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Municipally Owned Broadband Networks: A Critical Evaluation
Municipally Owned Broadband Networks A Critical Evaluation Author:Joseph L. Bast During the late 1990s, many experts and industry spokesmen confidently predicted the rapid spread of high-speed access to the Internet via cable modem, fiber-optic cable, or telephone lines to virtually every business and household that wanted it. Now, as 2002 comes to a close, major cities are "wired" for broadband but many smaller communities ... more »still are not. Adding insult to injury, low-quality cable service often tops the list of compalints heard by municipal elected officials. Three communities in Illinois (Batavia, St. Charles, and Geneva), located west of Chicago, have responded to complaints by their residents and businesses by proposing to build a municipally owned broadband network, using some of the assets and expertise gained by operating existing municipally owned electric utilities. The Tri-Cities debate presents a case study and precautionary lesson for other communities with similar plans.« less