Tapia, A. H., Stone, M., Maitland, C. (2005). Public-Private Partnerships and the Role of State and Federal Legislation in Wireless Municipal Networks. Telecommunication Policy Research Conference. Washington, DC. PDF: http://web.si.umich.edu/tprc/papers/2005/431/TPRC_Tapia_Stone_Maitland.p...
This article covers a range of topics related to understanding municipal wireless projects, including municipal motivations for initiating such projects, and positive outcomes of public/private cooperation in municipal wireless deployments. But, this article is most significant it its investigation of state policy responses to this movement, and how this legislation, in turn, has affected municipal broadband projects (see p. 9 “Strategic Policy Responses”).
More specifically, the article looks at how, as cities began to consider municipal wireless deployments, many states passed laws to regulate and restrict cities' ability to own, operate, deploy, or profit from either telecommunications or information services. It also looks at what effects these laws have had, how well-intentioned policy has been used by the private sector to their own benefit, and the reasons why state-level policy making is so important in the municipal wireless movement. The article is a well-researched synthesis of this subject, and can help communities to understand their position in the larger municipal wireless policy battle.
