Things big companies assume

[mom-from-missouri]

Why do large companies assume everyone has a smart phone that will do apps, the availability to text and internet?

AT&T took down their tower here, because since 4G is here, its not needed. As a result, around 6000 people in our area now have poor or no service. AT&T really doesn't care, because in their business we are just a drop in their bucket.

Other companies now are making their coupons available only online or have you subscribe to an app.

What about those of us who live in an area where you can not get high speed internet because it is not offered? Or in areas where cell service is not working?? I am sure we are not the only rural area with this problem.

I had one company tell me I could always just move. Well, we (farmers) were here first. We have been here for 100's of years. Then comes a company, gets you to use their services-by traditional advertising, such as newspaper with coupons, then 3 weeks later, you can only access their coupons thru a smart phone app, or print it off of the internet.....

AT&T just took down another tower here. It even effects the ability to call 911. We had to get a fancy satellite internet as it is long distance to call outside of our town of 2400. Phones only work now if we have a microcell off of the internet.

What about the elderly who don't have all this fancy stuff?

To the north of us is a Mennonite and Amish community. They have the same issues. If they have a fire, they have to send someone to the fire department to get help (yes, the Amish do use cell phones).

Why does the modern company feel everyone is up to date with technology?

My daily rant.....And, don't tell me to use the ones at the library....we have no library in our county.

[corn18]

I imagine they do this because most of their customers have access to internet and apps. Most businesses make decisions like this based on profit. Cost per customer in your area is too high for them to justify the service. Luckily, not all businesses behave this way and still care about all their customers in a meaningful way.

You should start up an ISP in your home town and offer basic services to everyone. You could feel good about helping your community and if the business model works, might establish an additional income stream.

Tom

[mom-from-missouri]

You should start up an ISP in your home town and offer basic services to everyone. You could feel good about helping your community and if the business model works, might establish an additional income stream.

Tom

We do have a wireless ISP, in town. But, town is only 2200 or so people. The rural has another 7000. The phone lines won't handle a landline highspeed internet. Do to several small airports and airstrips (mainly crop dusters) tower sites are hard to come by as well.

I was hired for a work at home job, but the company (after hiring me) found out I did not have landline provided dsl and let me go. I did have wireless with a booster and was able to meet the speed requirements, but they said it was not reliable. Now that company (wireless isp) has left town, and only one in town remains.

I know they don't value the rural customers. But, they sure value the food that we grow to feed American.

[disneysteve]

Other companies now are making their coupons available only online or have you subscribe to an app.

What about those of us who live in an area where you can not get high speed internet because it is not offered? Or in areas where cell service is not working?? I am sure we are not the only rural area with this problem.

Are you talking about coupons for local merchants? If they are going online only, that would seem to make no sense. They should know their customer base better than that.

If, however, you are talking about national chains that aren't physically in your area, what would you have them do differently? Do you think they should spend the money to mail paper coupons to small towns where they don't do any business? Of what benefit would that be for them if you have no way to actually shop with them - no local store and no internet access?

I do agree that there are many areas that are underserved as far as the latest technology is concerned because the money just isn't there to build the infrastructure necessary to support it. That is a problem that needs a solution.

[mom-from-missouri]

Are you talking about coupons for local merchants? If they are going online only, that would seem to make no sense. They should know their customer base better than that.

If, however, you are talking about national chains that aren't physically in your area, what would you have them do differently? Do you think they should spend the money to mail paper coupons to small towns where they don't do any business? Of what benefit would that be for them if you have no way to actually shop with them - no local store and no internet access?

I do agree that there are many areas that are underserved as far as the latest technology is concerned because the money just isn't there to build the infrastructure necessary to support it. That is a problem that needs a solution.

We have a gas station, a feed store, a dentist, weekly newspaper and a small grocery store, and small lumber yard. If we want fabric, clothing, shoes, furniture, medicine....we have to travel to the stores that are not here--such as target, walmart, Nebraska Furniture Mart.....its 30 miles one way.

Our local stores do advertise in the weekly paper....the others used to, but don't anymore. Now they want us to use apps to see their weekly ad. We can't see those ads, yet, we still have to travel to them to do our shopping.

