Comments on: Escambia County To Consider Broadband Internet Network; Thousands Would Get Access To True High Speeds http://www.northescambia.com/2021/01/escambia-county-to-consider-broadband-internet-network-thousands-would-get-access-to-true-high-speeds Local News for Molino, Bratt, McDavid, Century, Walnut Hill, Cantonment Fri, 10 Apr 2026 03:16:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Joel Retzloff http://www.northescambia.com/2021/01/escambia-county-to-consider-broadband-internet-network-thousands-would-get-access-to-true-high-speeds/comment-page-1#comment-459593 Joel Retzloff Wed, 21 Jul 2021 17:52:26 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=429068#comment-459593 Poor folks still won't have internet, despite large government grants. Fees starting at $100/ month, in addition to rent and utilities? How is that helping? Poor folks still won’t have internet, despite large government grants. Fees starting at $100/ month, in addition to rent and utilities? How is that helping?

]]> By: Country Momma http://www.northescambia.com/2021/01/escambia-county-to-consider-broadband-internet-network-thousands-would-get-access-to-true-high-speeds/comment-page-1#comment-440005 Country Momma Tue, 19 Jan 2021 11:16:44 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=429068#comment-440005 @Dave Coleson- I live “in the sticks,” and when our government shut down the state, am I not supposed to have the opportunity to work because of where I choose to live? Are my children not supposed to have the opportunity for education? I didn't ask for my employer to force people to work from home; the powers that be did that. Trust me. We don't have the conveniences of the “city life,” no food deliveries, groceries deliveries, heck, I'm lucky if FedEx can locate my house. Still, those city lights have nothing on our country nights - I wouldn't want it any other way. Dave, stay a yuppie! @Dave Coleson- I live “in the sticks,” and when our government shut down the state, am I not supposed to have the opportunity to work because of where I choose to live? Are my children not supposed to have the opportunity for education? I didn’t ask for my employer to force people to work from home; the powers that be did that. Trust me. We don’t have the conveniences of the “city life,” no food deliveries, groceries deliveries, heck, I’m lucky if FedEx can locate my house. Still, those city lights have nothing on our country nights – I wouldn’t want it any other way. Dave, stay a yuppie!

]]> By: Alex http://www.northescambia.com/2021/01/escambia-county-to-consider-broadband-internet-network-thousands-would-get-access-to-true-high-speeds/comment-page-1#comment-439928 Alex Mon, 18 Jan 2021 05:59:01 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=429068#comment-439928 Waste of money and that $650k isn’t going to go very far. Starlink is in widespread beta testing and it works very well... It would be cheaper and more efficient to offer a subsidy for those to buy the equipment and then be on the hook for the Starlink monthly cost. People would ONLY be subsidized if they have no other service available. They would still have to pay for roughy 2/3rds of the cost of the SL equipment. Waste of money and that $650k isn’t going to go very far.
Starlink is in widespread beta testing and it works very well… It would be cheaper and more efficient to offer a subsidy for those to buy the equipment and then be on the hook for the Starlink monthly cost. People would ONLY be subsidized if they have no other service available. They would still have to pay for roughy 2/3rds of the cost of the SL equipment.

]]> By: EMD http://www.northescambia.com/2021/01/escambia-county-to-consider-broadband-internet-network-thousands-would-get-access-to-true-high-speeds/comment-page-1#comment-439858 EMD Sat, 16 Jan 2021 23:28:53 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=429068#comment-439858 Enon/Bay Springs area gets NO signal. Enon/Bay Springs area gets NO signal.

]]> By: Demas http://www.northescambia.com/2021/01/escambia-county-to-consider-broadband-internet-network-thousands-would-get-access-to-true-high-speeds/comment-page-1#comment-439837 Demas Sat, 16 Jan 2021 16:58:23 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=429068#comment-439837 I live in a rural area where internet access has basically one provider. We have one traffic light within about 10 miles; there are no fast food shops. I use my phone as a hotspot for internet access. I get two lines for about what the county is proposing as a cost for this service. The hotspot speed is less than the current provider offers in the north end of the county yet I can stream to the device that is connected to my phone (pc, tv, etc.) and still use my phone for other tasks. I live in a rural area where internet access has basically one provider. We have one traffic light within about 10 miles; there are no fast food shops.

I use my phone as a hotspot for internet access. I get two lines for about what the county is proposing as a cost for this service. The hotspot speed is less than the current provider offers in the north end of the county yet I can stream to the device that is connected to my phone (pc, tv, etc.) and still use my phone for other tasks.

