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32 Cities Form Coalition to Improve Their Poor Broadband
32 cities in nineteen different states have formed a coalition aimed at building networks in those cities that private ISPs have so far refused to. Dubbed the Next Century Cities coalition, the organization will aim to share knowledge and resources that aid the delivery of next-generation 1 Gbps networks. "The leaders whose communities participate in Next Century Cities know that reliable, affordable, and fast Internet is no longer a luxury," states the organization. "Like electricity and plumbing, it is now essential infrastructure." The group arises as the FCC looks to dismantle portions of ISP-written protectionist state laws that prohibit towns and cities from building their own networks -- even if nobody else will. The full city member list can be found here.
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bethy
join:2009-06-17

bethy

Member

Lets hope this works

Lets all hope this works.
pawpaw
join:2004-05-05
Asheville, NC

pawpaw

Member

The Rules

This is great, with two preconditions:

1. They do not regulate themselves.
2. No obstacles to new competitors in the future.
sonicmerlin
join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH

1 recommendation

sonicmerlin

Member

Re: The Rules

Given that the infrastructure would be nonprofit, allowing private companies to come in and cherry pick the most profitable areas would be stupid. They don't allow that with other utilities so why should they do it with the internet lines?
pawpaw
join:2004-05-05
Asheville, NC

pawpaw

Member

Re: The Rules

All laws against cherry-picking are stupid and should be repealed. Just because you are not profitable does not mean profitable customers should go unserved. This kind of reasoning and government intervention is why we have these problems in the first place.

On a more fundamental level, it interfering with the right to enter into contracts freely.
gaforces (banned)
United We Stand, Divided We Fall
join:2002-04-07
Santa Cruz, CA

1 recommendation

gaforces (banned)

Member

Re: The Rules

said by pawpaw:

All laws against cherry-picking are stupid and should be repealed. Just because you are not profitable does not mean profitable customers should go unserved. This kind of reasoning and government intervention is why we have these problems in the first place.

On a more fundamental level, it interfering with the right to enter into contracts freely.

Don't really understand your statements but it looks like you want 1930's fascism and I think that we are way over that mentality in 2014.
pawpaw
join:2004-05-05
Asheville, NC

-1 recommendation

pawpaw

Member

Re: The Rules

Au contraire, I think you are the fascist for seeking to impose your mob rule on individuals.

Fascism has "...nationalist authoritarian goals of creating a regulated economic structure to transform social relations within a modern, self-determined culture..."
gaforces (banned)
United We Stand, Divided We Fall
join:2002-04-07
Santa Cruz, CA

1 edit

1 recommendation

gaforces (banned)

Member

Re: The Rules

Your statement is false, I am not imposing anything.
This article is the first I've heard of this Next Century City formed by democratically appointed representatives.
Turns out I will probably get Gb internet because of it, despite Comcast and ATT dragging their feet for 20+ years delaying upgrading infrastructure at every opportunity.
WOOP
2015 Gigabit City Summit - Jan 12, 13 - Kansas City - »www.gigabitcitysummit.com
keynote by Susan Crawford.
said by pawpaw:

Au contraire, I think you are the fascist for seeking to impose your mob rule on individuals.


bluefox8
join:2014-08-20

1 recommendation

bluefox8 to gaforces

Member

to gaforces
said by gaforces:

Don't really understand your statements but it looks like you want 1930's fascism and I think that we are way over that mentality in 2014.

Not fascist. Some level of shared-costs/shared-benefits model has been very practical and useful at different levels, from national defense to local infrastructure such as police/fire departments.

The police/fire departments serve everyone regardless of their ability to pay local taxes. National defense likewise protects citizens from external threats regardless of the ability to pay federal taxes.

It's a pretty good system despite the obvious issues. If everything was privatized then vast majority of citizens would be worse off. Almost like a 3rd world country.
sonicmerlin
join:2009-05-24
Cleveland, OH

sonicmerlin to pawpaw

Member

to pawpaw
said by pawpaw:

All laws against cherry-picking are stupid and should be repealed. Just because you are not profitable does not mean profitable customers should go unserved. This kind of reasoning and government intervention is why we have these problems in the first place.

