Hacker News with Generative AI: Internet Access

Ted Cruz Blocks FCC Plan to Bring Mobile Wi-Fi to School Kids (techdirt.com)
Last year the Biden FCC passed a new rule that would help bring Wi-Fi access to school kids who struggle to do their homework online.

Politics, Education, Technology, Internet Access

7 points by hn_acker 22 days ago | 6 comments

Can 4G feature phones rise again on QVGA, thin clients, and remote browsers? (theregister.com)
It's hard to get excited about feature phones with 320 x 240 resolution, but Shioupyn Shen thinks precisely such devices are about to bring millions of people to the web in a new way.

Mobile Technology, Feature Phones, Internet Access, Emerging Markets

12 points by rntn 51 days ago | 0 comments

AT&T won't upgrade millions of DSL users to fiber despite billions in subsidies (techdirt.com)
Four years years ago AT&T, a company that, for years, cheapened out on upgrading its broadband lines to fiber, effectively stopped selling DSL. While that’s understandable given the limitations of the dated copper-based tech, the problem is that thanks to concentrated telecom monopolization, many of these customers were left without any replacement options due to a lack of competition.

Telecommunications, Internet Access, Consumer Advocacy, Technology, Business

108 points by hn_acker 70 days ago | 92 comments

Sixteen U.S. states still ban community-owned broadband networks (techdirt.com)
For years we’ve noted how U.S. broadband is expansive, patchy, and slow thanks to mindless consolidation, regulatory capture, regional monopolization, and limited competition.

Broadband, Internet Access, Regulation, Politics, Telecommunications

340 points by speckx 106 days ago | 159 comments

The Frightening Stakes of This Halloween's Net Neutrality Hearing (eff.org)
The future of the open internet is in danger this October 31st, not from ghosts and goblins, but from the broadband companies that control internet access in most of the United States.

Net Neutrality, Internet Access, Politics, Technology, Law

3 points by hn_acker 113 days ago | 0 comments

Study: Access to high-speed internet is associated with increased obesity (sciencedirect.com)
We examine the impact of access to high-speed internet on obesity.

Health, Internet Access, Obesity, Research, Social Impact

4 points by giuliomagnifico 129 days ago | 0 comments

Websites blocked in Hong Kong – when, how, and why the list is growing (hongkongfp.com)
A key feature of Hong Kong’s business environment that differentiates it from mainland China is its free and open internet. However, the city is not immune to internet controls, with a growing list of websites apparently blocked by telecoms firms and Internet Service Providers (ISPs), with some citing police demands.

Internet Censorship, Hong Kong, China, Internet Access

4 points by diggan 132 days ago | 0 comments

Starlink was offered for free to those hit by Hurricane Helene. It is not free (theregister.com)
Starlink's Twitter account declared last week, in a post with tens of millions of views, that "Starlink is now free for 30 days."

Space Exploration, Disaster Relief, Internet Access

17 points by sunkcostisalie 135 days ago | 3 comments

Elon Musk Claims Subsidizing Starlink Would Have Saved Hurricane Helene Victims (techdirt.com)
I know I’ve argued that not every Elon Musk brain fart warrants its own news cycle, but this one is particularly gross given recent events.

Elon Musk, Starlink, Natural Disasters, Internet Access, Public Policy

6 points by speckx 140 days ago | 10 comments

Starlink offering free internet access for 30 days for Hurricane Helene victims (starlink.com)
Starlink aims to enable anyone impacted by a natural disaster to be able to access internet connectivity.

Natural Disasters, Internet Access, Telecommunications, Disaster Relief

237 points by ohjeez 141 days ago | 352 comments

A free and open internet shouldn't come at the expense of privacy (mozilla.org)
Keeping the internet, and the content that makes it a vital and vibrant part of our global society, free and accessible has been a core focus for Mozilla from our founding.

Privacy, Open Source, Internet Access

7 points by HieronymusBosch 141 days ago | 1 comments

Low-income homes drop Internet service after Congress kills discount program (arstechnica.com)