 |
 |
||
|
|
||
Smart Homes as a Hedge Against High Rural Electric Bills Those dwelling far from the maddening crowds of Manhattan or the traffic in LA still pay for their unspoiled views. Residents in the more rural areas of the US pay up to 40% more to charge their laptop or cellphone, a new study suggests. Rural dwellers have some of the largest electricity bills in the United States, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE)'s report, "The High Cost of Energy in Rural America: Household Energy Burdens and Opportunities for Energy Efficiency." This news is an opportunity for service providers involved in supplying rural residents with broadband, the study suggests. "Broadband Internet expands economic opportunities in rural areas and allows energy efficiency technologies to be co-delivered through local utilities or energy and Internet service providers (ISPs)," the ACEEE report said. "These providers have an opportunity to leverage broadband expansions by jointly promoting broadband and efficiency technologies (e.g., smart thermostats)." Broadband deployment will defray the costs of high electricity costs in cases where broadband can be used to curb electricity consumption by turning off devices, managing temperature and maintaining home appliance efficiency. Of course, some utilities are also in the broadband business. But if they're charging customers high rates for power, then a service provider with competitive rates and a route to electricity savings could be an attractive alternative. Related posts:
— Alison Diana, Editor, Broadband World News. Follow us on Twitter @BroadbandWN or @alisoncdiana. |
The lack of an accurate broadband map means states and counties are tackling this issue themselves – and sometimes finding big disparities in the data – before spending their residents' money on deploying infrastructure.
As more streaming video providers enter the market and consumers find it harder to locate content, they're returning to piracy.
Years of investment in infrastructure and user-friendly tools make the difference in how operators act before and after natural disasters, even though Hurricane Dorian's impact on Florida was far less than originally forecast (thankfully).
The operator is selling its wireline network across four mainly rural states, areas in which it has invested federal CAF II funds to bridge the digital divide.
The number and power of Britain's so-called altnets is growing, increasing access to fiber-based gigabit broadband for residents and businesses where incumbents such as BT, Virgin and Openreach did not deliver.
|
|
|
||
