Native American Wireless ISP Launched 301
babynerd writes "On Tuesday June 1st the Coeur dAlene tribe unveiled the Turbocharged Broadband Geek Project. The scheme, organized by project head Valerie Fast Horse and funded by a $2.8 million dollar grant from the USDA Rural Utilities Service and a 15% in kind match from the tribe itself, will help build a community technology center (CTC) with 40 computers, and a wireless broadband ISP that will provide high-speed wireless access to anyone living on and near the reservation at a price comparable to that of any other DSL or Cable Internet providers - there's currently no broadband Internet access of any kind available."
Wi-Fi Power (Score:3, Insightful)
If there's ever a sequel to Smoke Signals [imdb.com]:
Seriously - great movie, set on the Coeur d'Alene reservation in present day (well, present day six years ago). You'll laugh, you'll cry, it'll become a part of you.
Re:what are those mini-Vegas' for? (Score:5, Insightful)
$2.8 Million? (Score:5, Insightful)
That seems like enough for a *heck* of a buildout and, what? 10 years of expenses? How can I get a piece? :)
Re:what are those mini-Vegas' for? (Score:4, Insightful)
Because the tribe, as are most casino operators, are good business men. They know a good investment when they see one and they know how to take advantage of an opportunity to make more money.
Looking at it from a business perspective, it isn't very attractive at all. However, looking at it from the perspective of using someone else's money to provide yourselve's with services is quite attractive. Hence, the casino avoids such investments and the tribe benefits. It's sort of the same way that government grants support crappy research projects that the private sector wouldn't touch.
Re:what are those mini-Vegas' for? (Score:5, Insightful)
-Aaron
Re:$2.8 Million? (Score:4, Insightful)
2.8 Mill may seem like a lot of cash to you and me, but realistically, it doesn't buy a lot of IT these days. My guess is that building the facility and purchasing the 40 computers and associated equipment don't actually leave a whole lot for the wireless ISP end of the deal, which itself could consume 2.8 mill, easy. It's sad, but that kind of money is relativly minor for an IT investment of this type.
Re:All right, this will get me flamed, I'm sure. (Score:1, Insightful)
Without incentive to work, people work less. Simple economics there.
Re:what are those mini-Vegas' for? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:All right, this will get me flamed, I'm sure. (Score:4, Insightful)
I suppose you think fertilizer encourages laziness in plants...
Re:what are those mini-Vegas' for? (Score:3, Insightful)
I also don't recall killing anyones ancestors, and I don't know anyone who did. This "we" and "they" crap is missleading. There's no we, and there's no they.
Re:All right, this will get me flamed, I'm sure. (Score:1, Insightful)
and...
If the idea was to give them a better quality of life, maybe we should offer them education instead.
First of all, what makes you think their plan is to use WiFi to surf porn? Is that your primary Internet use other than trolling on Slashdot? In many rural areas (you must be a city dweller), educational opportunities are in fact taken advantage of over the Internet.
As to your other comments, of course they are pure bullshit, too. You seem bitter. Get turned down for the party school of you choice and have to go to Community College instead?
Re:i smell a jealous white boy (Score:4, Insightful)
The natives got screwed royally. No one denies that. This does not mean that white people are evil for the rest of time. Funny how people decry racism until it fits their needs...
Out-sourcing Call Centers? (Score:3, Insightful)
Turbocharged? (Score:2, Insightful)
[/rant]
You have a shitty understanding of legal recourse. (Score:0, Insightful)
Think of our government as an organization like a corporation. If that corporation signs treaties and breaks them, then that corporation is legally responsible and liable.
It doesn't matter if you were around or not. Our government doesn't stop being obligated to its treaties just because you came into this world.
If you don't like it, then I can recommend emmigrating to another country that didn't indebt itself to the locals.
YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE IN ALL OF THIS. PAY THE DEBT YOUR GOVERNMENT OBLIGATED YOU TO PAY, OR FIND ANOTHER COUNTRY.
Re:what are those mini-Vegas' for? (Score:3, Insightful)
Good point. Let's just give 'em back their land and call it even.
Angry Geeks (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:what are those mini-Vegas' for? (Score:3, Insightful)
Then again, why should I pay for internet access for native americans? I can understand tax money going to support them, make their land livable and so on since the US government took it all away to begin with, but it's not like we robbed them of their broadband internet access...
I personally think that native americans' internet access should not take priority over anyone else's. There's plenty of white people out there who can't get reliable telephone service. Let's worry about that before we get all concerned about broadband internet.
Re:what are those mini-Vegas' for? (Score:4, Insightful)
If big evil corporation employees slave labor to make your shoes, you are benefiting from that crime. If your immigrant father worked as a piss boy for a tycoon whose father got rich building railroads accross the nation that forced native americans off the railroads right of way, you have benefited from that act. If you eat the bread that is produced from the huge American corn and wheat fields you are benefiting from the abuse the native americans suffered. If your Chinese father wasn't slaughtered at the fans of savage Japanese soldiers during World War II its very likely you benefited by the existance of the United States of America, which had the industrial power it did because of the callous way it forced the native peoples of the land it occupied out of its way.
I'm not suggesting that we return North American to the Native Americans and go home, just pointing out that everybody who is enjoying the freedoms and rights of the United States or has been aided by this nation has benefited by the oppression of the native american people. Unless you have had all your belongs that you couldn't carry 500 miles stolen and forced to live on the least desirable chunk of property the theives could find, you aren't THEY.
Re:Angry Geeks (Score:4, Insightful)
Have you ever actually been turned down for a job, because of your skin color? I have, and I'm caucasian.
I interviewed at a govenment agency in the 90's, and the director flat out told me, "You're more qualified for the job, but we have to hire the other candidate, because he is in a minority."
The other candidate ended up not taking the job. I took it, because I needed the money.