Push Comes to ShoveTri-City broadband plan meets big business ( old news - 01:20PM Friday Feb 21 2003) tags: competition · business If you recall from our past stories on the subject, the disgruntled residents of Batavia, St. Charles, and Geneva, Illinois have banded together to pursue the option of a municipally run broadband network, something the voters of the region will soon be deciding upon. Those cities this week are accusing regional oligopoly participants SBC and Comcast of issuing a misleading survey to area residents, designed they say to sway public opinion against the idea. City officials called the survey "a lie" and "misleading". SBC spokeswoman Andrea Brands said the survey was "legitimate research", but wouldn't release either a copy or the exact wording of questions, claiming that doing so would "skew the results".
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Archivis
Your Daddy
Premium
join:2001-11-26
Earth
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Comon guys, we're not lying this time... seriously Seriously, who do they think they're fooling? SBC realized that there could be a potentially serious problem to their business if they run a municipality broadband network. If they're successful, it'll only be a matter of time before it catches on everywhere else.
The only place they can't touch with their lawyers...
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Hitman Forums | The Internet Hitman | Mr. Game & Watch owns all of you. | |
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batageek
Slave To The Duopoly
Premium
join:2003-01-25
Batavia, IL
| Re: Comon guys, we're not lying this time... seriously From the Daily Herald - February 26th, 2003
»www.dailyherald.com/oped/index.asp
Company surveys straying from the point
It used to be, people in Batavia would call, e-mail or write actual letters to AT&T Broadband, inquiring about the potential for getting high-speed Internet service. And the customer service representative would respond politely but vaguely that AT&T Broadband was "thinking about it" or might do it "someday" but that they would let us know when the time came.
Nothing like the threat of competition to light a fire under a company.
Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles city leaders for years have been at odds with the company (now Comcast) over cable television service. And the concerns come from subscribers who call city hall to complain about interruptions in service, slow response time to restore service, a lack of channels and so forth. You called city hall because you weren't getting satisfactory answers from - or actually getting through to - AT&T.
Well, they are calling you now.
Comcast and SBC, the company that took over Ameritech and provides local telephone service, have commissioned surveys in the Tri-Cities that ask, among other things, your perceptions of such things as AT&T Broadband, SBC Ameritech, Comcast and the Tri-Cities' individually operated electric utilities.
Oh, and surveyors also ask for your impressions of Susan Klinkhamer, Jeffery R. Schielke and Kevin Burns - the mayors of the Tri-Cities.
Huh?
We can understand the telecommunications companies are doing some nail-biting over the April 1 referendums in the Tri-Cities, through which you will weigh in on whether the three towns should build a municipally run utility that would provide telephone, cable TV and high-speed Internet service.
And, of course, the companies have every right to defend their turf. After all, they may be late in bringing high-speed Internet service all the way out here to the boonies, but they are busily doing so right now.
But this cloak and dagger business?
Officials with Comcast said their survey seeks demographics, opinions on broadband and other communication services and a sense of the interest in the upcoming broadband referendums.
SBC says its survey, too, is gauging awareness of the referendums. "This is all about the consumer," spokeswoman Andrea Brands said. "We are trying to find out what people know."
And apparently looking for weaknesses in leadership. Why else would the surveys ask for whether you think your mayor is effective?
If the surveys were intended to cause disruption, then they probably are doing a pretty good job. If questions about the mayors are doing anything, they probably aren't creating a sense of trust with people who can't even remember who Comcast and SBC are in this age of corporate name changes.
