On 2007-02-08, SMS <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote:
> Perhaps there is enough of a public interest issue that the government
> should do something similar to what they did with the REA, and help fund
> digital coverage in rural areas.

You should be careful what you wish for, if the experience with rural
landline subsidies are anything to go by:

http://www.physorg.com/news88056298.html

I'm not opposed to the idea, since I really like to find cell phone
coverage in deep rural areas and I'm a bit worried it will disappear,
but somehow what government subsidies for phone companies seem to mostly
end up doing is making the phone companies richer by paying them to
do stuff they'd do anyway.

Dennis Ferguson