Is Time to Virtualize Washington D.C.? Telework Might Be the Answer

With all the acrimony in Washington D.C., there must be a better way to move things forward, particularly with the economy. The above interview with Cliff Albertson of Badger Communications is reminiscent of that political phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid.”He explains that the MTA and its the economic development committee is helping to raise awareness of and is actively engaged in helping its members bring jobs to the rural areas they serve. He also puts forward an idea that one member of Congress is pushing that could radically restructure Washington to make it look more like the 21st century workforce.

Click here to view and read more.

Rural Areas Tucked Away in Plain Site

“Cows in Berkeley,” was a long-time tag-line for a Bay Area producer of dairy products. It spoke to the idea that in the middle of the urban sprawl of the San Francisco Bay Area, rural areas are tucked away in plain sight. The hilly geography combined with the massive bay creates areas that, although close as the crow flies, are inaccessible via over-the-air TV signals and, often, mobile networks.

To view why Susan and Kevin Daniel had to give a tour to an unnamed FCC Commissioner to prove that their rural broadband network existed in area defined as metropolitan, click here.

We Are Different than the Big Guys

“Washington talks very much about we need to get more broadband into rural areas, but they are still regulating smaller companies many times as if they are larger companies,” said ACA president and CEO, Matt Polka. Polka indicates that regulations threaten his members’ ability to not only offer broadband, but to stay in business. Echoing what FCC Commissioner Clyburn said, Polka points out that the 800 small cable providers have shut down and that regulation, as well as cost of programming, played a major role in the demise of these systems.

Click here to read and view more.

Robot Morality: Can a Machine Have a Conscience? Can It Be On a Higher Moral Ground than Humans? by Alan Weissberger

Alan Weissberger reports on a talk given by Professor George Lucas of the Naval Postgraduate School of Monterey, California regarding the idea that a robot can be designed to comply with the demands and rules of morality.  The talk and ensuing discussion should be of interest to anyone involved in Machine to Machine infrastructure, as, to some extent, M2M communications essentially acts as a central nervous system for connecting the robots of the world.

Click here to read Weissberger’s report.

 Some Tweets and Short Thoughts:

• The SCTE and Intel announcement regarding Intel’s participation with SCTE in energy management standards for the cable tv industry reminds me of this video where Ted Hoff and Dave House discuss Intel’s early key role in defining the Ethernet standard.
• Process improvements due to volume shipments of the 1103, a key to later microprocessor success for #Intel
• Brilliant strategy– hire customers of one’s competitors. Dave House regarding #intel’s early success in microprocessors
• South Park doesn’t get it right on #programtying, according to Steve Pastorkovich #followthemoney

 The Korner – The Future is the Past & Trivia Answers

Alan’s article on Robots triggered a resurfacing of this fun video from several years ago that ties together touchscreen computing, robotics and concepts from 70+ years ago. Click here to view.

Answers to the trivia questions from the previous issue:

• Musco Lighting, based in Oskaloosa, Iowa has approximately 70% worldwide market share for worldwide, outdoor stadium lighting. Musco formed a company, Mahaska Communication Group (MCG), “to overcome limitations in local communication services and provide reliable, high-quality communication services for Musco. MCG embarked on a community-wide build out plan and proceeded to develop a fiber-to-the-home network at affordable rates.”
• Medora Corporation, which is based in Dickinson, ND, “Is a world leader in sustainable reservoir water quality improvement, with low energy or chemical use.” Medora Corporation shares its home town with independent broadband provider, Consolidated Telcom.