But where the surveys are likely to backfire is when surveyors ask about the effectiveness of the city-run electric utilities, which have been around for a century. And have served us well. | |
| 
BK3
join:2001-04-10
Geneva, IL
 ·AT&T Yahoo
edited
| The Tri-City Broadband project I live in Geneva IL, one of the 3 cities that are involved in this. We were supposed to get cable internet years ago, when AT&T took over the cable TV. That never happened. All of a sudden, about a month ago, when the tri-city project was picking up steam, I got a letter from AT&T (now Comcast) saying that they were going to be upgrading the cable in my area so that we could get "enhanced" services. The timing of this letter seemed suspicious to me. Now this misleading survey (that the local government is mad about). What will they try next? To find out more, read here:
»www.tricitybroadband.com/news1.htm
To get the facts about the project, visit here:
»www.tricitybroadband.com/facts.htm
Also read:
»www.dailyherald.com/kane/main_st···37673118
and
»ww2.kcchronicle.com/KCC/news/277···6120.bsp
[text was edited by author 2003-02-21 14:48:41] | |
| | Nightwchtr
join:2001-09-10
Falls Church, VA | Re: The Tri-City Broadband project LOL these companies are something else. Legitimate research my butt. | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | If you have, or can get a hold of a scanned version of the survey, please give me a yell via IM..... | |
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bistro777
Donuts-Is There Anything They Can't Do?
Premium,MVM
join:2002-02-07
Englewood, CO
| Re: The Tri-City Broadband project Survey Form - - -
Dear Hardworking, Taxpaying Citizen:
Please complete the following unbiased survey in order to ensure your tax dollars are being wisely spent.
1. I think my tax dollars should go to some pig-in-the-poke, hairbrained scheme to build a local fiber network:
a. Yes, waste my money!
b. No, fix the potholes first.
c. I thought fiber was something you get from cereal.
2. Local government should determine all my phone, television and Internet services:
a. Yes, I want my councilman/alderman monitoring my conversations and Internet usage.
b. No, I love Comcast and SBC – they’re the best around!
Please return this balanced, evenhanded survey with your next cable or telephone payment to receive $10 off your next SBC or Comcast rate hike (details forthcoming). Also, please note that only those who selected "b" for their answers will be eligible for the $10 service credit.
Your friends,
The Incumbents
Those who cast the ballots decide nothing; those who count the ballots decide everything. - - Josef Stalin | |
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Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02 | Re: The Tri-City Broadband project Yes, so I'm seeing the outrage now.  | |
| | | | | | TACSPEED
Premium
join:2001-04-14
Tacoma, WA
 ·Advanced Stream
| quote:
live in Geneva IL, one of the 3 cities that are involved in this. We were supposed to get cable internet years ago, when AT&T took over the cable TV. That never happened. All of a sudden, about a month ago, when the tri-city project was picking up steam, I got a letter from AT&T (now Comcast) saying that they were going to be upgrading the cable in my area so that we could get "enhanced" services. The timing of this letter seemed suspicious to me.
TCI did the same thing here in Tacoma. TCI wasn't interested in upgrading the cable system here until the city of Tacoma decided to build a municipal network.
If you want a choice in ISPs, cable Internet at $30 a month or less, and some of the lowest cable TV prices in the nation; do everything in your power to get the three cities to build the municipal cable network.
Check these web sites:Tacoma's municipal network , Ashland Oregon municipal network , Grant County network
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Fiber Optics is the future of high-speed internet access. Stop by the BBR Fiber Optic Forum. | |
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i5050MbSoon
Formerly TwoKDialup
Premium
join:2002-06-07
Coloma, MI
| Re: The Tri-City Broadband project said by TACSPEED  :
...
If you want a choice in ISPs, cable Internet at $30 a month or less, and some of the lowest cable TV prices in the nation;
Hmmmm? An RBOC's connection-droppin' 2K dialup complete with busy signals for a total cost of $45/mo or high-speed municipal broadband for $30/mo.
Can you give me some time to ponder that? 
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Earthlink/DirecWay SRS | SatMex 5-990 | |
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RomanTribune
S.P.Q.R. - The Senate And People Of Rome
Premium
join:2002-01-21
Italy
edited
| Good Luck on getting a municipally owned broadband. I hope you do, so then you can stick it to the baby bell broadband providers who continue to gouge there customers with even higher monthly rates, while still providing less than mediocre service.
