FCC Investigates Municipal Broadband Battle In North Carolina And Tennesee

[Syntaxvgm]

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/fcc-considers-action-municipal-broadband,28492.html
 

 

The FCC is considering taking action in a dispute between ISPs and at least two cities: Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Wilson, North Carolina.

The dispute began back in 2011, after the city of Wilson, North Carolina attempted to contact locally-available ISPs to negotiate faster and better-priced Internet speeds for the city's inhabitants.
The two incumbent ISPs, Time Warner Cable and Embarq, refused to meet the city's requests. In response, the city of Wilson developed a new local municipal broadband service provider called Greenlight in order to bring the improved Internet performance that the local Internet service providers refused to provide. Around the same time, Chattanooga also completed work on its own municipal broadband network.
These municipal broadband networks are able to give much better performance to users.Greenlight offers service plans that range from 40 Mbps for $34.95, up to an amazingly fast 1 Gbps for $99.95.
In response to the rise of these municipal networks, both state governments of Tennessee and North Carolina took action to pass legislation preventing the growth of these networks from encompassing greater areas, and to prevent other cities from following the same path. Since the drafting of these bills, no further municipal broadband networks have been established, and the two that already exist have not been able to expand.

Anyone that's either affected by this issue, has been reading about it, or has listen to Logan and Wendell talk repeatedly about will be very pleased to hear this news. 
 
Basically the FCC is stepping in to try to lift these state laws that prevent local municipalities from making their own competition to the existing ISPs. 

In addition, large ISPs have risen up against both municipal networks, stating that the use of state funds for the construction of municipal networks is a misuse of state resources and should be outlawed.

 
Currently, 19 out of 50 states have laws preventing this very thing. 
 

According to Section 706 of the Communications Act, the promotion and development of broadband networks inside of the United States is listed as a duty of the FCC, and as such, the agency has the authority to call laws into question that prevent broadband networks from developing.

Of course, congress is already fucking over this one chance. 

To prevent possible intervention from the FCC, Republicans are taking action in Congress. A proposed bill by Senator John Thune of South Dakota and House Representative Fred Upton of Michigan is currently being deliberated. If passed, the FCC would be restricted and unable to use Section 706 to intervene in the decisions of state governments against municipal broadband networks.

The majority of republicans seem to think the private sector is the best way to solve this issue, even though there is little to no competition in the private sector, time warner and comcast purposely rarely overlap coverage areas. 
 
This is important. If the FCC takes action here, this could set a precedent for states that have these laws. It could take a while of course. 
 
However, even though congress is fucking this up as fast as they can, the actions by the FCC to make internet title 2, as well as redefine the speed of broadband will certainly make a clearer case for municipalities making their own network, similar to other utilities.
 
Just a note, for what I pay in fort wayne, Indiana, and get 32/5, I could get gigabit for the same price, many, many, many times faster.

[Toddwjp]

the private sector in america has turned into a mess of greedy old men (yeah yeah stereo type but there mostly old men) who care nothing for the people of the country and only there own pockets. its time to start taking things back from them and realising that the public sector is the best place for what can be considered a utility.

[Syntaxvgm]

the private sector in america has turned into a mess of greedy old men (yeah yeah stereo type but there mostly old men) who care nothing for the people of the country and only there own pockets. its time to start taking things back from them and realising that the public sector is the best place for what can be considered a utility.

exactly. People who are libertarians like me, a lot of us know there's an important place for government in teh marketplace. We know that when small business and the top earners are hammered for taxes, then companies like GE pay no taxes, it isn't a free market. A free market doesn't mean no regulation, it means true competition, and most of all, the government not favoring one corporation over another. You can't have competition without enough players in the market to compete. 

[wyattzx]

It makes me sick to see people try and prevent the world from becoming connected better and faster and more efficiently. (I say the world because of other issues elsewhere, and these issues here.) All because they need more money. It's so fucking disgusting. In an ideal world, internet would be FREE! So $100 for 1gbps is a godsend. Nope. That doesn't give the CEOs enough money at the end of the year.

[Syntaxvgm]

It makes me sick to see people try and prevent the world from becoming connected better and faster and more efficiently. (I say the world because of other issues elsewhere, and these issues here.) All because they need more money. It's so fucking disgusting. In an ideal world, internet would be FREE! So $100 for 1gbps is a godsend. Nope. That doesn't give the CEOs enough money at the end of the year.