What gets me is we had decent cell service, then AT&T pulled down their towers, saying it was not needed with 4G and was not cost effective. We were already behind here, and they just pushed us further behind.....

[disneysteve]

AT&T pulled down their towers, saying it was not needed with 4G

So is the problem that there is good 4G service but some folks still have old phones that aren't 4G-compatible?

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

My brother lives in the northeast US in a rural area and has phone (even land line) and internet service problems too. Not even DSL is available; still only dial-up. When my son is in rural Wisconsin he is out of range of cell towers. When my husband travels in the rural midwest he sometimes has to go out of his way to find a high point to get cell service.

Communications IS a problem in rural areas.

Easy to think that every one should just switch to 4G in an area so served. However that would likely mean new purchases and regular payments. Roughly where mom-from-Missouri lives, "Males had a median income of $22,095 versus $16,466 for females." At that income I personally would not be getting a 4G phone.

[disneysteve]

My brother lives in the northeast US in a rural area and has phone (even land line) and internet service problems too. Not even DSL is available; still only dial-up.

I'll admit to being blind to these issues. It never occurred to me that there were still parts of the country that only have dial-up service. I didn't know that even still existed.

Easy to think that every one should just switch to 4G in an area so served. However that would likely mean new purchases and regular payments.

I'm no techie so I don't know the details here. I just assumed that all new phones were 4G. At least around here, it isn't expensive. In fact, you can upgrade for free to a smartphone like an iPhone but I suppose those deals may not be offered everywhere. I work in one of the poorest cities in America (median household income $25,600) and the majority of my patients have smartphones so I never thought of cost as being a barrier.

[mom-from-missouri]

So is the problem that there is good 4G service but some folks still have old phones that aren't 4G-compatible?

The 4G works in town and for about a 2 mile circle around town. So, around 500 homes and the nursing home have it. Those of us who live in the county don't. So, the retired folks, who for the most part don't really use all the features have it.

In the rural, it is more younger farming families. We have a huge chicken farm down the road that ships fresh chickens all over the state to grocery stores and restaurants. Yet, to check their website for orders, they have to drive to town to access it because the dialup is so slow. (the phone company only offers dial up).

County has 2 small towns (ours in the largest currently around 2300), one town has 424 and the other 1700. The remaining people live in the county. Out of 22000 in the county, less than 5000 have access to high speed internet and 4G and a dependable cell phone.

It is as if the mentality is "oh, you don't live in town? Your a hick and don't need these services". We just got dish network a few years ago.

New industry doesn't want to come to this community because of the lack of services. (We had a truss company and a fiberglass company interested in our county, due to our low taxes, but they decided not to move here as they said they would have to build a costly satellite system to be able communicate with their home office.

A large large part of Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas have these same issues in the rural. Lack of modern services does help run up food costs and the farmer has to pass those on to the consumer. One should not have to drive to town to place their feed order, then drive back the second time to pick it up, instead of being able to order it online or call it in.

I won't buy a 4G phone. Why should I when I have to drive 8 miles to use it? If it would work here, that would be different, but they don't work here.

The kicker is, AT&T had the towers here (for years we had great service)--then they took it down. Leaving many people (such as my husband) with 3G and 4G phones that no longer work.

[disneysteve]

The 4G works in town and for about a 2 mile circle around town. So, around 500 homes and the nursing home have it. Those of us who live in the county don't.

to check their website for orders, they have to drive to town to access it because the dialup is so slow. (the phone company only offers dial up).

Out of 22000 in the county, less than 5000 have access to high speed internet and 4G and a dependable cell phone.

A large large part of Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas have these same issues in the rural.

One should not have to drive to town to place their feed order, then drive back the second time to pick it up, instead of being able to order it online or call it in.

AT&T had the towers here (for years we had great service)--then they took it down. Leaving many people (such as my husband) with 3G and 4G phones that no longer work.

Wow! I had no idea it was that bad. Not having access to internet in 2014 is definitely a huge problem.

[feh]

Why do large companies assume everyone has a smart phone that will do apps, the availability to text and internet?

AT&T took down their tower here, because since 4G is here, its not needed. As a result, around 6000 people in our area now have poor or no service. AT&T really doesn't care, because in their business we are just a drop in their bucket.

