RSS
Anti-Anti-Muni Bills Take Hold In Congress
from the 'bout-time dept
Efforts by incumbent telcos to stifle municipalities' attempts to roll out municipal broadband projects may not get the press they did a few years back, but the carriers are still at it, trying to get state legislatures to pass laws banning or hamstringing muni broadband. This week, though, a bill was introduced in the house that would prevent states from passing such laws. It follows similar legislation that was introduced in the Senate, and appears to already have a broad base of support -- but given the power of the telco lobby in Washington, we won't count the eggs before they've hatched.
I have an app...
Developer Census: Be Counted. It takes less than two minutes.
Top 5 Reasons Why Mobile Analytics Is Important
I have an idea...
75 Questions To Help You Write An RFP For Website Design
Founders, Funders, Farmers, Fools, And Family
I’m looking for policy...
Jon Potter: Software Patent Trolls Can Be Stopped By U.S. Patent Office And Congress
Developers On Patents: Ron Garret of Awun
Reader Comments (rss)
(Flattened / Threaded)
I mean, I'm all for muni-wifi, and the telco interference IS bogus, but that doesn't mean congress gets to tell the states what to do.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
it's a start
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Why bother
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: State's rights
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
I think you misunderstand how the public airwave laws work, and they're not much of a factor here.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re:
Nice pun.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Muni broadband
Frankly, I'd rather have a choice. No company is going to come in and compete against muni wifi, or muni broadband. It'd be a waste of money. So you're stuck with crappy, government provided services. I would rather have several providers come in and compete on price and services than to be stuck with a poorly run government product. I don't care if they have an outside contractor doing the install and maintenance... the government isn't good at anything except collecting taxes, and then spending tax money.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Muni broadband
if you were talking about anything but telecommunications that might be true.
the telcos and the cable co's use broadband to prop up their now obsolete businesses of television and telephone services. the last thing that any of these "natural monopoly" players wants to do is compete on price. the last thing they want is a "pure broadband" option in one of their markets.
that's why telcos fear naked DSL, because if you could just get broadband without ponying up for another line (cable or phone) then why would people buy the other useless line? that other useless line is what is keeping them in business.
look at any cable company or any phone company. they do not provide good prices (bills always go up and never go down) and they do not provide good service (call to resolve a billing issue, i guarantee you it can't be resolved by the person you talk to). what the hell makes you think they are capable of competing?
how do you advertise that? "switch to cable... we suck less!"
telcos and cable co's do not compete. evar. they won't engage in a buildout of any kind unless they are guaranteed monopoly status AND obscene profits. they don't wnat moneyif they have to work or invest to get it.
if there was competition in the broadband space we wouldn't need muni protects. muni projects are the only way to get anything resembling competition in a number of markets. if the telcos pull out of a market because of the competition then so be it. i say good riddance to bad rubbish.
[ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]
Add Your Comment