Ben,
You make some good point. However in reference to Philly Muni Wireless,
it's not built yet so let's wait and see before we pronounce it a success.
All terms of the contract have not even been finalized. In Philly they have
only now just realized that many of the folks that they want to bring low
cost Internet to, don't have computers! So now they are talking of providing
"free" computers to thousands of families. I'm not yet certain who will be
buying those, Earthlink, the city of Philadelphia, the state, or the Feds,
but one thing I am certain of is that they will not be free. At somepoint in
the future they will discover that many of these folks don't even have an
interest in learning how to use a computer, just as many people now have no
interest in reading newspapers or using their public libraries. Internet
for the masses is not the cure-all that many tout it to be.
One other city that has a RFP out for a muni wireless network has a
much better philosophy. They feel that pervasive wireless broadband
throughout their city will be a great thing, and who can argue that? BUT,
they have no intention of subsidizing the price of service. They want the
network to generate the necessary funds to maintain it, upgrade it, etc.
They accurately point out that already, anyone in their city already has
Internet access at no charge (beyond the taxes they already pay) by visiting
one of the dozens of public libraries they provide their citizens.
Jim
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf
> Of Ben N. Serebin
> Sent: Saturday, January 07, 2006 1:44 PM
> To: nycwireless
> Subject: RE: [nycwireless] Municipal Broadband - Must read!
>
>
> Hello All,
>
> Having read the article, this is not about higher taxes
> guys... It's about competition. Free market competition,
> which isn't occurring in the broadband market in the US. This
> also isn't about fast internet for the 1%, like me who has
> fiber in Westchester that is 5Mb/2Mb for $35/month. This is
> going to be a bigger problem, much BIGGER. Such as if the
> internet was developed and fostered in Asia/Europe. We need
> to keep the USA competitive, hence the purpose of getting
> fast broadband to all. The internet is going to grow the
> economy through online business and education.
>
> Question for all you folks... how much $$$ was used for
> the Philly Muni Wireless? A big fat $0!!!! Read the article,
> before you post about taxes & muni wireless. Also, here's
> another good blurb from the article...
>
> http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2006/0601.podesta.html
>
> Community Internet has the potential to revolutionize and
> democratize communications in this country. And that may be
> the reason why big cable and telephone companies and their
> political allies have launched a sophisticated misinformation
> campaign. These companies and their coin-operated think tanks
> generally make three paradoxical arguments against municipal
> broadband. First, they contend that municipalities have no
> place in the "free market." Of course, the cable and
> telephone giants don't mention that their own
> monopolies-which control 98 percent of the broadband
> market-have been cemented with extensive public subsidies,
> tax breaks and incentives (as well as free rein to tear up
> city streets). Verizon, for instance, didn't complain last
> fall when Pennsylvania handed them subsidies for broadband
> deployment worth nearly 10 times what Wireless Philadelphia
> will cost. Neither did Comcast object when Philadelphia
> approved a $30 million grant to build a skyscraper that will
> house its headquarters. To the incumbent providers, "unfair
> competition" means any competition at all.
>
> -Ben
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