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Community Broadband Quotes

Electricity Not a Necessity?

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Electricity is not in any sense a necessity, and under no conditions is it universally used by the people of a community. It is but a luxury enjoyed by a small proportion of the members of any municipality, and yet if the plant be owned and operated by the city, the burden of such ownership and operation must be borne by all the people through taxation. Now, electric light is not a necessity for every member of the the community. It is not the business of any one to see that I use electricity, or gas, or oil in my house, or even that I use any form of artificial light at all.

Source: 
Richmond Times-Dispatch, Oct. 1905

Muni Broadband Critics Are Wrong

The essence of the objection to municipal involved in communications is that public intervention will undermine the private sector due to the cost advantages uniquely available to governmental entities, thus creating a barrier to public entry. As we have shown, however, this objection fails in two ways: First, municipalities tend not to become involved in communications in markets characterized by effective competition; and second, where municipalities do become communications providers, private entry into the market tends to be stimulated rather than suppressed.

Source: 
The Case for Municipal Broadband

Local Ownership Produces Fast Results

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Consider the rapid response of a locally-owned and operated network when the local Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) in rural Mitchell County, N.C. recently needed an Internet link on a mountaintop tower to test and operate its emergency service. Utilizing the local Mountain Area Information Network (MAIN), the ARES volunteers had a secure network connection the same day of their request. “We would still be waiting for an answer” from the non-local phone company, said ARES volunteer Bob Rodgers.

Source: 
A Public Interest Internet Agenda

We Know the Muni Model Works in Iowa

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In Iowa, we know the municipal model works because we have 20 municipalities providing services at rates far below the incumbents'.

Source: 
Clark McLeod, Telecommunications Entrepreneur

Profit Motive v. Government Motive

This is where the profit motive fails society -- there's no real financial incentive to provide coverage for someplace like Gilboa, New York, so therefore it isn't covered. But there is an incentive to prevent anyone else -- including the small town itself or, heaven forbid, the entire county -- from providing services to Gilboa because a David may grow up with the potential of killing Goliath.

Government does have an interest in seeing Gilboa, New York get access to broadband Internet coverage, because that would mean more employment opportunities, better educational facilities, and even more self-employment. In other words, like roads, sewage and utilities, broadband infrastructure is necessary to economic development.

Source: 
Michael Hickins

Local Communities Demonstrate Success around Cleveland

The success in and around Cleveland demonstrates not only the benefits of Smart Infrastructure, but also the reality that local communities are best equipped to implement today's fundamental need for infrastructure that empowers innovation.

Source: 
Garn Anderson - Knight Center

U.S. Broadband v. Former Soviet Bloc Countries

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The US's broadband infrastructure would make a former Soviet bloc country blush. Rural areas are often stuck with slow dial-up or expensive satellite Internet service. Even urban centers lack better high-speed service options, as the increasing deregulation of the telecommunications industry has helped prop up monopolies - which then have no incentive to improve broadband speed or lower costs.

Source: 
Ryan Goldberg in "The People v. Time Warner"

Open Access Makes Economic Sense

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In hindsight, KPN [a Dutch telephone company] made a mistake back in 1996. We were not too enthusiastic to be forced to allow competitors on our old wireline network. That turned out not to be very wise. If you allow all your competitors on your network, all services will run on your network, and that results in the lowest cost possible per service. Which in turn attracts more customers for those services, so your network grows much faster. An open network is not charity from us, in the long run it simply works best for everybody.

Source: 
Ad Scheepbouwer, KPN CEO

Public Power Responds to Community Needs

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This same development is occurring today in the area of advanced communications services just as it did in electricity over 100 years ago. Public power systems in some areas are meeting the new demands of their communities by providing broadband services where such services are unavailable, inadequate, or too expensive. These services, provided with high quality and at affordable prices, are crucial to the economic success of communities across the nation.

Source: 
Joey Durel, Mayor of Lafayette, LA

Broadband and Gumbo

While exchanging emails with John down at Lafayette Pro Fiber, I was reminded of one my favorite quotes that relates to community broadband - from Lafayette's Mayor, Joey Durel, on the subject of states that preempt their communities from building broadband networks:

Our customers, when communicating with each other will get not 1 or 2mbs, but we will open up the pipe to them and they will have 100mbs at their disposal. Actually, I often say with tongue firmly planted in cheek that I hope that the other 49 states do outlaw what we are doing. Then I will ask them to send their technology companies to Lafayette where we will welcome them with open arms and a big pot of gumbo.

Source: 
Joey Durel, Mayor of Lafayette, LA
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