More rural discontent about Internet.
http://www.hk01.com/%E7%A4%BE%E5%8D%80/24337/Google translate
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The village shared 8MB turtle speed Internet village life and social dislocationDate: 2016-06-04 22:00 Last Updated: 2016-06-05 19:53 The author: Zheng Qiuchan
In 2014, Hong Kong's network speed (15.7 Mbps) ranked second in the world, behind South Korea (24.6 Mbps). 2016, for many people, "100Mbps speed fiber optic broadband" advertising lines is nothing new, apart from the choice of 500M and 1000M, and now 100G optical fiber broadband also started a burglary. However, the same city, there are two kinds of "Speed"; Hong Kong, the people want to live there "56K" telephone line Internet life. If this is the "nostalgic" personal choice no harm, the problem is, these people do not get to pick.
Turtle-speed network: non-peak hours are still unable to connect
Dragon and Lion Dance Master Wang is living in Pak Sha Tsuen, Yuen Long, home installation of broadband services has more than ten years. From Hong Kong, "56K era" to "100G fiber-optic broadband era", outside the village of speed followed more quickly, and Baisha village has decades ── still only use the Internet phone line. "I had no way to slow work, and often break now also by phone 4G Internet, but pay 500-600 yuan monthly phone bills, no way." He said with exasperation.
Unlike fiber, transmission speed of the telephone line is very slow. Ideally, Internet speed phone line up 8Mbps. However, because of the use of copper telephone line transmission speed will be reduced during transmission, generally can not sustain 8Mbps connection speed. In addition, the rural village of 8Mbps or limit sharing, the actual connection speed villagers about hundreds of KB. Compared with the market over a hundred Mbps of Internet Services, Pak Sha Tsuen, Yuen Long, the network speed can be called turtle speed, fully keep pace with society.
House seemingly endless rain, the village population continues to increase, so the network is often congested, not to mention the turtle-speed networks, when many can not even connect. "In the past 56K times, families are only one computer, GOD phase and to increase the number of people from the village sun grid, Internet telephone line course, no problem. Today, demand data, just whatsapp send photos with a few MB are friends! , more people are online, telephone line simply can not cope with the demand. whenever people when the Internet, often disconnected. "dissatisfaction Wang said.
The village population is growing, turtle speed network easily lead to congestion, then disconnected. The village population is growing, turtle speed network easily lead to congestion, then disconnected.
Wang reporter to interview the same day at home, his family wanted to test the connection speed. However, around 5 pm non-peak hours, his family has been unable to network connection. "This moment might happen with people outside, right? But every fight wind rain, the evening peak hours, the Internet is the case, could not properly connected. Also, my family has five members, more than three words of personal connections also often broken.
Wang helpless, helpless but even greater than he one?
Network operators a monopoly times more expensive than downtown
May 4 this year, the Legislative Council Members in the Legislative Council refers wheat Meijuan, Hong Kong 40-50 rural face the same situation, including Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, Tsing Yi, Tsuen Wan and North, to the rural New Territories village houses the most serious.
These remote villages have not FTNS operators to the village laying fiber broadband initiative, while telephone line is PCCW's a monopoly, the villagers can only use the same fixed network service providers, to pay the same monthly fee, along with hundreds KB speed lamented same breath. Telephone line, in addition to the villagers contention turtle speed broadband, but also pay a monthly fee price. Mr. Wang is now $ 316 per month Internet access fees, more expensive than 100Mbps Monthly Package urban approximately doubled.
"Continue to raise the monthly fee, plus a check once, but the service did not improve." High charges, poor service, still in mid-contract, because this is a whole monopolies, "do not get picked, baked live with." Mr. Wang has repeatedly sighed.
300,000 fixed-line broadband do not get to pick
"Do not get picked, baked domestic" is not only remote villages, tenement buildings and private buildings are faced with the same situation.
