Government to shut down Intertubes during Flu Pandemic to protect Wall Street

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d108.pdf

October 2009
INFLUENZA PANDEMIC

Key Securities Market Participants Are Making Progress, but Agencies Could Do More to Address Potential Internet Congestion and Encourage Readiness.

"Increased demand during a severe pandemic could exceed the capacities of Internet providers’ access networks for residential users and interfere with teleworkers in the securities market and other sectors, according to a DHS study and providers (see figure below). Private Internet providers have limited ability to prioritize traffic or take other actions that could assist critical teleworkers. Some actions, such as reducing customers’ transmission speeds or blocking popular Web sites, could negatively impact e-commerce and require government authorization.

However, DHS has not developed a strategy to address potential Internet congestion or worked with federal partners to ensure that sufficient authorities to act exist. It also has not assessed the feasibility of conducting a campaign to obtain public cooperation to reduce nonessential Internet use to relieve congestion. DHS also has not begun coordinating with other federal and private sector entities to assess other actions that could be taken or determine what authorities may be needed to act."


If you ask me, I'd say you should spend some of that Stimulus Money on Net Infrastructure. Hell, Japan's internet speeds are 30 times faster than the US: Link

"The Federal Communications Commission, which oversees all broadband market considers “200 kilobits per second” as the bench mark for broadband speed. This was set 12 years ago. Today, this speed is not even recognized as broadband speed in many countries."

So, DHS is just throwin' it out there. And rather than coming up with a sensible solution, decides that crippling access to a major nation-wide communication network is better than suggesting a tech upgrade. I might be old, but I'm not stupid.