To the Editor:
Why I can’t move to Wrangell ... along with many others.
I grew up in Wrangell. Most of you probably know me, or at least know of me. I’ve spent roughly two-thirds of my life here in Wrangell. Now that I’m looking for a place to settle Wrangell is, of course, on my list of options.
But I can’t. Wrangell isn’t a viable option for me or for a lot of other people and businesses because Wrangell lacks something that prospective residents and businesses need - real internet access.
On an average day, I use between three and five gigabytes of data. I work on my computer online. Some days I’ll use as much as 25 gigabytes of data. And for the world at large, I’m a light user. I don’t teleconference as much as many people or business employees I know. I pay $57 per month for a connection speed of 50 megabits with unlimited data. And that’s not even the best service where I currently stay.
In Wrangell, a comparable price per month would earn me a paltry 12 megabit connection from one service with a pathetic 60 GB limit. I would use that in about a week. The only other competitor offers an ever worse service for the same price: less than a single megabit per second with a laughably terrible 20 GB limit. Arguably enough, at those speeds it would probably take me all month to actually use what I would normally take in a day where I currently reside.
But hey, it’s not hard to upgrade a network these days. In fact, the cost is almost nil (as shown by Google Fiber). Existing fiber cables—once laid—do not need to be modified, only the access points at the end need any changes. Many cities and towns have taken advantage of this fact and built their own competing networks, granting internet access at the above cost price of pennies per GB (see reference here).
Unfortunately, unless Wrangell does something to overhaul its languishing internet services, prospective residents such as myself and many businesses will have no choice but to pass on establishing themselves in Wrangell in favor of greener shores. Their money, their business, and their taxes will end up elsewhere. And unless Wrangell overhauls its aging and decrepit internet services, so will I.
Max Florschutz
To the Editor:
Our Freedom of Speech: The Supreme Court has written that freedom is “the matrix”, the indispensable conditions of every other form of freedom. Without it other fundamental rights, like the right to vote would wither and die. The right to express yourself regardless of the popularity of your views is basic to a democratic society. Freedom of speech is protected in the First Amendment of the Bill so Rights and is guaranteed to all Americans. If one person can be silenced, all of us are at risk. Author unknown
Shared to all by R. Christian
Rhonda Christian
To the Editor:
I would like to give my deepest heartfelt thanks to all the voters of Wrangell, for your continued high turn out at the polls. For me it is wonderful that so many people are so involved, especially when they prove that they are informed. Thank you for doing for this beautiful island what other informed voters have done throughout this great country.
Kipha Valvoda
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