Living in Dryden

Wireless broadband spreading across Dryden

Congratulations to Claire Perez, whose long struggle to get high-speed Internet from Time-Warner Cable finally led to a victory - with another provider:

This is the end of my personal high-speed internet journey. I'd like to thank everyone who has read my blog, especially my friend and very dedicated blog reader, Rima Shamieh, who ironically and poignantly was over for a visit when the Clarity Connect technicians were installing last Saturday. It was funny the feeling, sitting outside with our coffee and me thinking, wow, we are going to be part of the rest of the world. I felt different.

She may finally have what she was seeking, but isn't done with the conversation:

The answer, I believe, is for each person living in the broadband ghetto, to connect with your neighbors. You have little political voice now and if you want some of the diminishing pot of government resources , you need to be heard by politicians in a real way. Go to town board meetings, tell your story, and keep your presence active. My internet blog and research led me to my backyard, literally, and I learned that while I was busy perusing the internet and calling potential services, the Tompkins County Broadband Committee was doing very good research to devise some real solutions for all of us. I also learned that my Dryden Representative, Jason Leifer, had a great deal of information and was working on the issue. Finally, Clarity Connect, recipient of government stimulus money, built a tower for fixed wireless connection directly south of our home. Lucky us!!

I do believe that in the current political and economic climate, the solution to highspeed Broadband internet will come from the voice of local individuals coming together in unison. This takes work in our already harried lives but it also may put some of the government back in the hands of those being governed.

She's starting a new blog, so you can see where the conversation leads.