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20 More Cities Want To Join the Fight Against Big Telecom's Broadband Monopolies

Posted by samzenpus on from the internet-of-the-people dept.

Jason Koebler writes At least 20 additional American cities have expressed a formal interest in joining a coalition that's dedicated to bringing gigabit internet speeds to their residents by any means necessary—even if it means building the infrastructure themselves. The Next Centuries Cities coalition launched last week with an impressive list of 32 cities in 19 states who recognize that fast internet speeds unencumbered by fast lanes or other tiered systems are necessary to keep residents and businesses happy. That launch was so successful that 20 other cities have expressed formal interest in joining, according to the group's executive director.

7 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. if i voted by dasacc22 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    this would be one of those times id actually go and vote if moving forward required consensus of the locals.

    1. Re:if i voted by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      because a governmnet monopoly is the best kind.

      You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

    2. Re:if i voted by kharchenko · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Sure, monopoly is bad, but I'd much rather have a monopoly that has to listen to the votes rather the one that doesn't.

  2. Not quite a monopoly by careysb · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In Denver, CO we can choose between Century Link DSL (speeds suck) or Comcast (expensive and service sucks). If the city of Denver jumped in that would at least give us three choices. Competition is good, right?

  3. Re:Meaningful Competition? by Noah+Haders · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I think the key point is to decouple the content from the last mile network. when a house can choose between different cable suppliers and different internet suppliers, that's when the competition happens.

  4. Full bore Telecom Panic in 3-2-1. . . by nehumanuscrede · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Expect to see the gloves come off for this fight.

    The Telecoms absolutely will throw a Godzilla sized tantrum since the high density metropolitan areas are their biggest cash cows they have. They would give two shits about losing some barely on the map town in the middle of nowhere, but you're talking about where the big $$$$ live now.

    There will be lobbying, crying, arguments, pleading, secret back-room deals, and just mass hysteria for all the Telecoms. Hell, they might even get off their ass and start doing something now that they see a very frightening possibility of real competition to their profits starting to rear its head.

    It will be glorious :D

  5. Socialism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    That is just so damn Un-American not letting Corporate monopolies rip you off