Bridging the Access and Adoption Gaps
One takeaway from the recent ACA Connects’ webinar is whatever the final form of the infrastructure bill, there probably will not be enough funding to bring broadband everywhere. Adoption of broadband for those who either can’t afford it or don’t see a use for it may prove to be as large a challenge as access. It points to the need for creative solutions that leverage limited dollars.
Broadband Built Block-by-Block by Blockchain – Part 1 – Helium & LoRaWAN
If broadband adds thousands of dollars to a home’s value, then why not unlock that value to help pay for the last-mile network? Some of the biggest challenges in creating such a grassroots network are organizing one’s neighbors, obtaining rights-of-way, and managing the network. Blockchain, of all things, might be the basis of a solution that removes much of the management overhead required to operate an ISP.
Augmenting the Human Worker with Cobots byAlan Weissberger
A collaborative robot, or cobot, is a type of robot intended to physically interact with humans in a shared workspace, be that an office or the factory floor. Collaborative robots are experiencing rapid market growth in this sector of the robotics industry. The primary driving force behind this growth is a consistently decreasing price. While traditional industrial robots are primarily used for tasks that are impossible or difficult for humans to perform, cobots are mainly used for tasks that can and are performed by human workers.
NASA RAM Report – The Foundation for a Rural Air Revival
As with so many of the developments in telecom and broadband, rural areas may provide the proving ground for the next generation of air travel. This is one of the important implications of NASA’s recently issued report, Regional Air Mobility (RAM). NASA. In short, the report shows how the nation’s existing 5,000 airfields provide a launching point for low-cost electric aviation.
Some Tweets and Short Thoughts
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- This seems so obvious to anyone in telecom. Improving traffic flow reduces emissions. Of course, the urban planner-types will probably counter that free-flowing roads will induce more demand. Still, it seems like adding an intelligent signaling plane to roads should be something that could provide a positive societal ROI.
- @BrendanCarrFCC – High-speed Internet (the image of the fellow with a Starlink dish on a Prius) @ViodiOr a prototype of a three-layer mesh network (YouTube video 🙂
- It is Amazing how well the web-based Runwayml editor removed the barbershop background and allowed the resizing and color matching of two different images. See the results here (YouTube video).
The Korner – Distributed Electric Aviation – a New Model of Intercommunity Connection
Electric aviation is more than just cleaner and quieter skies. It has the potential to be a catalyst for both the revitalization of rural towns and outmigration from urban areas. These are a couple of the implications of the recent report, Distributed Aviation – A New Economic Model for Electric Aviation, from the United Kingdom-based, Advanced Air Mobility Group.
One of the contributors to that report, Darrell Swanson of the Swanson Aviation Consultancy, suggests that for this to be truly game-changing
“It cannot be just something for high net worth individuals. The costs need to be reduced to bring it to the masses.”
Swanson, a long-time aviation industry consultant and visionary, brings an informed perspective as to the impact of electric flight.
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