SMS 斯蒂文• 夏 wrote:

>>
>> That's odd. There were ONLY 11 responses about AMPS sunset sent to
>> the FCC. The big guns Verizon, Alltel, ATT/Cingular, of course, want
>> it off to install more digital bandwidth in the cities. But, the
>> comments from the rural carriers that responded say differently from
>> your conjecture.
>
> <snip>
>
> The rural carriers have already overlaid digital on their AMPS network.
> They are keeping the AMPS networks operational simply because they can't
> possibly install enough towers to provide equivalent digital coverage.
>
> I think that the government should have something similar to the REA.
> Maybe the RDA (Rural Digitalization Authority) that helps fund digital
> wireless coverage in rural areas where it is otherwise not cost effective.

But that has become a great way to subsidize all of the people who can
afford to pay for connectivity and buy a farm and plop their McMansion
in the middle of it.

I remember when the Internet got opened up. There is an area near here
that used to be largely farmland that is now mostly McMansions. It still
comes under the the rural subsidies. The local telco got truckloads of
money from the taxpayers to put fiber and DSLAMS all over their area so
the "farmers" could have broadband. I live in a much more densely
populated area and years later we were still on dialup.