This video is about 10 minutes long and worth every minute of it if you value freedom of speech and the open nature of the Internet.
We in Alberta have a head start on all of this because we have the SuperNet. The Alberta SuperNet is one of the most empowering and enabling communications innovations on the planet. It is unique to our province and was paid for by you the Alberta taxpayer and citizen.
It is in or available to our hospitals, schools, municipal offices and libraries - all over Alberta.
It could now be available to you directly as a citizen too. Can you imagine the impact that will have on empowering and enabling Albertans in virtually all aspects of our lives?
I will tell you more about this innovation in future blog posts. In the mean time watch this video for some background and the American experience.
We have to make sure our SuperNet stays in our hands as owners and citizens through public ownership. It is vital infrastructure for us to thrive in a 21st century knowledge and conceptual based economy.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Humanity Lobotomy - Second Draft
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Supernet was a waste of money. Let the private sector handle it instead of taxing the rest of us to death.
ReplyDeleteKen,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the SuperNet is a great example of a unique (and forward looking) Alberta government initiative.
But, as you probably know, it does have it's drawbacks. I'm thinking mainly of the high cost of connecting to it. I believe that in many areas the province paid to "get the pipe to the door" but it was left up to the municipality, library or other organization to actually "connect" to it ... at a very steep cost. Part of the issue (as I understand it) being the costs charged by the 3rd party private company that the GOA partnered with.
This may or may note have been resolved but at the very least there is still a problem with the costs for organizations that have moved...
I think the number here in GP was something like $30,000 for our library to connect to the SuperNet in the new building we are currently constructing. That is pretty steep and although we could handle it other smaller organizations would have a tough time.
You guys are missing the point. The point is about how important Net Neutrality is and how we as citizens can promote it though Alberta's Supernet.
ReplyDeleteThe entire aspect of what is "infrastructure" in my tiny world it is defined as things that confer a general community good but that have too high a capital entry cost to be born by individual users up front... eg it is not condusive to market provision in a competitive manner.
ReplyDeleteElectricy, internet (supersized or otherwise), do these meet (my) the test?
Heard a dirty rumour that GOA is planning an other "outer ring road" as an essential infrastructure... private/ public/ P3 ???? who knows? Personally I will be very disappointed if we do not get better train/ LRT/ bike/ walking/ airport intermodal linkages FIRST. The roads are a necessary industrial linkage (cause we neglected our rail infra-structure ...or was it privatized???) PLEASE a bit of balance or rebalance as we move forward.... do not spend all our $$$$ making our lives and industry even MORE road dependent!!!
as usual.... greengirl
Don't talk about taxes with Ken. His idol Dion wants to tax everything.
ReplyDelete