 AmeritecTechChange we can believe in, 1922Premium
join:2002-09-06
Houston, TX
kudos:6 | reply to asdfdfdf
Re: ?!?!?! said by asdfdfdf:
People continue to assert this and it isn't true. Most of these projects are NOT being funded with tax dollars. People who don't utilize it are NOT paying for it(which was even stated in the news post).
At what point should people be able to conclude that some of you are not acting in good faith?
And if the system fails and cannot achieve profitability, who pays for all the equipment that was bought? Why do these things have to be done by the government? Why can't some people assemble a non profit organization and borrow money from investors and deploy a network? Why must it be MUNICIPAL broadband? |
|
| Where are all these investors that would be willing to front the money for the significant up-front costs required to roll out such services, especially for a non-profit organization?
I wouldn't be opposed to such a thing. It would be wonderful if such a thing was possible and the world worked like that, but it simply will not happen. Sure, perhaps in some small neighborhood with a peculiar grouping of individuals, but that will never be a feasible solution to compete with telco/cableco duopoly in any broad way.(Clearly even though these are frequently areas where the major players have little interest, they are suddenly willing to throw money at subverting attempts by others to build such services).
The reality is that only a few companies with billions in capex are going to bring about ubiquitous broadband or the government is going to fill in the voids. The telecom market is in bad shape and there is little inclination to risk money. There aren't going to be start-ups jumping in with robust venture capital support. This is 2004, not 1998. The only entity, other than the major ilec/cableco players, with the power and access to funding/resources to bring about such a thing is government, just as it was for the highway system and widespread electrification. |
|
AmeritecTechChange we can believe in, 1922Premium
join:2002-09-06
Houston, TX
kudos:6 | said by asdfdfdf:
Where are all these investors that would be willing to front the money for the significant up-front costs required to roll out such services, especially for a non-profit organization?
I suppose they're the same people who would buy local government bonds for broadband deployment, hm? |
|
| "I suppose they're the same people who would buy local government bonds for broadband deployment, hm?"
Anything is possible.
I'm not convinced, though, that the type of investor willing to invest in a municipal bond, with its tax advantages, would be the same type of investor willing to put money into a non-profit cooperative of concerned citizens?
I hope you are right and I'm wrong. |
|
