A conversation with Seattle
Anyway, what is the problem, again? Rather than create a public utility to deliver fiber-optic internet to city residences, McGinn has instead chosen to pursue a public-private partnership that has customers across the country drooling over its $80-per-month rate for gigabit speed, upstream and down. Continue reading Op-Ed: Seattle Times Editorial Board’s Pitiful Swing at McGinn’s Gigabit Broadband
The company promises its fiber-optic internet will supply residents in the University of Washington West Campus District, First Hill, Capitol Hill, and Central Area by first quarter of 2014, continuing the roll-out to a total of 14 neighborhoods throughout the year. Price for one gigabit-per-second (Gbps), upstream and down? $80 per month. Continue reading Seattle to Get Gigabit-Speed Internet, Through Fiber and Clouds, in 2014
In advance of Gigabit Squared’s Seattle broadband lighting up its fiber optic connections this fall, Comcast has hit hyperspeed on its residential broadband in Washington State (and selected locations nationally), announcing that it’s doubling the download speed of two its plans, while supercharging a third. The catch? It’s not what you think. Continue reading How Fast is Your Comcast Internet Today?
Now there are company-run car-sharing services (Zipcar, who’ll give you $75 in driving credit if you sign up now; Car2Go, offering 30 minutes of drive time) and individual car-sharing services employing electronic thumbs: Sidecar matches drivers with passengers, who can tip if they want, as does Lyft (also coming to Seattle). RelayRides lets car owners rent their actual cars. Continue reading Car2Go, Shared Life, and the Productivity of Possessions
It’s telling that Comcast’s “competitive matrix” (GoogleDoc) does not include uptime. At all. There’s that single “24×7 Business Class Support” helpline, but otherwise, not a word. There’s a price comparison, details on speed, email, hosting, antivirus protection, and equipment included, but there’s nothing in there about reliability. Qwest Broadband puts this on their front page: “99.9% network reliability for fewer interruptions.” Continue reading Comcast Business Class is the Weakest Weaker Link