That's a ridiculous position. Should we also deny people electricity because they live outside a metropolitan era?
Declaring entire swaths of the population of a country like the United States unworthy of access to things like telephones and access to the global network is ridiculous enough. But it's particularly offensive given that it's cheaper to run and operate these systems today than it ever has been before.
Universal service is about more than telephones in the wilderness. I live in a state capital, about 500 yards from a major fiber optic termination point. Pretty sure my employer has a 40GB line on the telephone pole that I can see from my front porch. I have access to 20/1 cable service or 30/5 cable service at a 70% cost premium. Because there are few poor people there, the surrounding suburbs have FIOS and Cable, and the cable service is significantly less expensive.
No one's denying anyone anything. If it's so cheap to do so, plenty of companies should be happy to do so at an affordable cost without needing a subsidy.
There are many things that are cheaper in rural areas and more expensive in cities, I don't see any rural dwellers lining up to pay extra for goods and services that are cheaper in those areas in order to equalize prices in cities.
Are you honestly suggesting that if I moved to a house in unallocated territory, that I not only have the right to demand that someone run power to it, but I have the further right to demand that somebody do so at no greater a rate than the guy who lives next door to the power plant?
Declaring entire swaths of the population of a country like the United States unworthy of access to things like telephones and access to the global network is ridiculous enough. But it's particularly offensive given that it's cheaper to run and operate these systems today than it ever has been before.
Universal service is about more than telephones in the wilderness. I live in a state capital, about 500 yards from a major fiber optic termination point. Pretty sure my employer has a 40GB line on the telephone pole that I can see from my front porch. I have access to 20/1 cable service or 30/5 cable service at a 70% cost premium. Because there are few poor people there, the surrounding suburbs have FIOS and Cable, and the cable service is significantly less expensive.