AT&T Sues Louisville Over Google Fiber (wdrb.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Louisville was one of the cities identified in 2015 as a potential Google fiber location? Since then, Louisville has completed the pre-work Google requires and, most recently, unamiously passed an ordinance to remove legacy bureaucratic speed bumps to installing fiber on existing utility poles. This applies to any telco wanting to add infrastructure, so that's good, right? Well, not according to AT&T. They are suing the city to block this ordinance and prohibit the city from using its infrastructure as it sees fit to provide better broadband to its citizens.

Comments

Does AT&T own the poles in question or not?

[Anonymous Coward]

If so, the Louisville City Council should damn well be able to cite the authority that allows them to tell AT&T to put Google equipment on AT&T's poles.

Re:Does AT&T own the poles in question or not?

[Anonymous Coward]

True but that's not the point. The point is it allows other companies to go out there and screw around with AT&T's equipment without AT&T's permission or knowledge. That is the problem here.

the ordinance, which was also opposed by Time Warner Cable, would allow a third party like Google to temporarily “seize” AT&T’s property – without notice, in most cases, according to the lawsuit

Re:Does AT&T own the poles in question or not?

[Charcharodon]

Lol, anyone with a ladder can go screw with AT&T's gear, and in some cases the access is conveniently on the ground..

After looking at all the garbage bolted to the side of my house by the various services that have been added over the years before I bought the house, I grabbed some cutters and pulled off everything but the FIOS box and the electric meter. After that I pulled up all the lines out of the ground all the way to the nearest pole.

Was it technically their property when I "seized" it, sure, but if they wanted it so bad maybe they should have come and got it once service was canceled. The shit on the pole is no different. AT&T are just being cunts because 1 they don't want to have pay to go remove unused/outdated gear, and 2 they don't want anyone else doing it because then it will block competitors from moving in.

Re:Does AT&T own the poles in question or not?

[Anonymous Coward]

Funny how when AT&T pays for an irrevocable, unlimited, and permanent right to use a city's infrastructure, they get mad when city decides that agreement isn't going so well.

But when customers use "unlimited" internet to its fullest extent, they are thieves and need to be booted off the network via usage caps.

AT&T knows it cannot compete in the market

[QuietLagoon]

So it resorts to the courtroom to try to stop its competitors.

Re:AT&T knows it cannot compete in the market

[Anonymous Coward]

They can compete, but it is more profitable not too.

Re:AT&T knows it cannot compete in the market

[Kohath]

Versus resorting to dealing with the city council. Both courts and the city council are branches of government. Both would rule on the same issue. Is one of them illegitimate? Which one? Why?

Consider reading the article before getting all hyped up and performing the usual outrage-theatre on this. It has actual info.

The court will rule. The phony drama and the silly cheerleading will be forgotten. Google fiber will roll out on schedule. Some money might or might not change hands between mega-corps -- who cares?

Re:Not quite

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

Moreover these are not the city's poles, but AT&T's, and they have a contract for 3rd party access, which Google is paying elsewhere.

So unless Louisville can point to their contract with AT&T where Louisville strongarmed them into pre-agreeing to stuff like this in exchange for, say, 100% coverage, it does indeed exceed the city's authority.

The OP badly misstates things about this being the city's stuff.

Re:Monopoly fights to protect its monopoly

[AntronArgaiv]

"We used to be a regulated monopoly, but we couldn't compete. So we reorganized as an unregulated ISP and we still can't compete. So, can we please have the good parts of each, and have things all our way?"

"F" you, AT&T. The job of a government is to do what's good for its citizens. You want deregulation? Then you compete with all comers, including a community ISP. They'll pay you rent on your poles, just like anyone else would have to.

Gee, it's a whole different competitive landscape when it's not just AT&T and Comcast and their sweet little (alleged) price fixing deal.

Re:Not quite

[Rob Lister]

Exactly. While "one touch make ready" seems economical, google (or any other contractor) has no right to touch/move/reconfigure ATT equipment without prior notice and consent. The complaint is pretty clear; the city has no right to make this determination. All of which is not to say that ATT aren't still a bunch of dicks.

Re:Only one possible response

[Kohath]

Also boycott everyone who has ever used an ATT phone or done business with ATT. Because boycotts work great.

Or you could read the article and not be a mindless tool for everyone who tells you a story you want to hear.

Re: Did the submitter bother to RTFA?

[mrchaotica]

AT&T isn't trying to block Google from using their poles.

Of course, not; no incumbent telco would ever do such a thing! AT&T just wants to very carefully and deliberately ensure that the equipment is relocated correctly on the poles, and if that delays Google Fiber's rollout for a decade or two, well, that's just the unavoidable price of caution!

(I'm sure the fact that AT&T's "GigaPower" rollout somehow always ends up ahead in the service queue is just a coincidence...)