On a more fundamental level, it interfering with the right to enter into contracts freely.

Profitable areas wouldn't go unserved. Your disdain got all anti- cherry picking laws is merely a demonstration of your fundamental lack of historical knowledge and comprehension of even basic economics.
en103
join:2011-05-02

en103 to pawpaw

Member

to pawpaw
Interesting...
Santa Monica lists (on that site) as already having a city wide 100Gbps network.
Palo Alta ?? Home of tech. I suspect that this shouldn't be an issue there. The gigapop connections are local or within a few miles (San Fran / San Jose)

Some of the smaller/rural areas where there are few choices, and those are run by old school business practices are the ones that have a real fight.

unrealq
@140.113.110.x

unrealq

Anon

What a great political distraction from...

• Abysmal roads and bridges infrastructure
• Income divide
• Climate change
• Government wasted spend and deficits
• Government lack of cooperation

and most important... Our world rankings on education

Driving Gbps to the home is the most important thing right now?? Really?? Perhaps all the enablement of binge watching will help people forget about the really important issues.

Can we spend a little more energy worring about educating the next generation so they don't make this the most important thing?
pawpaw
join:2004-05-05
Asheville, NC

pawpaw

Member

Re: What a great political distraction from...

The first problem is caused by government meddling and social engineering to "fix" the remaining ones.

RR Conductor
Ridin' the rails
Premium Member
join:2002-04-02
Redwood Valley, CA
ARRIS SB6183
Netgear R7000

1 edit

RR Conductor

Premium Member

Re: What a great political distraction from...

said by pawpaw:

The first problem is caused by government meddling and social engineering to "fix" the remaining ones.

You've been reading too many Tea Party propaganda books, either that or you are here defending the poor, big companies for some reason known only to you. I bet you will be the first in line for assistance too when your area is hit by WWIII or a major disaster, the guberment sucks, until you need them, then it's "help me please!".
pawpaw
join:2004-05-05
Asheville, NC

pawpaw

Member

Re: What a great political distraction from...

You are very presumptuous about my motivations and I believe, projecting. This correspondence is concluded.
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory to unrealq

Member

to unrealq
Good points.
Perhaps it's the only thing that the people in power are willing to do? Or perhaps it's just a distraction to TALK about it, but not do anything? Sucks for sure
gaforces (banned)
United We Stand, Divided We Fall
join:2002-04-07
Santa Cruz, CA

2 edits

gaforces (banned) to en103

Member

to en103

Re: The Rules

Business and individuals based in Palo Alto and vice versa bought a large parts of Santa Cruz County. The broadband in Santa Cruz is pretty bad. They want better communications infrastructure for their business interests here.
Being part of this coalition will bring a better consensus for the areas on build out and better pricing leverage.
I think they are building a medical silicon valley. Medicon Coast
gaforces

gaforces (banned) to pawpaw

Member

to pawpaw
Fortunately for me and other's who will be impacted by this coalition You don't get to Dictate The Rules.
quisp65
join:2003-05-03
San Diego, CA

quisp65

Member

In other words govt regulations is hurting... they feel that way too

There are better ways of doing it.

Regulatory uncertainty is very big cost of deploying fiber. Better to have the electric company which is a utility deploy the fiber in homes and then allow a few carriers access to your city along with incentives and simplified regulation.
xthepeoplesx
join:2013-10-21

xthepeoplesx

Member

Re: In other words govt regulations is hurting... they feel that way too

Thats currently how WISPS are using our fiber here. Any WISP can come in and use the fiber which the electric co laid using all sorts of funds, including taxes.
WhatNow
Premium Member
join:2009-05-06
Charlotte, NC

WhatNow to quisp65

Premium Member

to quisp65
I would allow anyone that can get customers be allowed to provide service over the fiber. The fiber part is a natural monopoly and it is expensive to deploy. The content and internet do not need monopoly.
sandman_1
join:2011-04-23
11111

sandman_1

Member

Confused

Why is the City of Wilson, NC, part of the member cities? Last time I checked, they had fiber through Greenlight.

