Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to pay?

[j-kid]

Councillor urges city to install free wireless Internet in public housing
Allison Hanes, National Post
Published: Thursday, April 16, 2009


A city councillor wants Toronto to explore bringing free wireless Internet to public housing residents, based on a pilot project he recently witnessed in San Francisco. Denzil Minnan-Wong said a company called Meraki, which manufactures WiFi transmitters, has put its units in 12 low-income housing projects and seniors centres. Toronto's government management committee yesterday agreed to hold a half-day session in September on the technology to investigate how it might be applied here. Mr. Minnan-Wong said he hopes to see the boxes put in Toronto Community Housing to bring the Internet to those who might not be able to afford it. In addition, he said the city should investigate wiring Nathan Phillips Square and City Hall, or facilities such as recreation centres, to provide open Internet access, something Meraki calls "freeing the Net."

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[j-kid]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to pay?

For Immediate Release
March 27, 2008

Internet Archive Brings Free Ultra High-Speed Internet to Public Housing

San Francisco ? The Internet Archive, a San Francisco-based organization dedicated to preserving a record of the Internet and to increasing access to the Internet, today began offering free Internet service to public housing projects at speeds far greater than any other city resident can receive.

Valencia Gardens Housing, with 240 units, is the first area to be connected in a pilot project that expects to wire more than 2,500 units in the city in the next eight months, according to Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle.

What makes the project unique is that the apartments will be connected to the Internet, and to the educational resources at the Internet Archive, at 100 megabits per second (Mbits/second). That speed contrasts sharply with the normal Internet service offered by telephone companies, which is usually less than 6 Mbits/second.

The residents can instantly view DVD-quality videos of the thousands of lectures and other educational information from the Internet Archive's collections, as well as traditional Internet access.

The Internet Archive is able to achieve this high speed by connecting the San Francisco municipal fiber optic network, which runs through the public housing developments, to an Archive switching center, which connects to the Internet.

?We are pleased to be the first non-profit organization to bring public housing online,? Kahle said.

He added: ?We are excited to see much faster access to the Internet as a way to experiment with advanced applications, and are pleased that the underserved get first access to advanced technology.?

NYtimes: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/0...-speed-access/

NPR's OnTheMedia: http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2008/04/11/04

CNET: http://www.news.com/8301-13772_3-9904821-52.html

ValleyWag: http://valleywag.com/373658/brewster...using-projects


This post was modified by brewster on 2008-04-14 05:24:10

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to pay?

Juast like how you can walkaroung your neighborhood free and I would havwe to pay to get there to do so?/
I other words,that's the essecne of life. some will always have an advantage at something.
the important thing is it doeas not cost us anything, to make it possible to have those getting it free.
It is paid by those who see it got for them to do so.

[j-kid]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to pay?

Like heck it don't. They already get it free at the Library and in Schools, and that is tax money that comes from earned income.

What about walking to the library like I and many others use to do, until we could afford it?

If ytuh ah goh mek it free, den mek it free fi everybaddi.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to pay?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: J kid</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Like heck it don't. They already get it free at the Library and in Schools, and that is tax money that comes from earned income.

What about walking to the library like I and many others use to do, until we could afford it?

If ytuh ah goh mek it free, den mek it free fi everybaddi. </div></div>

Do you know that ther is a law in the US that makes people who can't afford to pay for phone to det it free.

something aboit health risk. ther is also one that gives electric wheel chairs and equiptment free to those who oneed it. It is all about essential.

the only reason why broadband is noty free to all, is the opposition of the private sector,to the loss of profit from selling it to those who can afford it.
If thes people could afford it they eould have objected and it would have been nuxed.

[j-kid]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to pay?

Well there yuh go. Everybaddi ah look out fi di poor and di rich, but dem noh care if dem bruk di back ak di middle income working stiff. Doc, if affordability is di argument, den how come dem noh soak di rich and very rich, since dem hav more of an ability fi absorb di extras?

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to pay?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: J kid</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Well there yuh go. Everybaddi ah look out fi di poor and di rich, but dem noh care if dem bruk di back ak di middle income working stiff. Doc, if affordability is di argument, den how come dem noh soak di rich and very rich, since dem hav more of an ability fi absorb di extras? </div></div> You didn't get the memo Kid?/
The one that states that in every country, it is th emiddle class that pays the taxes to run it. Th ewelthy earn theirthrough tax haves. The poor, don't make enoigh to pay taxes. So it is left on th emiddle class to pay up. Come on stop complaining and pay up.
Did you also realize that th emiddle class subsuidizes th eincome of th erich??
yes they sacrifice to send their kids, or themselves to school.

