Charter: City Giving Google Fiber Unfair Edge (courier-journal.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Louisville's largest cable and internet provider says the city is giving Google Fiber an unfair advantage, and it wants Mayor Greg Fischer to step in and ease key regulations in the coming weeks. In a July 28 letter, Charter Communications told Fischer the city's separate franchise agreements allow Google to operate under less burdensome rules despite the two companies offering local customers similar services. "There is no justification for different regulatory treatment," said Jason Keller, Charter's government liaison. The letter was addressed to Fischer, the 26-member Metro Council and more than five dozen other mayors representing smaller suburban cities. Charter representatives claim unlike Google, it is obligated to pay money to the city above and beyond the millions in tax proceeds Louisville receives; to provide free internet and cable television to dozens of city-owned buildings; and provide costly government channels, as well as a studio for public access channels. Kellie Watson, Fischer's general counsel, said in a statement that Charter "raised some interesting issues and ideas" but that the administration will need to consult with the county attorney's office given the franchise agreement involves federal regulations.

Comments

Re:Charter could be wrong

[mi]

Hence the rules for charter are based on Cable TV Service

The rules effectively prevented other companies from entering the market. There is no justification for them even if those would-be competitors wanted to offer the same Cable TV service.

Internet on the other hand isn't a luxury service it is needed to operate in modern daily life

Broadband Internet is a luxury — dial-up speeds are perfectly sufficient for job-search and e-mailing one's resume. But this is distinction without difference — why should one company running low-voltage cables to each house be treated differently from another company running low-voltage cables to each house?

And if you say — as you already did — the difference can be legitimately based on the contents of what runs through those cables, I'll pull out the "net neutrality" club and knock you over the head with it.

Cable TV companies are some of the worst to deal with.

Of course. The solution, though, is a removal of the regulations and requirements — however "common sense" they may appear.