]]> By: David Huie Green http://www.northescambia.com/2021/01/escambia-county-to-consider-broadband-internet-network-thousands-would-get-access-to-true-high-speeds/comment-page-1#comment-439826 David Huie Green Sat, 16 Jan 2021 15:49:24 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=429068#comment-439826 REGARDING: "For those of you in the northern rural parts of the county: guess what: you CHOSE to live there and what did you think the internet would be when you live in the woods?" Correction: We CHOOSE. It was not a choice we made back in the Dark Ages and have regretted ever since. It is a choice we have settled in our minds until something even better comes along. So far, to our way of thinking, nothing else comes close. That doesn't mean our lives can not be even better, that we shouldn't be allowed to have paved roads, emergency services, schools, even shoes (at least on Sunday) and internet. The world is changing and we are part of the world. David for an even better world REGARDING:
“For those of you in the northern rural parts of the county: guess what: you CHOSE to live there and what did you think the internet would be when you live in the woods?”

Correction: We CHOOSE. It was not a choice we made back in the Dark Ages and have regretted ever since. It is a choice we have settled in our minds until something even better comes along. So far, to our way of thinking, nothing else comes close.

That doesn’t mean our lives can not be even better, that we shouldn’t be allowed to have paved roads, emergency services, schools, even shoes (at least on Sunday) and internet. The world is changing and we are part of the world.

David for an even better world

]]> By: David Huie Green http://www.northescambia.com/2021/01/escambia-county-to-consider-broadband-internet-network-thousands-would-get-access-to-true-high-speeds/comment-page-1#comment-439823 David Huie Green Sat, 16 Jan 2021 15:30:43 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=429068#comment-439823 REGARDING: "Internet access should be a public utility and cost everyone in the county $79 per year." That would be silly. (Not that I wouldn't jump on it if available right now at that rate.) What if someone figured out a way to provide it for $10 or even free? (And someone probably will.) David for better futures REGARDING:
“Internet access should be a public utility and cost everyone in the county $79 per year.”

That would be silly. (Not that I wouldn’t jump on it if available right now at that rate.)

What if someone figured out a way to provide it for $10 or even free?
(And someone probably will.)

David for better futures

]]> By: Henry W Coe http://www.northescambia.com/2021/01/escambia-county-to-consider-broadband-internet-network-thousands-would-get-access-to-true-high-speeds/comment-page-1#comment-439797 Henry W Coe Sat, 16 Jan 2021 11:22:56 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=429068#comment-439797 Internet access should be a public utility and cost everyone in the county $79 per year. Internet access should be a public utility and cost everyone in the county $79 per year.

]]> By: Demas http://www.northescambia.com/2021/01/escambia-county-to-consider-broadband-internet-network-thousands-would-get-access-to-true-high-speeds/comment-page-1#comment-439783 Demas Sat, 16 Jan 2021 05:55:27 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=429068#comment-439783 Folks this is basic economics. The cost to provide high speed internet service, phone service or any other similar service is higher on a per household basis in areas where the population density is lower and the distance to necessary infrastructure is greater. The north end of the county has a lower population density and each household is farther from necessary infrastructure than those in the more southern portions of the county. If companies like Cox could provide the service at competitive rates and make a profit, they would. There are many advantages to living in an area with a lower population density. Less traffic, noise, more privacy, etc. There are also disadvantages. Apparently slower internet speeds and fewer internet providers are two of them. Folks this is basic economics. The cost to provide high speed internet service, phone service or any other similar service is higher on a per household basis in areas where the population density is lower and the distance to necessary infrastructure is greater.

The north end of the county has a lower population density and each household is farther from necessary infrastructure than those in the more southern portions of the county.

If companies like Cox could provide the service at competitive rates and make a profit, they would.

There are many advantages to living in an area with a lower population density. Less traffic, noise, more privacy, etc. There are also disadvantages. Apparently slower internet speeds and fewer internet providers are two of them.

]]> By: Bigblock345 http://www.northescambia.com/2021/01/escambia-county-to-consider-broadband-internet-network-thousands-would-get-access-to-true-high-speeds/comment-page-1#comment-439776 Bigblock345 Sat, 16 Jan 2021 02:26:47 +0000 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=429068#comment-439776 No, people like David Coleson need to stay in the cities. We do not need their kind in the country. Condescending, lacking compassion or understanding. No, people like David Coleson need to stay in the cities. We do not need their kind in the country. Condescending, lacking compassion or understanding.

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