Consumer Affairs’ James Hood laments’ that broadband “options are Slim for Those without DSL or Cable,” especially in rural areas. He makes good points, and figures out that despite the big company spin, rural America desperately wants broadband. Amen to that!
The thing is, to get it quickly someone is going to have to lose money. This means government involvement. Either the government must force commercial companies to serve these areas through regulation, coerce them with tax-payer money, or spend that money to build the networks themselves. This is the point that keeps getting lost in the municipal broadband arguments: If the goal is universal service, tax-payer money will need to be spent one way or anther.