Fat pipes save lives

I live near a lake out in the country which has broadband all around it but not in our township. I want to get ahold of these people before they get shutdown and/or express the importance of broadband. Right now my main internet connection at home is a 1xRTT CDMA mobile phone on an EVDO data plan. EVDO is supposed to come to Grand Rapids after Thanksgiving but before Xmas for the big holiday push.

I wish it were here now. My little Thinkpad 240 makes an excellent portable wifi evdo stompbox.

Anyway, this caught my eye from the AP wire:

[snip]

(Lansing-AP, October 24, 2005, 7:50 a.m.) Some state Republican leaders are taking aim at a state agency that offers loans to companies that want to expand high-speed Internet access.

The Michigan Broadband Development Authority was a conception of former Republican Governor John Engler. But it's now being targeted by Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema and House Speaker Craig DeRoche.

DeRoche says he plans to soon set his sights on scrapping the authority.

But state Treasurer Jay Rising says it doesn't make sense to eliminate the agency. He heads the authority's board.

Robert Filka is the group's chief operating officer. He says the agency has succeeded in introducing high-speed Internet access to some areas of the state -- and driving down costs in other areas.

[/snip]