! Furthermore I contacted the cable provider (Time Warner Cable) and they estimated a cost of $10,000 to provide connection to cable. The last point of connection for Time Warner Cable is about five or six telephone poles (less than a 1/4 mile) away leaving myself and my neighbor stranded. I contact my telephone provider (Verizon) and they do not provide DSL service in Campbell, New York even though they have a central office within the town.
ReplyDeleteI FEEL YOUR PAIN!
ReplyDeleteCheck out my next post, about RuMBA, a group that is working on this problem. There may be hope, but it will be a struggle.
I was on RuMBA's Internet radio program today (totally ironic I know, given that listening requires bandwidth, but they are a good group).
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/luisahandem
As for Time Warner, the price they gave you bears a scary resemblance to the one I got. In other words it says "Please leave us alone."
We will continue to explore local options. If rural America has to create its own future, so be it. Think about this: America has fallen to 17th in the world in terms of per capita income. Finland, in which every family has a right to 2Mbps broadband, is 19th and rising.