I would pay 100$ a month for 1gb/s. Hell, that would saturate some single Ethernet ports, even mechanical hard drives. Google's model is 70$ a month for 1gb/s, but hell 100$ is a good place to start, and stay for the top tier of home access, not stay for gigabit. 

[Lotus]

This is like the old rail road days where you would own basically a monopoly on the line and charge whatever you wanted, or form a trust with other companies so you didn't have to compete and you both get to charge unfair rates.

[wyattzx]

I would pay 100$ a month for 1gb/s. Hell, that would saturate some single Ethernet ports, even mechanical hard drives. Google's model is 70$ a month for 1gb/s, but hell 100$ is a good place to start, and stay for the top tier of home access, not stay for gigabit. 

1gb/s would be literally 75x faster than what I have now. Fiber Optic Internet needs to find its place alongside electricity. You should just.. have it. Have the option to pay for it in any home, anywhere. 

[SpaceCore]

I almost asked myself "what party is doing this?" and then I read "Republican so and so.." ugh.

goddamn bubbas..

[Syntaxvgm]

I almost asked myself "what party is doing this?" and then I read "Republican so and so.." ugh.

goddamn bubbas..

h---huckabee? 

I died! 

[JAKEBAB]

1gb/s would be literally 75x faster than what I have now. Fiber Optic Internet needs to find its place alongside electricity. You should just.. have it. Have the option to pay for it in any home, anywhere. 

You can but u have to willing to either pay an upfront cost of $100k + while paying $500-$2000 a month or a lock in contract and still pay anywhere between $300 - $1000 per month.

[zacRupnow]

[Crabtr]

I would pay 100$ a month for 1gb/s. Hell, that would saturate some single Ethernet ports, even mechanical hard drives. Google's model is 70$ a month for 1gb/s, but hell 100$ is a good place to start, and stay for the top tier of home access, not stay for gigabit. 

It should also be noted that they don't have any bandwidth caps. You have to pay an extra $5 though if you only want internet from them, making 1gb/s $105 a month. That $100 is the price if you get a TV+Internet bundle.  <_<

[Dabombinable]

Yeesh, and I thought the ISPs over here in Australia were bad, at least we have ours competing for coverage, though as per usual only 1 of our ISP has the best coverage due to being the oldest (and having the most finacial backing).

[IAMSWIFT1]

I Wish I Lived Somewhere Else Then Tennessee,Like Canada.I WANT 1Gb Internet And I Want It Know Lol.I Live Kinda Close To Chattanooga

[Trik'Stari]

I almost asked myself "what party is doing this?" and then I read "Republican so and so.." ugh.

goddamn bubbas..

Just a point of fact: The ISP's have been paying off both republicans and democrats.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/3/10/5491908/comcast-buys-congress

 

Just saying.

 

It is time, we need to tell these companies "guess what, if a collection of people wish to use their local resources to provide themselves internet access, you have no right to prevent that" I.E.

[Misanthrope]

exactly. People who are libertarians like me, a lot of us know there's an important place for government in teh marketplace. We know that when small business and the top earners are hammered for taxes, then companies like GE pay no taxes, it isn't a free market. A free market doesn't mean no regulation, it means true competition, and most of all, the government not favoring one corporation over another. You can't have competition without enough players in the market to compete. 

 

Your idea is solid, I just disagree with your terminology: You're not advocating a free market. You can't just say "a free market....but with this set of rules and regulations and restrictions" That means that the entire theory of the free market that autoregulates it's proven not to work. Hence some other considerations can and should be made. To me this are socialist principles for people who are afraid of using those terms which should be used regardless of what irrational people might use as ad hominem if you do, it shouldn't be your fault that some people refuse to continue an intelligent debate if they hear the word "socialism" and automatically think evil dictator and 100% centralized state economy which as concepts are as antiquated and useless as a totally free market.

[cesrai]

the private sector in america has turned into a mess of greedy old men (yeah yeah stereo type but there mostly old men) who care nothing for the people of the country and only there own pockets. its time to start taking things back from them and realising that the public sector is the best place for what can be considered a utility.

I don't understand how they think, if you make your services better people will pay for it, if people think you are a great person that has great services they would come to you, my best example is CDPROJKTRED they are freaking awesome.

