It appears that Esme Vos over at muniwireless agrees with Russell and I (and many other prescient Portlanders) when it comes to fiber infrastructure. Esme writes:
"Not all the things governments do are harmful and not all the thing private companies do are helpful. What I’d like to see the government do is to help pay for the creation of fiber infrastructure and to have that infrastructure owned not by one monopoly company but either by a consortium (of which the local government is a partner) or by the local government itself. "Then, I’d like to see the government lease out that fiber infrastructure at very low rates to ISPs like you, as backhaul, so you can compete with large firms like AT&T and Comcast. This type of government intervention helps [small WISPs] compete with the big guys." (http://www.muniwireless.com/2009/02/26/mcdonalds-customers-free-wifi/) While her comment specifically addresses the potential that a public fiber infrastructure could provide to WISPs, that's really just one example of the enormous benefit that building such an infrastructure would provide. A community fiber infrastructure, operated as a wholesale, common carrier, would provide businesses and residences with the opportunity to purchase next-generation bandwidth from the ISP of their choice, added competition in the phone and television markets and the infrastructure to drive new forms of (happy, legal, capitalist, revenue generating) content delivery. It makes good economic development sense as well as good consumer benefit sense and the construction would result in many high-paying, skilled jobs. This is a very simple argument in favor of fiber, but there is a lot more to say about it and for it. If you'd like to be part of the discussion, chime in here, or hit Russell and I up directly to get involved. Fiber for the Future! -- Michael Weinberg President Personal Telco Project, Inc. A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ The Personal Telco Project - http://www.personaltelco.net/ Donate to PTP: http://www.personaltelco.net/donate Archives: http://news.gmane.org/gmane.network.wireless.portland.general/ Etiquette: http://www.personaltelco.net/index.cgi/MailingListEtiquette List information: http://lists.personaltelco.net To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
