by Kevin G. Summers I moved my family out to the country last fall. We left the hustle-bustle of the city for an 100 year old farmhouse on 6 rolling acres. We have lush fields begging for sheep, woods teeming with deer, and absolutely no traffic. The one thing I miss from the city, however, is high-speed internet. Where I lived back in Leesburg, Virginia, I had a fiber-optic connection right into my house. I paid about $40/ month for lightning fast internet. Out in the country, the best I could get was a satellite connection providing 1mb/ second for a whopping $80/month. “It’s better than dial-up,” I kept telling myself as I was trenching the connection between the dish and my house. “Better... but not much.” 53
It’s especially difficult to make the transition from fiber to satellite because of my job. I spend my days writing about submarine cables, about all the amazing changes in store for Africa because of the landings of cables like SEACOM and ADONES. But in the oldest state in the Union, the prospects for a fiber connection to my rural farmhouse are bleak. If you’ve read Guy Arnos’ article about his time in Angola, then you’ve seen pictures of the rural conditions in that country. And we’ve all read the editorials coming out of Africa echoing the continental frustration that the much-anticipated submarine cable systems have not yet fulfilled their promise to increase capacity and reduce costs for everyone.
A lack of infrastructure. In order for fiber to be effective, the infrastructure must be in place to deliver the connection, and in parts of Africa (and apparently parts of the United States) the infrastrucutre just isn’t there. What’s the solution to this problem? Better planning? More businesses in rural areas to drive up the need? Or just patience? All I know is that it takes me 50x longer to download an issue of SubTel Forum from my house than it does at the office. I guess that’s the trade-off for living in the country. Have to go now... it’s time to shear the sheep.
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