Only to spend their workjing lives makeing the wealthy wealthier.
Then die tryig to catchup with ever increasing debt.
Horay for the middleclass.

damn fools if you ask me. since they are the main ones that vote for policies that alows this to happen.

then claiming how smaty they are becahse some wealthy organization say so.

[j-kid]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to pay?

Doc tuh bi honest mi noh hav noh ax fi grin wid di rich or di poor. Heck mi all fi ah handicapped poor person for example bein given whatever dem need fi mek life as easy fi dem as possible. Mi jus tiad ah haffi pay fi able bodied smaddy fi sidung ah dem yawd ah day time an watch TV and surf di net. Mi bleed enough.

If dem ah goh ah school fi improve tings, den mi all fi giving dem ah hand till dem finish school. Being poor was NEVER an excuse wen mi was growing up, neither was accepting handouts without doing something tuh earn, compensate, or repay fi di help yuh get. Seems like people dem day yah jus contented wid sitting pan dem backside wid dem hand out fi entitlement, while odda people mek excuses fi dem

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to pay?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: J kid</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Doc tuh bi honest mi noh hav noh ax fi grin wid di rich or di poor. Heck mi all fi ah handicapped poor person for example bein given whatever dem need fi mek life as easy fi dem as possible. Mi jus tiad ah haffi pay fi able bodied smaddy fi sidung ah dem yawd ah day time an watch TV and surf di net. Mi bleed enough.

If dem ah goh ah school fi improve tings, den mi all fi giving dem ah hand till dem finish school. Being poor was NEVER an excuse wen mi was growing up, neither was accepting handouts without doing something tuh earn, compensate, or repay fi di help yuh get. Seems like people dem day yah jus contented wid sitting pan dem backside wid dem hand out fi entitlement, while odda people mek excuses fi dem
</div></div> I hav ebeen involved in a progrtam that retrains handicapped people for work that pays middle class wages. I believe that most handocapped body can pay their way if given the preparation and sopport.
they all love it,and are very appreciative.
I still say is the middle class pays for the rinning of the world.

[j-kid]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to pay?

Well takns Dr. D for going along on my journey, while I play advocate an vent fi di other side ah di coin. Tings was ah little dull round here.

[halfwaytree]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to

I have mixed feelings.

J-kid I can understand what you are saying.

Back in the day, before Ontario voted in a VERY fiscally conservative government, a couple living on social assistance (welfare) did quite well for themselves. I remember being invited to supper by a friend and his live with girlfriend at the time (both on welfare). They had a nice apartment and they served me a lovely roast accompanied by an imported bottle of Italian red wine. At the time I was working two jobs and also starting my own small business on the side. I was probably working 70+ hours a week and eating frozen TV dinners. It use to get me upset because I was working so many hours and paying so much taxes (which went to pay for people on welfare) while my friends never worked and seemed to be living a better life than myself.

Now those days are over, today welfare recipients barely get enough to live on in the province of Ontario. But that was the crazy world we lived in at one time.

As far as the free internet access goes. Today you kind of need to have it to get a job. Most resumes are emailed so it goes to reason that free internet for the poor could help some find work. Yes, they could go the the library, that is true. However, how much longer are libraries going to be around? With devices like electronic book devices starting to become more and more popular and eventually becoming an item that most can afford, will libraries really serve a purpose? If you want a book it will be available by touching your finger on a screen and downloading it. I think when we are building new communities, low income or otherwise, we need to look a few years into the future and see what will and will not be needed when the dwellings are actually used.

JMHO

[j-kid]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to

Milo, thanks for your input, and also the point-of-view from a different angle.

[Diplomat]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to

They can go to the library. Once you get free internet into some communites, it will simply breed a new set of loafers who, like the ones we already have, feel the government owes them everything.

[j-kid]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to

ChDude, mi tink mi did ruff, but man, yuh beat mi!

[Diplomat]

Re: Why should they get it FREE while the rest of us hav to

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: J kid</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> ChDude, mi tink mi did ruff, but man, yuh beat mi! </div></div>
Just keeping it real