New Rules Project, ILSR, Ask Dr. Dave
In this online entry, Dr. Dave responds to his reader's questions concerning the Florida State Legislature's consideration of a bill that would block cities from providing municipal networks. Dr. Dave responds by demonstrating the incompetence of our current system, citing the falling rank of the U.S. global broadband status from 3rd to 13th and the telco's announcement that the average American has no need for a high-speed network. To amend our falling status and respond to this neglect from the private industry, municipalities have been investing in their own local networks "as a way to attract business and strengthen their local economies." Cableco's and telco's have lobbied and continue to lobby the FCC and legislative bodies to create laws that bind or prohibit local governments from creating their own networks as a response to this competition from local governments. Dr. Dave believes our efforts to lobby government on our own behalf have been too conservative, and our next steps should be to eliminate current efforts to end local government involvement, after which we can debate the role of local government. For the complete questions, responses, and examples: http://www.newrules.org/drdave/10-munibroadband.html
