Wireless is Changing the Policy Calculus

Lehr, W. H., Sirbu, M. A., Gillett, S. E. (2006). Wireless is Changing
the Policy Calculus for Municipal Broadband. Government Information
Quarterly, 23:480–502. PDF:
http://cfp.mit.edu/groups/broadband/docs/2006/Wireless_Changing.pdf
This article summarizes traditional justifications for municipal entry
into communication services: (1) as a response to a market failure; (2)
as part of the local government’s role in providing basic
infrastructure services; or (3) as a way to opportunistically take
advantage of scale or scope economies afforded by investments or
services that were put in place for another reason. The article then
considers how wireless technology may influence these justifications.
This article is especially useful for communities with an understanding
of rationales for municipal wireline technology, who need to assess how
wireless technology may affect previous assumptions and plans for
entering the broadband market. In general, the article can help
communities to assess whether there is a policy rationale for
initiating a wireless project locally.