Stable 1.2 Gigabit/s Internet achieved in moving train in Switzerland • Hacker News Board

Re: Stable 1.2 Gigabit/s Internet achieved in moving train in Switzerland

#161

Post by ews » Thu, Oct 22, 2020, 12:43 AM UTC

singhrac wrote: post #4

I would honestly pay significantly higher taxes if we could get Swiss-quality train service in parts of the US (and especially if they have good internet). When I traveled Boston to NY in the past, compare my flight experience vs Amtrak. Flight: - Take $25 Uber to airport and get there 1 hour early to go through security and wait. - Fly to JFK (1h 20m) - land, wait to get off, go through terminal again, then take $50…

You forgot the financial black hole that is the military. We could just stop spending trillions on endless wars and have decent infrastructure, healthcare and education as the rest of the Planet.

Re: Stable 1.2 Gigabit/s Internet achieved in moving train in Switzerland

#162

Post by znpy » Thu, Oct 22, 2020, 12:44 AM UTC

snarkypixel wrote: post #19

Just as a fun thought experiment, what /new/ things could be possible if we had 1Terabit/s?

you can have it already!

want to transfer data at 1Tbps across the city?

just load a full truck with tapes and let it drive through the morning.

there you go, probably even higher than 1 Tbps

Re: Stable 1.2 Gigabit/s Internet achieved in moving train in Switzerland

#163

Post by ClumsyPilot » Thu, Oct 22, 2020, 12:45 AM UTC

rootusrootus wrote: post #121

atoombs wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never understand this line of thought. We invest in infrastructure to enable people to move between places, commune with one another, and trade goods. We've invested a tremendous amount in roads. Why do we expect other things like the USPS, Amtrak, etc. to generate profits when they're an expenditure in infrastructure?

It's hard to justify investing in rail. At best, in most parts of the US it is slower, more expensive, and less convenient. There are some edge cases that it makes real sense for, but everywhere else is better served by cars and airplanes.

Trains are like 3 times faster than cars if built properly, and have no luggage issues like planes do

Re: Stable 1.2 Gigabit/s Internet achieved in moving train in Switzerland

#164

Post by himlion » Thu, Oct 22, 2020, 12:48 AM UTC

joejohnson wrote: post #99

macspoofing wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>People tell me the reasons that everything is more expensive than in Switzerland US is cheaper than Switzerland for pretty much any product. If you are talking about train service, then the reason for that is because US (and Canada) prioritize freight traffic. Freight traffic is much more efficient in North America than in Europe [1] and unfortunately (or fortunately) is prioritized over passenger traffic. Honestly,…

The US is certainly not cheaper for two products that everyone has to buy: healthcare and housing. Switzerland is significantly more affordable than the US because the price of these two goods (which are human rights) are regulated.

Housing in Switzerland is more expensive than the US if you exclude LA, SF and NY.

Re: Stable 1.2 Gigabit/s Internet achieved in moving train in Switzerland

#165

Post by ckocagil » Thu, Oct 22, 2020, 12:49 AM UTC

SnowProblem wrote: post #132

singhrac wrote: post #4

I would honestly pay significantly higher taxes if we could get Swiss-quality train service in parts of the US (and especially if they have good internet). When I traveled Boston to NY in the past, compare my flight experience vs Amtrak. Flight: - Take $25 Uber to airport and get there 1 hour early to go through security and wait. - Fly to JFK (1h 20m) - land, wait to get off, go through terminal again, then take $50…

I think if you want a high-quality train service, you should pay for it through higher fares. Saying you would pay higher taxes is sly language for saying you want to others to subsidize you.

How are you going to privatize infrastructure? There can be no competition in big infrastructure projects. What's a competitor to do, lay a new railroad next to the existing one? This is also why fiber lines should be owned by cities and leased to ISPs.

Re: Stable 1.2 Gigabit/s Internet achieved in moving train in Switzerland

#166

Post by microcolonel » Thu, Oct 22, 2020, 12:51 AM UTC

newsclues wrote: post #151

Aeolun wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or, you know, just spend 5% less on the military :)

What does the $375B in interest payments buy America?

