UTMA's Website Compass

FAQs

Dr. Webbie Answers your frequently asked questions QUESTION: Why do some rural communities not yet have access to fiber broadband? ANSWER: The biggest challenge to deploying fiber broadband in rural areas is the lower population density, which results in higher infrastructure costs. With fewer potential subscribers reached by a fiber rollout, the infrastructure price per connection is much higher in a rural area than in a city, often making it economically unfeasible for the provider to make a return on its investment. What does fiber infrastructure cost? That varies depending on whether the infrastructure is aerial (attached to poles) or buried underground, what type of fiber-optic cable is used, and the labor required. But it can be as high as $20,000 to $30,000 per mile. Bringing fiber broadband service to individual homes can also be costly. This is because getting the fiber cable from the utility pole or pull box (if underground) requires additional equipment both at the fiber cable site and on the home. The cost of that equip- ment can range between $500 and $750 per average location. Extremely rural locations can cost substantially more to connect depending on how far away the home is from fiber connections at utility poles or pull boxes. To encourage providers to build broadband networks in rural communities despite the enormous costs, there are a variety of federal and state government programs available to give financial support. These programs are helping to expand fiber broadband to reach more areas of the United States, but this process will not happen overnight.

QUESTION: How can I spot a fake social media account? ANSWER: Since fake social media accounts can promote phony products, spread scams, and share misinformation, it’s important to identify them before you engage with their content. Here are tips to help you spot fake accounts: Take a look at the profile picture. One of the simplest indications that a social media account might be suspect is the lack of a profile picture or the use of a generic stock photo. If it’s a personal profile and the photo doesn’t reveal their face, it’s a red flag. Most scam- mers tend to use stock photos or images that have been widely used before. Check the timeline to establish the type of published content. Accounts designed to spread misinformation or sway political opinions often promote one-sided viewpoints that border on extremism. If an account posts only one-sided political theories and ideals, never revealing information about the person posting, you may be dealing with a troll. Note the number of friends or followers. Fake social media accounts have no interest in connecting with friends. By going through their connections, it should be easy to establish their motives. If an account has few friends, connections, or followers, it’s probably being used for questionable activities. Analyze account transparency. Ask yourself, who runs this account? If an account profile is little more than generic phrases and quotes —with no specifics about a person’s name, occupation, or back- ground—you may have stumbled across a fake account.

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