[cfgeeks] "Muni"'s (city run wifis) St. Cloud, etc..

Fri Mar 9 12:34:01 EST 2007

----- Forwarded message from "Peter R." <peter at 4isps.com> -----

Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2007 11:19:56 -0500
From: "Peter R." <peter at 4isps.com>
Reply-To: isp-clec at isp-clec.com
To: isp-clec at isp-clec.com
Subject: Re: [isp-clec] Muni and You

LUS in Lafayette for one.
EarthLink is wholesaling its Muni networks.

And I would like to comment on the St. Cloud deal.
Most WISPs and ISPs are opposed to muni networks, for a number of reasons.
For the most part, the reason cities and towns want one is so they do 
not appear behind the times.
Cities compete with cities for businesses, employees, students and jobs.
One way to compete is to appear technologically edgy.
Another is to keep up with the Joneses.

Regards,

Peter Radizeski @ RAD-INFO, Inc.
www.rad-info.net
www.4isps.com
www.marketingideaguy.com

Paul Rice wrote:

>I'm looking for information on municipal retailing over muni networks. Has
>anyone else had a good or bad experience competing with the government in
>your market?
>
>Paul Rice, FISPA
>_______________________________________________
>
>Sent: Friday, March 09, 2007 8:09 AM
>To: FISPA Members List
>Subject: Re: [fispa-members] Munis and FISPA
>
>Paul,
>
>In Florida there are several "munis" building facilities based
>infrastructures to provide Internet Access. One notable example was St.
>Cloud, Florida that made national news via CNN when they released a
>City-Wide free wireless system built largely on Motorola canopy equipment.
>The original scope of the project was to save the city time and money by
>providing broadband wireless access to the building department, utility
>department, and other city officials. The idea was sound and made financial
>sense as it would largely replace a huge cellular phone bill, redundant
>building inspection trips, improve public relations and safety, etc. All of
>these were OK. Then someone suggested piggy-backing free public internet
>access on the same infrastructure. 
>
>I was asked my opinion by one of the decision makers and I told them it was
>a bad idea and if I were running my ISP business in their city that I would
>have filed a law suit against them. My explanation was that Internet access
>was readily available City-Wide from numerous providers and was not a "rural
>facilities issue". I told them if I were paying taxes in their city and was
>an ISP providing those services, that they would be using my own tax dollars
>to compete against me and that they would be taking away my livelihood. I
>warned them that hackers would crack the system, gamers would eat up the
>bandwidth and leave the original intent of the system un-attainable. Much of
>that prediction has happened and the problems they encountered also made
>CNN.
>
>Municipalities should use technology to enhance their ability to provide
>critical systems and infrastructure (schools, roads, sanitation, building
>codes, etc.) and occasionally Internet access, but only when those services
>are not otherwise available. Making a profit by using taxpayer money to
>compete directly with some of those taxpayers doesn't seem right. Indeed, I
>can search the Internet and see some of these incumbent taxpayers are
>fighting back by filing law suits. A better approach would be for
>municipalities to provide enhanced infrastructure and offer equal access to
>incumbent providers so they aren't making a difficult industry more
>difficult to exist in.
>
>Larry Hall
>NebuTel, Inc.
>

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-- 
Kevin P. Inscoe                       Amateur Radio Call Sign: KE3VIN
Deltona, FL 32738                                28.9497N by 81.1952W
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