Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Judge Tosses Telco Suit Over City-Owned Network

Posted by kdawson on from the why-not-sue-the-state-for-building-roads dept.

tsa sends along news of the city of Monticello, Minnesota, which was sued by their local telco, Bridgewater Telephone Company, because the city chose to build a fiber optics network of their own. The judge dismissed their complaint of competition by a governmental organization. Quoting: "The judge's ruling is noteworthy for two things: (1) the judge's complete dismissal of Bridgewater Telephone Company's complaint and (2) his obvious anger at the underfunding of Minnesota's state courts. Indeed, the longest footnote in the opinion is an extended jeremiad about how much work judges are under and why it took so long to decide this case."

8 of 281 comments (clear)

  1. Costly Waste of Time by mfh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    IANAL, but the second part is a warning to TDS against trying to waste more court time. The judge is saying that he's busy enough and therefore if TDS tries to revisit this, it would be another costly loss.

    TDS lost a lot of money going after the city. They also lost a lot of revenue because they are now going to try and compete with the city (lol). And they lost the support of their community, who knows they sued the city for unwarranted tax dollars, and taxpayers love bailouts.

    --
    The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
    1. Re:Costly Waste of Time by SneakyMishkin · · Score: 5, Informative

      You had better take a look at this http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2007/06/13/canadapostups.html. UPS didn't WANT to compete, they wanted to sue. Just like everyone else.

    2. Re:Costly Waste of Time by 91degrees · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Costly? They got one of their staff legal team to draft a complaint to tie them up in court for a while. TDS never wanted to win. Just to slow the city down.

    3. Re:Costly Waste of Time by JosKarith · · Score: 5, Insightful

      There really needs to be a robust system to punish people/companies that file obvious "nuisance lawsuits". The current system simply doesn't work at all.

      --
      'Don't worry' said the trees when they saw the axe coming, 'The handle is one of us.'
    4. Re:Costly Waste of Time by Locklin · · Score: 5, Informative

      It's called loser-pays. We have it up here in Canada, that and less lawsuits.

      --
      "Knowledge is the only instrument of production that is not subject to diminishing returns" -Journal of Political Econom
    5. Re:Costly Waste of Time by jahudabudy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Why should I, or any company, be allowed to stick fiber optic cable in the ground on property that isn't mine? You seem to be saying that communities, as represented (ideally) by their government, shouldn't be allowed to provide themselves broadband service, but rather are obligated to allow private companies to use the community's property to provide that service. That was the model in many places, and communities are discovering they aren't getting good value for the privileges they allowed these private companies.

      --
      ...sometimes, in order to hurt someone very badly, you have to tell that person terrible lies. - PA
  2. What every telco wants... by snspdaarf · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because, let's face it, what every telco wants is to provide all communities of 12,000 people with fiber to the house. What a load of crap. TDS was doing their dog-in-the-manger act, and now is only putting in fiber as an act of revenge.

    --
    Why, without your clothes, you're naked, Miss Dudley!
  3. I'm surprised... by Penguinisto · · Score: 5, Informative

    Usually a smart telco doesn't sue, they simply bribe the legislature into restricting their municipal competition (bottom of page).

    (Basically, Comcast and Qwest bribed the Utah legislature into stopping their multi-muni competitor, UTOPIA, in Utah. The Utah ACLU's letter against such action is here: http://www.acluutah.org/utopia.htm)

    --
    Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?