...good credit, that's how lending works.

Re: Stable 1.2 Gigabit/s Internet achieved in moving train in Switzerland

#167

Post by ckocagil » Thu, Oct 22, 2020, 1:00 AM UTC

cmdshiftf4 wrote: post #97

ubanholzer wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Flying is just too cheap for the environment. 1 EUR per km for car/plain and 0.4-0.5 by train should be the minimum.

Only the rich should be allowed leave their home town! Back to work, peasants!

Releasing carbon is an externality that isn't taken into account because it doesn't immediately hurt you (in your wallet or otherwise). Taxing it is simply taking that externality and putting a price on it.

Once you tax it markets will immediately respond by finding efficient, low carbon footprint alternatives to everything. That is, if people can get into their heads that capitalism is a system (to be tweaked for the benefit of everyone), not a religion.

By the way rich people will be the least affected global warming.

Re: Stable 1.2 Gigabit/s Internet achieved in moving train in Switzerland

#168

Post by ClumsyPilot » Thu, Oct 22, 2020, 1:01 AM UTC

ubanholzer wrote: post #22

maccard wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in Edinburgh and have travelled to London fairly frequently. It's a £30 uber to the airport, arrive 2 hours early, £20 for a flight, and £25 for the Heathrow express. The other option is the train, it's 4.5 hours, comfortable, but costs £250. It's a much nicer journey, but regularly much more expensive.

Flying is just too cheap for the environment. 1 EUR per km for car/plain and 0.4-0.5 by train should be the minimum.

Those are some steep numbers, where did you get them? My 400km flight cost me only £2 to offset, prices dont need to go up 100x!

Besides, much more energy is wasted heating old, leaky homes that are an eauivalent of a wet dump. Landlords have no incentive to fix them because the tenants are the ones that pay for heating. If we fixed crappy housing im UK, allegendly worst in europe if yoy consider price, we would save a lot more CO2 and a lot more people would be happy.

Re: Stable 1.2 Gigabit/s Internet achieved in moving train in Switzerland

#169

Post by ClumsyPilot » Thu, Oct 22, 2020, 1:08 AM UTC

SnowProblem wrote: post #132

singhrac wrote: post #4

I would honestly pay significantly higher taxes if we could get Swiss-quality train service in parts of the US (and especially if they have good internet). When I traveled Boston to NY in the past, compare my flight experience vs Amtrak. Flight: - Take $25 Uber to airport and get there 1 hour early to go through security and wait. - Fly to JFK (1h 20m) - land, wait to get off, go through terminal again, then take $50…

I think if you want a high-quality train service, you should pay for it through higher fares. Saying you would pay higher taxes is sly language for saying you want to others to subsidize you.

We tried this "subsidise nothing" approach in britain in the 1800, people had to pay for being in jail, and for being judged. There was no public police, investigation or fire service. It was miserable, corruption was massive, streets were dangerous, and whole towns burned to the ground. Penatly for the smallest crime was death, and it didn't help.

Either you accept that civilisation needs infrastructure to function, or you live like a medieval peasant.

Re: Stable 1.2 Gigabit/s Internet achieved in moving train in Switzerland

#170

Post by monadic2 » Thu, Oct 22, 2020, 1:12 AM UTC

wpdev_63 wrote: post #53

singhrac wrote: post #4

I would honestly pay significantly higher taxes if we could get Swiss-quality train service in parts of the US (and especially if they have good internet). When I traveled Boston to NY in the past, compare my flight experience vs Amtrak. Flight: - Take $25 Uber to airport and get there 1 hour early to go through security and wait. - Fly to JFK (1h 20m) - land, wait to get off, go through terminal again, then take $50…

The main problem with the US interstate train system is that it's run on freight train lines. Amtrak and Acela do not actually own the railway they use and they can only go a certain speed due to the grade of the track. I don't think you would be willing to pay the amount of taxes you would need to, to completely redo the railways haha. Anyways Amtrak are barely turning a profit as it is and while it would be great t…

Of course I'd be willing to pay for new train tracks. I've wasted days of my life in northern virginia waiting for the track to free up. And they wonder why nobody uses the train!