Wi-Fi run by cities: Yea or nay?

Iria · Jan 7, 2006, 04:03 PM

WASHINGTON--As more and more cities weigh getting into the broadband business, there's no shortage of opinions on the topic.

At a Friday debate here, a media-access advocate and a free-market economist squared off about the merits of governmental intervention in what has traditionally been a private-sector venture.

Not only should city governments have the unrestricted ability to create their own wireless broadband networks, but they should also consider baking broadband plans into disaster recovery scenarios, argued Harold Feld, senior vice president of the Media Access Project.

"At this point I think most of us recognize that the Internet is not a luxury," Feld said. "It has become something essential for the conduct of business and even the conduct of everyday life."

At least some locales seem to agree with that logic. Citing broadband access as a veritable necessity, the city of Philadelphia is in the process of making its final choice of a contractor to blanket its city with Wi-Fi access.

New York City and San Francisco have also been pushing for plans, and last week, the United Kingdom unveiled a plan to bring ubiquitous wireless hot spots to nine of its major cities.

But Tom Lenard, a senior fellow at the Progress and Freedom Foundation, said the track record of cities' involvement in similar ventures is "not happy." The evidence, he said, lies in several studies, one of which he authored (click for PDF), that point to money-losing telecommunications firms run by local governments.
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Read More / Source: News.com

Jan 7, 2006, 04:03 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 87	Wi-Fi run by cities: Yea or nay? WASHINGTON--As more and more cities weigh getting into the broadband business, there's no shortage of opinions on the topic. At a Friday debate here, a media-access advocate and a free-market economist squared off about the merits of governmental intervention in what has traditionally been a private-sector venture. Not only should city governments have the unrestricted ability to create their own wireless broadband networks, but they should also consider baking broadband plans into disaster recovery scenarios, argued Harold Feld, senior vice president of the Media Access Project. "At this point I think most of us recognize that the Internet is not a luxury," Feld said. "It has become something essential for the conduct of business and even the conduct of everyday life." At least some locales seem to agree with that logic. Citing broadband access as a veritable necessity, the city of Philadelphia is in the process of making its final choice of a contractor to blanket its city with Wi-Fi access. New York City and San Francisco have also been pushing for plans, and last week, the United Kingdom unveiled a plan to bring ubiquitous wireless hot spots to nine of its major cities. But Tom Lenard, a senior fellow at the Progress and Freedom Foundation, said the track record of cities' involvement in similar ventures is "not happy." The evidence, he said, lies in several studies, one of which he authored (click for PDF), that point to money-losing telecommunications firms run by local governments. _____________ Read More / Source: News.com