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Google To Provide Free Internet For Public Housing Residents To All Fiber Markets
VentureBeat, an anonymous reader notes, reports that Google has announced it will expand on an earlier move to provide free internet service to poor Austin residents. Now, rather than for 4300 residents of housing provided by the Housing Authority of Austin, the company "has promised to expand that offering to every other current and future Google Fiber market. The move is part of U.S. President Obama's ConnectHome program, launched by the White House and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with the goal of bringing Internet connectivity to more school-aged children and families living in HUD-assisted housing in 27 communities across the country. ... Google promises the program will extend to all its Google Fiber cities."
No, RTFA. Google Fiber Basic Service, which provides up to 5Mbps download and 1Mbps upload speeds, is normally free. It does, however, require a one-time $300 construction fee (or $25 per month for a year). That’s the part Google is waiving here, though the company notes families will be able to upgrade to gigabit speeds at any time by subscribing ($70 per month).
You misread the TFA. Google offers a 5Mbps plan with a $300 one time connection/construction fee, that can be paid for with $25 a month over one year. Afterwards, the connection is free for at least another six years. You can get the same deal in any area Google Fiber is offering service.
5Mbps for $25/month for one year, and then $0/month for six years, not a crappy deal at all.
The news here is that the deal Google Fiber struck with the City of Austin, which was to waive the $300 connection fee and provide 5Mbps for $0/month for 10 years to public housing residents, will now be offered in all the markets they are in or will enter.
5Mbps for free for 10 years is definately not a crappy deal by an reasonable standard.
My karma is in a nose dive
The phone is payed for from the universal service fund and Obama had nothing to do with it. It originally paid for a landline, but in 2008 it was expanded to cover cell phones. Users do not get a smart phone. they get a dumb phone with 250 minutes of talk time a month. The specific program called SafeLInk started under Bush the lessors reign. But to be honest it has nothing to do with the president and is run by the FCC.
And because you wont believe me:
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/10/the-obama-phone/