Reader Comments on Aardvark Daily 19 December 2001

Note: the comments below are the unabridged submissions of readers and do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher.
 

From: Gerbs
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: Wireless broadband

I'm in favor of this idea, because I'm waaaaaaaay the hell
out in the country, and aside from Ihugs overpriced ultra
deal, theres no chance of hi-speed internet - especially
2way 'net.

The problem is installing a nationwide service - unless we
could use say, the TVNZ repeater system (it has nearly NZ
wide coverage) the cost of installing a system would be
prohibitive.
I can imagine a huge interest from the rural/farming
communities if say, a flatrate system similar to telecoms
JetStart (128k each way) was available. Thats not excessive
bandwidth, and would sure as hell beat dialup in remote
areas (I connect at speeds less than 19200bps) due to
electric fence noise on telephone wires.

With all the geeks in NZ, and more specifically, geeks in
outlying areas with very low connection speed, surely we
can make something like this work. We have the knowledge of
what to do (where would the world be without us??) and
theres obviously some financial gain to be made by a person
dedicated to the idea.

Geeks of NZ, UNITE! :)




From: Lonney Harper
For : The Editor (not for publication)
Subj: Your idea is flawed.

A ham operated public data network cant work.
Interesting Idea....I have been involved in ham radio for
the last 8 years on and off. I have has some involvement in
the operation of VHF and UHF repeaters and a system called
the National Link, this is a single channel analogue voice
network that covers New Zealand from Kaitaia to Bluff.
This link has taken several years to get basic coverage; it
often has broken links with-in the linked system. Unlike
the Internet it’s a single link and when it breaks it
breaks till someone has the spare time to fix it. All the
same the link is an amazing thing when working well.

However I doubt that a group of people only a very few of
which have the knowledge and skill will be interested in a
data network to provide the masses with internet access,
for one its public data being generated by the un licensed
general public travelling on a system / frequencies that
require an Armature radio operators certificate to transmit
on. So your idea is flawed.