The Federal Trade Commission looks at Municipal Wireless in U.S. Full Report: http://www.ftc.gov/os/2006/10/V060021municipalprovwirelessinternet.pdf
Press Release: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2006/10/muniwireless.htm Overview Article from Wireless Week: http://www.wirelessweek.com/toc-newsat2direct/10/11/06?starting=5 FTC Study Says Muni Nets Complicated By Mark Rockwell October 11, 2006 A report from a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Internet task force advises cities and municipalities considering wireless broadband networks, such as Wi-Fi, to take a hard look at rules that state and local governments have in place to forestall such installations. The FTC's 61-page Municipal Provision of Wireless Internet is the first study produced by the commission's Internet task force formed last August to look into the growing importance of wireless Internet access. The report doesn't come down on one side or the other in how cities should manage or approach the political issues involved with installing a Wi-Fi network, but it does set out a "decision tree" that they can follow to reach a decision concerning whether or not to install a municipal wireless network. However, one commissioner says the pending telecom bill in Congress could settle a lot of local and federal jurisdictional tensions over municipalities' rights to install wireless networks. The study notes that in the past, some states have passed laws prohibiting municipalities from installing the networks. "Hopefully, next year federal action will resolve this issue permanently - that is, Congress will pass a telecom law that includes a provision pre-empting states from prohibiting their cities and towns from developing a 'third pipe' to the home," said FTC Commissioner Jon Liebowitz in a statement on the report. The report concludes that there is no "one size fits all" approach that municipalities and cities can use to determine whether they should pursue a municipal wireless network. Wireless networks can offer valuable access to municipalities, but implementing one "raises important competition issues that policymakers should consider when determining whether and how municipalities should provide that service," said Maureen Ohlhausen, director of the FTC office of policy planning. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TELECOM-CITIES Current searchable archives (Feb. 1, 2006 to present) at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Old searchble archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
