Is Anti-Municipal Broadband Report Astroturf?

Glenn Fleishman writes "A report issued today by the New Millennium Research Council (NMRC) and The Heartland Institute says that municipalities shouldn't build wireless networks because it's anti-competitive and will waste taxypayer dollars. The report has some interesting points (mostly about building fiber networks), but eWeek (second page) uncovered that NMRC is a subsidiary of Issue Dynamics, which is a lobbying firm that represents most US telcos and cable operators. It's astroturf. The Heartland Institute won't reveal its funders. I wrote a long account trying to track down the connections between the sock puppets involved in publicizing the report."

Comments

Re: Interesting issue tho

[narsiman]

I for one hope my tax money be spent to spread democracy.

Re:Highway Helpers in Minneapolis -- previous exam

[stubear]

Whether or not the guy had a stake in the towing company is of little consequence. The point being the government is now becoming directly in volved as a competitor to these towing companies at the tax payers expense. Also, could anyone use these yellow trucks services or did they check id to ensure you paid for the service?

With regard to wireless service, once all the compeition has withdrawn from the area? Will the local government upgrade the service in line with other municipalities who chose to allow competition to flourish? There are way too many "gotchas" to government sponsered programs, as well meaning as they may be when they start out.

Re:Theft

[SilverspurG]

Government crack addict?

there wouldn't be public schools

Before there were governments, people taught their children how to live and grow up to be adults.

roads

Before there were governments people built roads to go where they needed.

police protection

Before there were governments people policed their own societies.

Government has indeed helped to coordinate efforts of individual communities so that we don't (theoretically) have the railway problem of two lines with differing axle lengths.

Beyond that, though, come back to reality: government involvement and oversight sucks.

In the case of WiFi, I feel that, if the governments want to get involved, they should do so only in the function of lighting a fire under the backsides of the available corporate providers to get them into a competitive bidding war and get the service installed as soon as possible.

Government is a mouthpiece. It is not a tool.