Before I read the article, I was hoping for a feel-good piece about how someone hacked together a massive WiFi system using such a router to supply Internet to some isolated community in rural West Virginia. It didn't turn out to be exactly that.
Why a one-room West Virginia library runs a $20,000 Cisco router
101–110 of 188 posts
Re: Why a one-room West Virginia library runs a $20,000 Cisco router
#102Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you look at something where you can compare prices between countries, like per-mile subway construction costs, the U.S. is a huge outlier, with procurement costs much higher than Europe. The higher-than-Europe comparison I had not heard before. The higher than private industry cost of United States government contracting (and contracting by local units of government when they spend federal funds) is dictated by th…
European labor is pervasively unionized, though, and typically well-paid on construction projects, but the total cost comes in not just slightly cheaper, but at small fractions of the price. Other things involved: there are fewer overlapping transit and government agencies involved in European projects, approvals are faster, contractor billing/profits seem to be more carefully scrutinized, and there is less scope for…
Madrid is, however, a long way above the sea - which will reduce any tunnelling costs by a huge amount. Cost of living is also considerably lower.
(Not arguing with your basic premise that US costs are over-expensive, but a lot of that 30x difference can be explained away).
Re: Why a one-room West Virginia library runs a $20,000 Cisco router
#103I have first hand experience with this, although in Australia. My first job was working for a IT development and solutions shop (this is over 17 years ago) where they won the bid to rollout the internet and network gateways across a large number of Australian government schools. We were doing similar work for private school at the same time, and the process for the public and private school could not be more differen…
I've seen examples of this all over the UK as well, when ever it's a Government tender the quotes were always much higher than they need to be, and they always HAVE to have the most expensive, 'enterprise' equipment, whether they need it or not. I've never understood it myself. Governments are funded by tax money, and the people involved in these companies that love overcharging the Government pay taxes. Congratulati…
the people involved in these companies that love overcharging the Government pay taxes
One thing I've learned from Private Eye: many of our government contractors don't pay taxes -- or at least not British taxes, or a negligible amount thereof.
Re: Why a one-room West Virginia library runs a $20,000 Cisco router
#104I have first hand experience with this, although in Australia. My first job was working for a IT development and solutions shop (this is over 17 years ago) where they won the bid to rollout the internet and network gateways across a large number of Australian government schools. We were doing similar work for private school at the same time, and the process for the public and private school could not be more differen…
I've seen examples of this all over the UK as well, when ever it's a Government tender the quotes were always much higher than they need to be, and they always HAVE to have the most expensive, 'enterprise' equipment, whether they need it or not. I've never understood it myself. Governments are funded by tax money, and the people involved in these companies that love overcharging the Government pay taxes. Congratulati…
> I've never understood it myself. Governments are funded by tax money, and the people involved in these companies that love overcharging the Government pay taxes. Congratulations on ripping yourself off.
Any additional taxes are diluted amongst the general population, while my sales commission is mine and mine alone...
Re: Why a one-room West Virginia library runs a $20,000 Cisco router
#105This doesn't suprise me.
I am related to an ex-sales exec at Cisco UK. They are a bunch of shysters who will desperately oversell anything to anyone. The person in question was responsible for selling such kit to managers who didn't even know what it was but they apparently needed it. You know the sort who populate senior positions in the public sector. They are rife in the healthcare and council sectors in the UK. Incompetent morons waiting to be milked for our cash.
The asshat is now selling VoIP and video conferencing solutions to medium sized businesses (via their executives) which is the next cash cow he can milk.
Re: Why a one-room West Virginia library runs a $20,000 Cisco router
#106Earlier quoted context omitted.
There seems to be something very broken with contracting in the US, which seems more specifically US government operations than government in general. If you look at something where you can compare prices between countries, like per-mile subway construction costs, the U.S. is a huge outlier, with procurement costs much higher than Europe.
If you look at something where you can compare prices between countries, like per-mile subway construction costs, the U.S. is a huge outlier, with procurement costs much higher than Europe. The higher-than-Europe comparison I had not heard before. The higher than private industry cost of United States government contracting (and contracting by local units of government when they spend federal funds) is dictated by th…
In case you think all European transport projects are wonderfully run:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/9345650/No-s...
About £1 billion for a tram line where the end points are about 11 km apart in a city that has excellent taxi and bus services....
Re: Why a one-room West Virginia library runs a $20,000 Cisco router
#107Earlier quoted context omitted.
European labor is pervasively unionized, though, and typically well-paid on construction projects, but the total cost comes in not just slightly cheaper, but at small fractions of the price. Other things involved: there are fewer overlapping transit and government agencies involved in European projects, approvals are faster, contractor billing/profits seem to be more carefully scrutinized, and there is less scope for…
Madrid is, however, a long way above the sea - which will reduce any tunnelling costs by a huge amount. Cost of living is also considerably lower. (Not arguing with your basic premise that US costs are over-expensive, but a lot of that 30x difference can be explained away).
> (Not arguing with your basic premise that US costs are over-expensive, but a lot of that 30x difference can be explained away).
A bit of it can be, the 5x difference between Madrid and Berlin/Copenhagen/Paris seems acceptable by the differences in environment (Copenhagen's lowest point is 1m above sea level) and costs of living or complexity of the city's "cellars". The 6x increase on top of that is harder to justify.
Re: Why a one-room West Virginia library runs a $20,000 Cisco router
#108Earlier quoted context omitted.
Those charged with enforcing the rules are not infrequently in bed with those violating the rules; "regulatory capture".
Off-topic comment but it seems like some kind of trend to intentionally use double negatives in comments. I understand that sometimes using the double negative could be an important distinction, e.g. "not uncommon" does not necessarily mean common, but in this case I think one has to go out of the way to say "not infrequently." Maybe it's just me but I had to re-read that sentence to be sure I understood what was sai…
Could just be regional idioms; I think I picked that phrase up from some British folks who made a habit of understatement. It isn't especially friendly to the reader, I'll admit (there, I did it again!).
Re: Why a one-room West Virginia library runs a $20,000 Cisco router
#109Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you look at something where you can compare prices between countries, like per-mile subway construction costs, the U.S. is a huge outlier, with procurement costs much higher than Europe. The higher-than-Europe comparison I had not heard before. The higher than private industry cost of United States government contracting (and contracting by local units of government when they spend federal funds) is dictated by th…
In case you think all European transport projects are wonderfully run: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/9345650/No-s... About £1 billion for a tram line where the end points are about 11 km apart in a city that has excellent taxi and bus services....
Oh yes. Could have been done for a lot less, in half the time, if they hadn't completely messed up the contracts.
Re: Why a one-room West Virginia library runs a $20,000 Cisco router
#110Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you look at something where you can compare prices between countries, like per-mile subway construction costs, the U.S. is a huge outlier, with procurement costs much higher than Europe. The higher-than-Europe comparison I had not heard before. The higher than private industry cost of United States government contracting (and contracting by local units of government when they spend federal funds) is dictated by th…
In case you think all European transport projects are wonderfully run: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/9345650/No-s... About £1 billion for a tram line where the end points are about 11 km apart in a city that has excellent taxi and bus services....
If you don't want it, ship it to Melbourne! We've been gagging for a light rail link to the airport, which is about that distance away. Unfortunately the too-powerful taxi cartel and the Melb airport corporation keep blocking it because they're making too much moolah.