tshirt
Premium Member
join:2004-07-11
Snohomish, WA

tshirt

Premium Member

Re: Confused

said by sandman_1:

Why is the City of Wilson, NC, part of the member cities? Last time I checked, they had fiber through Greenlight

I recognize several of those cities as already having some public sponsored broadband in place as well as ISP networks and some (KC, Austin, Portland,OR as having google and other working from the private side they say isn't working, hope they aren't planning to ALSO build a muni too.

bluefox8
join:2014-08-20

bluefox8 to sandman_1

Member

to sandman_1
said by sandman_1:

Why is the City of Wilson, NC, part of the member cities? Last time I checked, they had fiber through Greenlight.

Probably so that they can share their experience and challenges with others. It benefits them too if municipal broadband becomes more widespread and mainstream - as in - difficult for corporations to strangle it with sponsored-laws.

PlusOne
@73.160.110.x

PlusOne

Anon

It is a lobbying and PR organization - not a builder

This is a lobbying and PR organization - not one designed to actually build out FTTH. They are hoping to sway Congress and the FCC in to forcing the existing large ISPs in to building out fiber networks in their cities thru either regulations or new laws.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop

Member

Re: It is a lobbying and PR organization - not a builder

DING DING DING DING We have a winner!
xthepeoplesx
join:2013-10-21

xthepeoplesx

Member

annddddd Ohio is a wasteland...

Ohio seems barren on that map .
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory

Member

Re: annddddd Ohio is a wasteland...

I don't understand that considering all the tech, research, and colleges in Ohio. Should be right in the thick of things. Guess at&t and TWC don't have to worry.
xthepeoplesx
join:2013-10-21

xthepeoplesx

Member

Re: annddddd Ohio is a wasteland...

Well we dont have competition though and that unfortunately really does matter even when you have all the colleges and institutions we have here. We are still a little backwards .
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory

Member

Re: annddddd Ohio is a wasteland...

You have as much competition as SoCal, and even the same players! ( TWC, at&t)

Thing is that the other competitors are in one of the next towns, but they don't overlap really. (Comcast, Cox, Charter, Verizon)
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

How can you tell when politicians are lying?

Their lips move:
"Santa Monica is proud to be one of the inaugural municipalities to join Next Century Cities because of our ability to offer our community the fastest, most reliable and affordable access to the Internet and our desire to assist other cities in doing the same."

No one in our community has access to the aforementioned network.

SimbaSeven
I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT

SimbaSeven

Member

Poor Broadband?

How about the rural communities who can't get a damn thing, except maybe dialup or 3G/LTE.
CopperMonkey
join:2007-12-18

CopperMonkey

Member

Nice to see more initiative

Really glad to see Ammon being a part of this, especially with the local news covering it recently and in a positive light. I live somewhat close to there and hope Idaho Falls gets in on it, too. We do have a reasonable amount of fixed-RF competition and CenturyLink informed me there's bonded VDSL2 being trialed like what they did in parts of Colorado a while back that permits 60-80Mbps (forgot to ask about the price and what the upload is on that but I suspect at least 20Mbps). The complicated part is they wouldn't tell me where the trial is actually going on but it's supposedly north of Idaho Falls, not within IF itself.

For wireline service in most parts, though, only picking between CenturyLink and CableOne is about as dull a roll of the dice as it would be anywhere with, say, Charter and AT&T, or Comcast and Verizon. Hopefully there'll also be some incentive provided to improve services outside of the cities since CenturyLink continues to drag their heels on RDSLAM upgrades and leave people either switching to fixed-RF, or moving to where they can get CableOne or VDSL2.

Whether the municipal fiber being set up is any faster or more reliable than CL/CO I guess remains to be seen, there's a pilot project starting next month to connect a tiny handful of houses to the network. If that works out, the mayor basically says what comes after depends on public demand, so it should snowball from there.