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Telecoms Suing Municipalities That Plan Broadband Access
Law.com has up a review of ongoing and historical cases of telecoms suing municipalities that plan broadband networks. In many cases those same telecoms have spent years ignoring as potential customers the cities and towns now undertaking Net infrastructure projects, only to turn around and sue them. One lawyer who has defended many municipalities in this position says, "This is similar to electrification a century ago when small towns and rural areas were left behind, so they formed their own authorities." Bob Frankston has been writing for years about the financial model of artificial scarcity that underlies the telecoms businss plans. This post gives some of the background to the telecoms' fear of abundance.
This reminds me of my experiences with girls in highschool. When I'd go to a girl's house to pick her up for the dance, invariably the girl would make me wait 10~15min to finish whatever the hell girls do that takes so long before we continued on. Should I complain or threaten to go out with someone else a slap would come my way.
At one point in our history, electricity wasn't necessary infrastructure either.
Hence the TVA.
I argue that high-speed telecommunications infrastructure is necessary for a 21st-century economy. I'd like to hear your thoughts as to why you believe differently.
I did give an example of why I disagree with municipal Internet access. Apparently you're attention spam is three seconds and you couldn't finish reading my post.
"A plan fiendishly clever in its intricacies"- Homer Simpson
It seems that whenever someone successfully trolls Slashdot by misrepresenting the story in the summary, all the jerk-offs come out to throw in their "people with money are evil" bullshit.
Save the populist propaganda for the party meeting, comrade.
No, are you an idiot? You have half the story and you think you know it all.
And like any municipal service (power, water, etc.) the citizens pay for it and anyone who pays bills gets it.
And steak comes from the supermarket.
Think for yourself.
How we know is more important than what we know.