Comments on: Milwaukee Wireless Initiative Update: Demonstration Area Further Behind Schedule http://dancody.org/archives/milwaukee-wireless-initiative-update-demonstration-area-further-behind-schedule.html Progressive commentary & Wisconsin politics by Dan Cody of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mon, 1 Dec 2008 19:03:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Joe Klein http://dancody.org/archives/milwaukee-wireless-initiative-update-demonstration-area-further-behind-schedule.html#comment-4531 Joe Klein Mon, 12 Mar 2007 10:26:36 +0000 http://dancody.org/archives/milwaukee-wireless-initiative-update-demonstration-area-further-behind-schedule.html#comment-4531 The ring in the nose of the state legislature ... AT&T <a href="http://www.madison.com/tct/business/index.php?ntid=122575&ntpid=1" title="Cable TV bill called a blow to consumer" rel="nofollow">Cable TV bill called a blow to consumer</a> “There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.” — RFK The ring in the nose of the state legislature … AT&T

Cable TV bill called a blow to consumer

“There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.” — RFK

]]> By: Joe Klein http://dancody.org/archives/milwaukee-wireless-initiative-update-demonstration-area-further-behind-schedule.html#comment-4530 Joe Klein Mon, 12 Mar 2007 08:02:00 +0000 http://dancody.org/archives/milwaukee-wireless-initiative-update-demonstration-area-further-behind-schedule.html#comment-4530 The underlying problem is that the state has tied the hands of local municipalities with legislation that makes virtually impossible to develop alternatives to the Cable and Telephone Company duopoly. What we need is an open access infrastructure where multiple carriers and Internet providers can offer services. An open market place for TCP/IP based services. Open markets lead to better service at lower cost. State law, that was darn near written by AT&Ts predecessor, restricts municipalities from providing such infrastructure, or even creating a cooperative public/private initiative. Thus we are left with the hand as dealt. In this case MWFN. In the mean time, the telephone and cable companies will increasingly limit access to competitors and they will find grounds to eliminate franchise fees to municipalities. A good municipal core network has financial, educational, law enforcment, fire, health, and emergency service benefits. Using, as a model, something like <a href="http://www.citylink.co.nz/" title="CityLink" rel="nofollow"> of Wellington New Zealand, Milwaukee could build a shared infrastructure network around a “MUSH” (municipality, universities, schools and hospitals) core that would benefit both local government and local business. ...but for our tied hands; hands tied by telecomm lobbyists. “There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.” -- RFK</a> The underlying problem is that the state has tied the hands of local municipalities with legislation that makes virtually impossible to develop alternatives to the Cable and Telephone Company duopoly. What we need is an open access infrastructure where multiple carriers and Internet providers can offer services. An open market place for TCP/IP based services. Open markets lead to better service at lower cost.

State law, that was darn near written by AT&Ts predecessor, restricts municipalities from providing such infrastructure, or even creating a cooperative public/private initiative. Thus we are left with the hand as dealt. In this case MWFN. In the mean time, the telephone and cable companies will increasingly limit access to competitors and they will find grounds to eliminate franchise fees to municipalities.

A good municipal core network has financial, educational, law enforcment, fire, health, and emergency service benefits.

Using, as a model, something like of Wellington New Zealand, Milwaukee could build a shared infrastructure network around a “MUSH” (municipality, universities, schools and hospitals) core that would benefit both local government and local business.

…but for our tied hands; hands tied by telecomm lobbyists.

“There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.” — RFK

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