According to figures released by the Communications Authority, as of the end of March 2015, the territory has 13 percent, from about 300,000 residential units were not any or only a fixed broadband network coverage.
The 30 million users face a monopoly business, usually have to pay a higher monthly fee, and the service is also not guaranteed. Even if some families have fiber to the home, will often appear disconnected, slow access problems.
"Sometimes not on the network, they (Telecom technicians) will teach you to put out the machine, and then boot. Be some small improvement after each re-boot, a little faster, but still often disconnected."
Complaints can expect government assistance
Wang hopes to improve network problems the village, the village had asked the telecom operators to lay fiber-optic broadband, but has not been substantive response. "Every time I call to go, the staff are friendly and responded, saying that they would reflect the higher level. To be honest, the phone also hit parts of working people, not for the Lord, so I do not embarrass them good." He knew his fundamental demands not reach the top telecommunications companies.
Wang is the "anti-monopoly Rural Village Broadband Services Concern Group" one of the members. Earlier, they were accompanied by the Legislative Council of wheat Meijuan, to petition the government headquarters, and appeal to the Council. They want the government to increase the telecommunications operators to roll out broadband Village incentives, increase market competitiveness, so that the villagers can get a reasonable broadband services.
"(Telecommunications provider) customer usually on grounds of insufficient explanation of the reasons for not laying fiber countryside. In fact, in recent years more and more people in the village, and built more around the warehouse, and out into the people increased, How can enough customers? "Mr. Wang believes that more and more people in the village, there is actual demand for network services.
Faced with a monopoly business, individual FTNS operators monopoly situation, Mr. Wang believes that the government has the responsibility to improve the access problems of the villagers.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So, in response to the Legislative Council, referring to the telecommunications market has been fully liberalized mercy of the market; and recommends the use of the public telephone network flow velocity refers to the speed comparable with fixed broadband. Wheat Meijuan quoted a villager's words: "If the Department of Link, I can do the Secretary." She was referring to the Government does not intend to solve the problem for the villagers.
"If there is no incentive to remote villages, it should be paved by the government and leased to private companies pipe." Mai Meijuan think broadband services are public facilities, government has the responsibility to ensure that the villagers receive appropriate services.
Phone signal is weak forced to call outdoors
Costs of mobile Internet expensive than fixed-line services, in some remote parts of the signal is also very weak. "Monthly 4G mobile phone is now a combination of unlimited Internet access and no, I have to pay monthly phone bills of more than one hundred dollars and have been very sparingly used." Mr. Wang is now dependent on the phone's data online, you want to pay each month excess telephone charges. However, after his burglary, cell phone signals will be immediately reduced.
"Sometimes you want to go outside the house talking on the phone, through a friend across the street, to see me squatting in front, will say hello to me." Mr. Wang right hand held the phone to the ear, the left hand pointed to his action, interpreting his own again helpless.
Internet does not seem to listen to the necessities of basic necessities, the government should intervene to ensure that Hong Kong people can be on the net, like a fairy tale. However, human life is indeed increasingly dependent on the network, from the social, entertainment, work, learn social affairs, as well as dealing with daily chores, such as pay water, electricity and rely on the network. These processes involve a lot of pictures, download, transfer and share videos, audio files and documents on broadband transmission speed there are certain requirements.
United Nations: the Internet is a basic human right
According to figures released by the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong people per week for the average time Internet services rose from 2001 to 2014, about 12 hours to about 31 hours, an increase of nearly 2-fold. "Internet" is not necessarily to be the label "addiction" notoriety, the United Nations recognized in 2012, the Internet is a basic human rights, and that the Internet people enjoy freedom of expression, while promoting the development of human rights, can drive economic and social progress.
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The government doesn't give a shit about us, but if NT villagers supported by the DAB and Heung Yee Kuk get involved in this, pushing the government to directly provide better (i.e. fibre) Internet to "remote" villages instead of shitty, expensive, oversold and unreliable DSL, the government will listen. They have votes in LegCo.