[TriLUG] [OT] TriLUGger on the news

[Chris Bullock]

To try to get this topic back on topic, there is one thing that rural
counties can get in what the state calls metro counties can not, that is
telecommunications grant money.  Our office is based out of Greenville, NC
which by state funding is considered metro.  We have connections to
hospitals all across rural eastern nc, my complaint is that since these
places are rural they qualify for free or reduced rate telecommunications.
  This really pisses me off due to the fact that their basis is that the
telcos charge more for rural areas over metro.  Embarq and Suddenlink have
a monopoly in eastern nc so they basically charge whatever they want.  As
I said we have a 100mb metro E connection with Embarq and that spokes out
to several small rural areas which I may add pay (or now billed) the same
thing we do but they get their connection at a reduced rate or even free
just because they are rural(reimbursed by grants).  So I guess for IT for
some things it helps to be in poor or rural areas.
my $.02
cgb 
--- Tom Eisenmenger <teisenmenger at charter.net> wrote:

> David, Steve, Kevin, and others have all made some good points - now  
> if I might step in and offer a different perspective:
> 
> I live in Roanoke Rapids which is in one of the poorest, least  
> economically-developed areas of the state.  It is this way because  
> good-paying jobs are scarce due in no small part to the lack of a  
> decent transportation infrastructure.  One way to attract relocating  
> businesses to this area is to revitalize our local highway system:   
> for eastern NC this means to widen US158 into a 4-lane divided  
> highway from Henderson to Kitty Hawk, complete the widening of US64  
> from Williamston to Manteo, likewise US70 from Smithfield to Morehead  
> City, and US258 running north-south from VA to SC.  Many of these are  
> proposed DOT projects that have been deferred for years or even  
> decades.  They are perpetually on the back burner because projects in  
> the state's metropolitan areas, especially the Triangle, routinely  
> take precedence over projects in more rural areas.  No wonder - the  
> seat of power is, after all, in Raleigh.



       
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