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Light travels faster than sound, so some people appear to be bright until you hear them speak.
[text was edited by author 2003-02-21 18:18:33]
[text was edited by author 2003-02-21 18:38:01] | |
| | | pbaldwin
join:2002-12-17
Dupo, IL
 ·Wisper
| Big Boys Worried? I sure hope this goes through. As someone living in a low pop area not even considered for BB services I'd like to see them succeed. Might spur our community to do something.
Telemarketers will say anything that's on the script in front of them. | |
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tomsprat
Draw Me A "Cold One"
Premium,ExMod 2002-04
join:2000-11-03
Fort Lauderdale, FL
clubs: | One more excuse to flush down the toilet... How many times have we heard those who support RBOCs say "Line-sharing isn't necessary, there are enough choices for the consumer already..."
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Anything that ever was, was once a dream... | |
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i5050MbSoon
Formerly TwoKDialup
Premium
join:2002-06-07
Coloma, MI
| Just some numbers... Something to be considered is the amount of money that is sucked out of a community by the national cable and telcos. Considering that basic phone service is around $25 and cable is around $40, a small community of 6000 homes loses $4,680,000/yr. (6,000 * $65 * 12 months)
Granted, a portion of that money will still leave to pay television content providers and network connection fees but there is still a substantial savings to be realized.
So the question that needs to be asked is whether you want 2K dialup for more money from SBC or high-speed, always-on service for less money from a local municipal system. I know how I will soon vote.
»www.swmiconnected.org
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Earthlink/DirecWay SRS | SatMex 5-990 | |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
| SBC Mislead people? No...... (Sarcasm) C'mon! SBC wouldn't deliberately misinform, oh, say, EVERYONE, for their own gain, would they? Noooooo... Say it isn't so!
[Reality mode back on]
Misinformation seems to be the SOP these days. Just like the old "We have to resell it below cost!"....
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"When the day comes that anyone can bend our country’s laws and lawmakers to serve selfish, competitive ends, that day democratic government dies" -- Preston Tucker, 1948 (Yep, it's dead.) | |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southwest
| Turn the tables....? Idea...
Current situation:
Big Business ILEC/Cable sez:
Remove regulations/competition and grant us a monopoly over the populace and extend our franchise etc or else we won't invest or deploy...
How about turning the tables?
What if cities/Counties/States said:
Invest and deploy NOW and meet minimum standards and acceptable price ranges OR ELSE we'll build our own municipal fiber network AND KICK YOUR SORRY BUTTS OUTTA HERE...
Yeah! Maybe just threatening to turn Video/Telephone/Broadband into a city supplied utility will be enough to motivate them to get their thumbs out...
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"When the day comes that anyone can bend our country’s laws and lawmakers to serve selfish, competitive ends, that day democratic government dies" -- Preston Tucker, 1948 (Yep, it's dead.) | |
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minidu
Premium
join:2002-09-28
Mackinac Island, MI | Re: Turn the tables....? I'd like to see this be the situation. | |
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asdfdfdf
@xtraport.net
| Just an update This link has now posted some of the questions that were asked in the survey.
»www.tricitybroadband.com/news1.htm
Pay attention to the "Are the following reasons persuasive to vote "No"" section to see the way they try to frame the debate such as:
1. whether tax money should be allowed to provide pornography
2.that the referendum competes with school referendums so can lead to cuts in teaching staff and educational quality. | |
| | BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Everett, MA
clubs:
·Comcast Formerly ..
| Re: Just an update ohhh no i can never be brainwashed by those questions. They all are leading questions designed to basiclly get the people second guessing themselves. Man these companies truely are the scum of the earth. i hope this takes off in more cities as i know i will be moving to a city like that if they do it close to where i currently live. | |
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They are not the only one!