Among the responses to the Rizzo piece cited by Andy earlier today was this snippet about "broadband vouchers." I thought it interesting - it could work if it provided enough demand-side incentive for network providers to build infrastructure in underserved neighborhoods. On a small scale, any private ISP could provide service and the incumbents wouldn't have to worry about tax-subsidized competition. Everybody wins - imagine that.
http://news.com.com/5208-1071-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=4871&messageID=29116&start=-1
[snip]
"The superior way to achieve universal access to broadband is through the distribution of `broadband vouchers' akin to food stamps or private school vouchers enabling low-income households to connect to the Internet at modest out-of-pocket costs. `Broadband vouchers' do not distort consumer-friendly free market incentives, while insuring equal opportunity to prosper and to learn."
Cheers, Charlie Meisch [EMAIL PROTECTED]
----Original Message Follows----
From: Andy Carvin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [DDN] Op/Ed: Philadelphia's Big Dig
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 11:08:11 -0500
Philadelphia councilman Frank Rizzo has an editorial in CNET today criticizing the proposal to create a municipal wi-fi network for the city, comparing it to Boston's notorious Big Dig project. Instead, he proposes that the federal Universal Service Fund be reformed to foster ubiquitous broadband availability.
http://news.com.com/Philadelphias+Big+Dig/2010-1071_3-5579848.html
--
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Andy Carvin
Program Director
EDC Center for Media & Community
acarvin @ edc . org
http://www.digitaldivide.net
http://www.tsunami-info.org
Blog: http://www.andycarvin.com
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