> Municipal governments are a big part of the problem. They make it nearly impossible for companies to build new ISPs.
And whose fault is that? Yep, that's right, the ISPs.
The ISPs love to play this game of "shut the door after I've gone through it". They get the municipal governments to sign exclusivity clauses and various other laws to keep competition out.
I mean, think about it: nothing gets done in the government unless someone wants it and is willing to bribe the right people for it. Why the heck would the government go out of its way to set up roadblocks for ISPs if no one wanted it?
Exclusivity deals have been illegal for over 20 years.
Munis really just want to take a pound of flesh from everyone who enters the market.
If it was just cable companies owning the munis then the cable companies would have gotten a sweet deal.
>Why the heck would the government go out of its way to set up roadblocks for ISPs if no one wanted it?
People hate direct taxes on themselves and don't notice indirect taxes they pay. The guy who proposes a 50 cent increase per 1000 dollars of house gets kicked out of office. The guy who builds a new school because he gouged comcast is popular, even if its the same money.
>People hate direct taxes on themselves and don't notice indirect taxes they pay.
I think this is the key. And any restriction can be an indirect tax, e.g. the requirement to serve the whole city, not just the areas that the ISP chooses.
As someone pointed out, these contracts have been illegal for 20+ years.
Truthfully, as the great-grandparent said, the muni's did this, and now you want them to build broadband networks?
This will require more regulation of those networks when the muni's decide to sell your info to put ads on the connections (or whatever) due to lowering tax revenue, or whatever.
Seriously.
I love the idea of muni broadband, and there are plenty of municipalities where I think it would go well due to the structure/tenor of those local governments, but i would be vastly afraid of what would happen elsewhere :(
After all, most of these government have had no trouble placing things like red light cameras and causing more rear-end accidents for revenue, and take your pick of any 5 harebrained schemes to save the children.
And whose fault is that? Yep, that's right, the ISPs.
The ISPs love to play this game of "shut the door after I've gone through it". They get the municipal governments to sign exclusivity clauses and various other laws to keep competition out.
I mean, think about it: nothing gets done in the government unless someone wants it and is willing to bribe the right people for it. Why the heck would the government go out of its way to set up roadblocks for ISPs if no one wanted it?