TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Lobbyists Try to Kill Philly Wireless Plan

Re: Lobbyists Try to Kill Philly Wireless Plan

Tony P. (kd1s@nospamplease.cox.reallynospam.net)
Wed, 24 Nov 2004 20:38:36 -0500

In article <telecom23.565.2@telecom-digest.org>, monty@roscom.com
says:

> By MARC LEVY Associated Press Writer

> HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Philadelphia's plan to offer inexpensive
> wireless Internet as a municipal service _ the most ambitious yet by
> major U.S. city _ has collided with commercial interests including the
> local phone company, Verizon Communications Inc.

> In fact, a bill on Gov. Ed Rendell's desk that could humble
> Philadelphia's ambitions began 19 months ago as a proposal drafted by
> lobbyists for telecommunications companies.

> Regional and long-distance phone companies, who sell broadband
> Internet to consumers and businesses, have in recent months
> intensified a national campaign to quash municipal wireless
> initiatives like Philadelphia's as dozens of cities and towns have
> either begun or announced such plans _ from San Francisco to Chaska,
> Minn., to St. Cloud, Fla.

> Telecommunications companies are doubly worried because hundreds of
> other municipalities provide broadband service over cable or telephone
> lines.

> The idea of cheap, municipally provided Internet as social leveler is
> particularly appealing to big city politicians.

> - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=45214162

These activities by Verizon and other ILEC's are disgusting. It is one
of the reasons I moved away from Verizon. The other reason is I get
the same service via VoIP for more than $50.00 a month less.

Sorry -- if they'd walked away from their beloved tariff twenty years
ago maybe they wouldn't have the problems they have now.

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, if *any of us* had known twenty
years ago what we know today, things would have been a lot different.
Had the people who did most of the development on email and SMTP
twenty years ago known what they know today, do you think the spam
problem would be as severe as it is? Bell did what they thought
best twenty years ago also. PAT]

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