axus
join:2001-06-18
Washington, DC
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| Wholesaling is more appropriate
Government run businesses are a bad idea. I think it's good for them to build the infrastructure, get it going, and then sell access to it or sell the infrastructure with conditions attached. Ideally one company would run the wholesaling side, and ISPs would resell from them.
That said, there has to be something working that people can buy internet access from. Governments can do what they have to do to make high speed internet available, and get their own ISP up and running. Attract some competition for their ISP, then sell their ISP, then sell the wholesale part to someone who cannot be an ISP.
The best case scenario would be what Verizon promised to Pennsylvania, where a company builds the infrastructure and the state pays for it, but that showed how untrustworthy companies can be when they aren't held accountable. |
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hottboiinnc
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH
 ·Time Warner Cable
·buckeye cable
| What about cities that own their own water department or power company? bad idea? if it wasnt for some of these towns they wouldnt have had power when they started them or the private water companies would be charging out the ass to just supply the residents with a meter. |
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MTU
Premium
join:2005-02-15
San Luis Obispo, CA
·AT&T Yahoo
| Timely subject. Just received notice of third increase in 18 mos. in water rates from local PRIVATE water company. State PUC solicits comment but does not interfere. Researched to find that almost half of U.S. water companies are privately 'owned' by German and a French companies.
Of course, the original water systems were built by tax payers and then sold off by the minions of Milton Friedman currently in power.
Same with roads and bridges (built by taxpayers) being sold-off to corporations (most foreign owned). |
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espaeth
Digital Plumber
Premium,MVM
join:2001-04-21
Minneapolis, MN
 ·voip.ms
·Vitelity VOIP
·Callcentric
·VoiceStick
·ViaTalk
·Comcast
·Embarq
| reply to hottboiinnc
said by hottboiinnc  :What about cities that own their own water department or power company? bad idea? The subscriber rates are completely different.
Where local governments setup water and power the subscription rate is close to 100%. In local governments that setup broadband service the subscription rate is significantly lower, perhaps lower than 50% in some cases. |
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EPS
join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA
| reply to MTU
Very true- in my hometown, we have some of the highest water rates in the state (to the point where the state government has to subsidize ratepayers so it doesn't get ridiculous), and yet some of the lowest prices for power and electricity. (which aren't cheap anywhere in eastern MA, admittedly)
Who owns the water company? Aquarion, a subsidiary of the British utility Kelda Group. Who owns the power company? The town government.
Now, to be fair, we have very good water quality, some of the best I've seen. But so do areas served by the state-operated MWRA... Boston has been said to have the best water in the world (and they only had to flood three towns!) |
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