[Scan-DC] COG Board Approves Report on Region-Wide Broadband Access

[Steve Rigby]

On Apr 11, 2007, at 10:40 PM, Alan Henney wrote:

> WASHINGTON, DC - The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
> (COG) Board approved unanimously the COG Broadband access Task Force
> (BATF) report which promotes the development of faster and readily
> available internet access to strengthen the region's economy.

   So, how does faster internet access strengthen the region's economy?

> "The region needs to keep a competitive edge by working with the
> private sector to deploy broadband internet," said Lori Waters,
> Supervisor from Loudon County and chair of the taskforce.  "Faster
> speeds at affordable prices will come with competition and partnering
> with the private sector to remove governmental barriers.

   The reason that I have a problem in getting hooked up to high speed 
internet access has nothing at all to do with "governmental barriers."  
It has to do with the policies of the "private sector."  Verizon has 
high speed access coming into houses right across the street from my 
home, but they will not run it across the street until the older homes 
on my side are torn down to make way for "McMansions."  This is not 
speculation on my part, as I have spoken with Verizon and have been 
informed of the reason they do not provide FIOS to my side of the 
street.

   Steve