Facebook Will Open Its Fiber Networks To Expand Broadband Access In Rural Virginia (theverge.com) 8
Facebook announced a new project on Thursday that will bring broadband service to thousands of households in Virginia this fall, in partnership with a local ISP and utility company. The Verge reports: The project began with fiber networks Facebook was already building to connect its data centers in Virginia, Ohio, and North Carolina. With that fiber already laid, Facebook partnered with Appalachian Power and GigaBeam Networks to extend the networks to roughly 6,000 households in Grayson County, VA. The homes are projected to have high-speed broadband access by the end of this fall. "These are really complicated problems that we're trying to solve. If they weren't complicated, then we still wouldn't have 19 million people that were unserved or underserved," Michele Kohler, Facebook's network investments team manager, told The Verge in an interview Wednesday. "We're trying to figure out how can we play in the equation, with these complex partnerships, to figure out how we can help people get connected faster."
Kohler also said that Facebook is providing "engineering and technical resources" to the partnering companies. The proposed network would leverage a new law approved by the Virginia legislature last year that allows electric and communications companies to string fiber along existing poles and conduits. Still, the future of these networks is unclear as utility companies like Rappahannock Electric Cooperative have been sued by property owners for infringing on their property rights when they've sought to invoke the new provisions.
Kohler also said that Facebook is providing "engineering and technical resources" to the partnering companies. The proposed network would leverage a new law approved by the Virginia legislature last year that allows electric and communications companies to string fiber along existing poles and conduits. Still, the future of these networks is unclear as utility companies like Rappahannock Electric Cooperative have been sued by property owners for infringing on their property rights when they've sought to invoke the new provisions.
As usual, incorrect title (Score:2)
Privacy Rapist Will Open Its Fiber Networks To Expand Broadband Access In Rural Virginia
There, FTFY.
Re: (Score:2)
Also known as looking a gift horse in the mouth. As if Virginia's preexisting situation doesn't have enough problems. But on the bright side the whole "property rights" issue goes away with Starlink. And if the rights owners want internet they know who to send the money to.
It's all in the details. (Score:4, Interesting)
Still, the future of these networks is unclear as utility companies like Rappahannock Electric Cooperative have been sued by property owners for infringing on their property rights when they've sought to invoke the new provisions.
Sounds like details missing since poles and conduits usually have a right-of-way associated with them. That's how they get built in the first place.
Oh great. (Score:2)
Just what they need.
Question 1 of the signup (Score:2)
1) What is your Facebook ID
And in the very, very small print.
If you do not have one then you will not be able to proceed with this application.
Maintaining that ID is a requirement of service. If you do not post at least once a day then we reserve the right to terminate the service without notice.
Altruistic Facebook Oxymoron / Net Neutrality (Score:2)
And I know this is a long shot, but I was thinking back to those claims from Peter Thiel about a mutual support pact [thedailybeast.com] between Facebook and the GOP...
I know this is a bit of a stretch, but maybe Facebook figure that if they are the ones who connect up voters to the web, then they can apply their advertising and censorship rules to anyone they connect to the intern
If stupid doesn't come to the mountain (Score:2)
then the mountain comes to get him.