On Thu, Jul 1, 2010 at 8:04 AM, Gadi Evron <ge@linuxbox.org> wrote:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/07/01/finland.broadband/index.html?hpt=...
In the US, the Communications Act of 1934 brought about the creation of the "Universal Service Fund." The idea, more or less, was that every phone line customer contributed to the fund (you'll find it itemized on your phone bill) and the phone companies had to charge the same for every phone line regardless of where delivered in their territory but when initially installing an unusually difficult (expensive) phone line the phone company was entitled to reimburse its cost from the fund. In 1996 a certain inventor of the Internet decided that the universal service fund needed to pay for PCs in rural schools (the "E-Rate" program) instead of improving rural communications... -- William D. Herrin ................ herrin@dirtside.com bill@herrin.us 3005 Crane Dr. ...................... Web: <http://bill.herrin.us/> Falls Church, VA 22042-3004