Other companies now are making their coupons available only online or have you subscribe to an app.

What about those of us who live in an area where you can not get high speed internet because it is not offered? Or in areas where cell service is not working?? I am sure we are not the only rural area with this problem.

I had one company tell me I could always just move. Well, we (farmers) were here first. We have been here for 100's of years. Then comes a company, gets you to use their services-by traditional advertising, such as newspaper with coupons, then 3 weeks later, you can only access their coupons thru a smart phone app, or print it off of the internet.....

AT&T just took down another tower here. It even effects the ability to call 911. We had to get a fancy satellite internet as it is long distance to call outside of our town of 2400. Phones only work now if we have a microcell off of the internet.

What about the elderly who don't have all this fancy stuff?

To the north of us is a Mennonite and Amish community. They have the same issues. If they have a fire, they have to send someone to the fire department to get help (yes, the Amish do use cell phones).

Why does the modern company feel everyone is up to date with technology?

My daily rant.....And, don't tell me to use the ones at the library....we have no library in our county.

I assume it's simply a matter of return on investment for the company. How much can they make from subscribers vs how much it costs to provide that service.

Corporations don't generally do such things without good reason. For a public company "good reason" means money for shareholders.

[bjl584]

Why do large companies assume everyone has a smart phone that will do apps, the availability to text and internet?

AT&T took down their tower here, because since 4G is here, its not needed. As a result, around 6000 people in our area now have poor or no service. AT&T really doesn't care, because in their business we are just a drop in their bucket.

Other companies now are making their coupons available only online or have you subscribe to an app.

What about those of us who live in an area where you can not get high speed internet because it is not offered? Or in areas where cell service is not working?? I am sure we are not the only rural area with this problem.

I had one company tell me I could always just move. Well, we (farmers) were here first. We have been here for 100's of years. Then comes a company, gets you to use their services-by traditional advertising, such as newspaper with coupons, then 3 weeks later, you can only access their coupons thru a smart phone app, or print it off of the internet.....

AT&T just took down another tower here. It even effects the ability to call 911. We had to get a fancy satellite internet as it is long distance to call outside of our town of 2400. Phones only work now if we have a microcell off of the internet.

What about the elderly who don't have all this fancy stuff?

To the north of us is a Mennonite and Amish community. They have the same issues. If they have a fire, they have to send someone to the fire department to get help (yes, the Amish do use cell phones).

Why does the modern company feel everyone is up to date with technology?

My daily rant.....And, don't tell me to use the ones at the library....we have no library in our county.

I would have to think that all that AT&T is looking at or concerned with is the bottom line. Having those towers probably didn't generate enough income to justify leaving them up.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

It's not a charity, it's a company in business to make money. You can't really live out in the middle of nowhere and expect companies to spend thousands of dollars to run infrastructure out to a single user who want to pay maybe $100/month.

Look into setting up a technology cooperative maybe?

[disneysteve]

It's not a charity, it's a company in business to make money. You can't really live out in the middle of nowhere and expect companies to spend thousands of dollars to run infrastructure out to a single user who want to pay maybe $100/month.

While this is true, I think it also speaks to what is so wrong in this country today. Is there no altruism left?

Sure, AT&T might have run the numbers and determined that the towers in that town weren't generating enough of a return on investment. So what? How many thousands of towers do they have nationwide? Is it necessary for every single one of them to be wildly profitable? Surely AT&T could afford to maintain a few towers that don't bring in much money in order to be good corporate citizens and provide critical support to the thousands (or tens of thousands) of people dependent on those towers.

Lawyers do pro bono work. We certainly deliver our share of charity medical care. Must everything always be all about the money?

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

While this is true, I think it also speaks to what is so wrong in this country today. Is there no altruism left?

Sure, AT&T might have run the numbers and determined that the towers in that town weren't generating enough of a return on investment. So what? How many thousands of towers do they have nationwide? Is it necessary for every single one of them to be wildly profitable? Surely AT&T could afford to maintain a few towers that don't bring in much money in order to be good corporate citizens and provide critical support to the thousands (or tens of thousands) of people dependent on those towers.

Lawyers do pro bono work. We certainly deliver our share of charity medical care. Must everything always be all about the money?

Cooperatives could fill in where these market failures occur.