[geforceftw]

I used to use Embarq until they were bought by Centurylinl, And they were terrible. I had so many problems with slow internet or not having internet at all with them, my internet would go down for no reason at all. Screw them.

[Syntaxvgm]

Your idea is solid, I just disagree with your terminology: You're not advocating a free market. You can't just say "a free market....but with this set of rules and regulations and restrictions" That means that the entire theory of the free market that autoregulates it's proven not to work. Hence some other considerations can and should be made. To me this are socialist principles for people who are afraid of using those terms which should be used regardless of what irrational people might use as ad hominem if you do, it shouldn't be your fault that some people refuse to continue an intelligent debate if they hear the word "socialism" and automatically think evil dictator and 100% centralized state economy which as concepts are as antiquated and useless as a totally free market.

I think I believe in something closer to a free market with a focus on competition than something closer to a socialist market. I would believe in less regulation and taxes that are not made to advantage the established big players but more intervention to prevent monopolies. I'm a pretty strong libertarian that's willing to acknowledge that 0 government is not the answer is what I"m saying. 90% of the time I believe in the government not being involved, but I'm not some nut like some are that thinks government has no place in the market. In a truly free market system, once there's a winner, there's not likely to be any competition after that. 

[wpirobotbuilder]

There will not be a law that restricts the FCC. Congress won't be able to get it through given the gridlock.

 

Good on the FCC.

[Takata]

I'm guessing the argument against municipal broadband is that you're not supposed to use taxpayer dollars to help one ISP (Greenlight) compete against another (Time Warner Cable)? That said, don't ISPs like Time Warner and Comcast get large subsidies from taxpayer dollars for building new network infrastructure? Seems like a double standard that the taxpayer can help one ISP, but not another.

[euniqe]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH.

 

 

"America. Land of the Free."

 

 

More like "America. We'll do whatever we want, even if it encumbers on your liberty, your democracy and your free market"

 

 

Honestly, I've never read such rubbish. What government ruins a free market by flooding it with their own resources, to the extent that all competitors simply cannot compete, thus making it a monopoly and running that competition out of business?

 

Goddamnit I'm so sick of hearing about this country's arbitrary bullshit. 

 

I mean just watch this shit. This is the average american in a nutshell:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1Ph0xV8AaU#t=292

 

"we're better than everyone else, and i'm too fucking dumb to even understand what you asked me"

[AlexGoesHigh]

I'm not american but every time i read something that involves Republicans i just go and think wtf is these guys thinking, granted most of the stuff i heard about has been about their position with isps and the internet

[Lotus]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH.

 

 

"America. Land of the Free."

 

 

More like "America. We'll do whatever we want, even if it encumbers on your liberty, your democracy and your free market"

 

 

Honestly, I've never read such rubbish. What government ruins a free market by flooding it with their own resources, to the extent that all competitors simply cannot compete, thus making it a monopoly and running that competition out of business?

 

Goddamnit I'm so sick of hearing about this country's arbitrary bullshit. 

 

I mean just watch this shit. This is the average american in a nutshell:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1Ph0xV8AaU#t=292

 

"we're better than everyone else, and i'm too fucking dumb to even understand what you asked me"

Because this isn't really a taxpayer funded endeavor. They're able to compete because cable companies basically have a monopoly on their areas and are able to charge insane prices. Just by charging reasonable rates they're able to get by on just those rates and still offer better service for less. The idea is to force competition in a market where there is none. Free market is not about letting giant corporations get monopolies. It's about forcing people to compete.

[NateGSR117]

There are good republics that do see the light and aren't just block heads, it just not there in congress with all that money floating around. Sometimes I just want to walk over there and just slap them up side the head for being money hungry turds of a person. LIke really, if the state and the people in it want to make their own ISP it their choice not the government to decide where and how they spend their resource in. If they don't want your bussiness that their just and nobody has the right to say otherwise. That goes against our very principle of freedom here in the USA. The fact that ISP has so much sway in the government is outright ridiculous in my opinion and should be stop or restricted. I never like the idea of having business in the government since most of the time they only look out for themselves and not the customers they should be taking care of. I just want to know how does this even happen? How does a whole states get block in doing what they want to do? How do the reps of those states let this happen (granted it 19 to 31 but still)? Shouldn't Obama veto it since it goes against a free market. It just so annoying that I only can't do a damn thing, while a big business like TWC can just buy out people like it nothing when they are supposed to represent the people that got them there in the first place.