Internet

As rural high speed broadband continues to expand to more and more farms, some farmers are surprised that their counterparts are not jumping on the bandwagon. This is because those who have signed up for fast service now cannot imagine their lives without it. In fact, there seem to be a lot of farmers who are somewhat ho-hum about high speed broadband. Many blame dial up for the slow conversion to broadband. Some say that the slow connections used through dial up masks the benefits of higher connection speeds. These experts say that because broadband is so slow, people get fed up and frustrated and give up on the internet before they can ever see the true advantages. At this point, potential customers also start questioning the extra price even though broadband has so many advantages over dial up service.

Another reason behind the slow expansion of high speed broadband into rural regions is that many farmers are unaware of the availability. This is still the case in many regions despite the fact that broadband is available in almost every corner of the country and is currently being installed in those areas which are still without service.

The truth is that the agriculture industry could greatly benefit from the use of high speed internet. Farmers who do rely on services do so in order to check the weather to know where to water, research new farm equipment before making a purchase, buy other supplies and do banking without having to go into town. There are also plenty of other reasons to reasons for farmers to use a high speed connection to the World Wide Web. For example, some companies market services designed just for agriculture such as daily agricultural news and vide seminars. There is also weather information geared just to farmers as well as other services.

There are plenty of other benefits for farmers to use as well. Of course, being in a rural region, it can be difficult to get to town for shopping trips and errands. Having the ability to pay bills online and do shopping from the comfort of your home, saves time and gas from costly trips into town.

In addition, the world of faming continues to change rapidly with new equipment and new pesticides coming on the market for each growing season. Having high speed broadband makes it possible to see what is new on the market as well as get advice and first hand information from other farmers on how the product actually works.

It is anticipated that as more people become aware of high speed service, more farmers will begin to sign up. In addition, the prices continue to go down and more people will become aware of the advantages versus the cost. The internet is here and with more of the world being connected electronically, farmers will have to do the same in order to keep up to date with the latest information and what is going on in the world around them.

by afagen

The first year of Barack Obama’s presidency has seen various efforts to undo and refocus much of the legislation from the Bush administration as well as make crucial changes to domestic and foreign affairs. The healthcare battle has been ongoing since the election, deeply divided between Democrats and Republicans and still largely unresolved. Education has also taken a platform with attempts to change the “no child left behind” policies of the Bush era. And a new debate has begun the Federal Communication Commission over proposed government funding that will broaden national Internet access.

The F.C.C. already proposed a plan to Congress that reflects the goal of making high speed internet access like satellite broadband the country’s primary communication network. This is obviously met with resistance from the telecommunication industry, namely large TV and telephone corporations. The new legislation would presumably redirect funding that was previously funneled into telecommunications and put it into expanding satellite internet access and other high-speed broadband providers. Further questions have been raised, however, regarding how much control the F.C.C. has over various Internet providers, which tend to form what are essentially online monopolies and can regulate prices and speed. But the Federal Communication Commission claims that it can effectively bring high-speed internet access to rural areas and places where it was previously unavailable.

This is perhaps a necessary improvement, as statistics show that nearly one third of American households do not have access to high-speed Internet such as satellite internet broadband. The current trend throughout the world proves that Internet is by far the most rapidly growing and developing communication medium, and it seems that its capabilities have already surpassed those of television and telephones. Bringing a larger part of the American population this kind of communication potential is no doubt a priority. Individuals living in rural areas should not be at any kind of disadvantage in terms of communication access or information acquisition and exchange because the current broadband status does not cover their specific zone.

Pouring funding into these kinds of issues should benefit the country as a whole to provide the current capabilities of technology. With increased broadband speed, the possibilities of online navigation are enhanced, able to process a much higher volume of input at much quicker speed. It should also be an economic stimulant, as the growth of this industry should equate to a growth in the corresponding job market, which holds great potential.

The ensuing debate may get heated, between the F.C.C. on one end and the big businesses of the telecommunication industries on the other. As always, it will be difficult to sift out the various interests of large corporations that pervade the political system and make it difficult to get anything done in a reasonable amount of time. But the explosive growth worldwide of the Internet as the primary communication tool bolsters the efforts to broaden national access and sets the stage for a shift in telecommunications.

With legislation changes, Hughes Net California may have even larger coverage than before. As high-speed internet grows, HughesNet Arizona reaches more and more homes.

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