FCC Demands States Get Out of the Way of Municipal Broadband

[CommanderFrank]

The FCC must have been listening last week when news stories abounded on the situations that exist in many major cities concerning broadband carrier restrictions. This week FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler went on a mission in support of municipalities rights to compete with cable companies in the broadband market.

If the people, acting through their elected local governments, want to pursue competitive community broadband, they shouldn't be stopped by state laws promoted by cable and telephone companies that don't want that competition.

 

[Gorankar]

LOL, does it strike anyone else as funny that a government agency is chastising the government for making it difficult or impossible for the government to compete in a business concern?

.

 

[DarkStryke]

I don't see it as funny, it's rather pathetic how some companies have been granted operating monopolies due to crony capitalism and influence peddling.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Lets see FCC chief was lobbyist for the industry, industry sues local governments for competing, FCC chief says governments should be able to do what they want. Only obviously reasoning, wants local governments to continue to be able to sign exclusivity contracts with "the" broadband carrier blocking out all other competition.

 

[Parmenides]

LOL, does it strike anyone else as funny that a government agency is chastising the government for making it difficult or impossible for the government to compete in a business concern?

.

It would be quite a sight to behold if the federal government messed another arm of the Feds. But state vs Fed isn't that rare. City? Probably just pissants unless it's DC, NY, or Chicago

 

[Jagger100]

It would be quite a sight to behold if the federal government messed another arm of the Feds. But state vs Fed isn't that rare. City? Probably just pissants unless it's DC, NY, or Chicago

What does it matter, municipal is the easiest to corrupt.

 

[hdfreedom]

First, if the FCC wasn't aware of this situation before the recent media attention, they need to pull their heads out of whoever's money bag they are in.

Next, this is typical of government. After media attention, make noise as though they are just finding out about this, show indignation as though they're going to do something about it, then let it slip away quietly without ever doing anything. Back to the money bag. Just another show....

I have about as much faith in ANY part of our government as I do in a crackhead NOT smoking that next rock.

Just more noise and no positive action.

 

[Wierdo]

The FCC, with top telco lobby shill turn FCC chairman, is all talk and no action, actually scratch that, they talk tough and then turn around and do something worse.

Buncha circus and pony show clowns, who are they fooling?

 

[kbrickley]

As much as I might agree with their message it is meaningless since local ISP management is strictly between the cities and states (not the Feds) ... although the internet might cross state lines and support FCC involvement in Net Neutrality, local ISPs are outside their jurisdiction (irregardless of how flawed the system is)

 

[raz-0]

LOL, does it strike anyone else as funny that a government agency is chastising the government for making it difficult or impossible for the government to compete in a business concern?

.

No. It's an administration with it's roots in the communism light movements of the 60s. They are very happy being bought off by the very wealthy people/corporations and selling us down the river while lining up the opportunity to replace them with a government owned/affiliated version of the same business.

The ACA was penned by the insurance companies. The administration got to put millions more on the roles of an already overextended medicaid in exchange for forcing the lower earning insured into more expensive policies and permitting the insurance companies to play whatever games they wanted to as long as they did a few things. The only way to remain profitable would be to screw over the insured even more than before. The desired goal is to get a bigger voting block hooked on the medicaid handout while encouraging more and more to clamor for free or subsidized health care. The goal being a single payer system.

Now you have 3-4 companies in charge of pretty much all communications and a majority of entertainment. They get to be 800lb gorillas. Let them be the assholes they want to be and get paid. Then turn around and push municiple broadband so that the government can be in charge of the pipeline to the circuses portion of the bread and circuses that keep people form getting to rowdy with regard to the ruling class.

Or a less tin foil hatty version is that every entitlement program since I have been alive has had a significant portion of its outlay unfunded at the federal level. That includes the added costs of ACA. The fedgov hasn't been able to afford it's ideas for decades and has dealt with that by telling the states to kick in half or more of the dollars for these plans. States are getting their bond ratings dropped all over the place because of the impact these unfunded mandates have on the budget when faced with shrinking tax revenues and increasing pension plan shortfalls. The natural progression of that is for the states to push unfunded obligations/remove state subsidies form the municipal level. This type of move would permit the municipalities to establish a service that if run properly can be revenue positive and help supplement budgets and possibly survive the hardships of a shriking economy coupled with unfunded entitlement programs. Kicking the can down the road until compound interest catches up with municipalities too.

 

[BladeVenom]

I don't see it as funny, it's rather pathetic how some companies have been granted operating monopolies due to crony capitalism and influence peddling.

I agree.

 

[NoOther]

This is much ado about nothing. The FCC is making noise because well...that is what they do. Other than noise, they have been highly ineffectual. Besides, a federal agency does not have much say in what a local government does. People in those cities need to keep protesting and oust the leaders that are supporting the monopolies. But in the end, they are going to suffer just as much when the larger companies start to pull out and the municipal services aren't nearly as good as those offered by the larger companies. Of course you need to suffer a little bit to gain far more. Over time services and offerings should improve as other companies will support the new municipal networks by offering better content and services through their local networks.

 

[Retronym]

All it took for the FCC to notice was to build the entire economy around the thing.

They really do have our best interest at heart after all!

 

[tybert7]

Talk is cheap, unless he both has the power and intends to use it to reverse the restrictions / bans from state governments this is all meaningless.

One, does Wheeler have the power to lift state bans? Two, if he does, is he actually going to do something about it?

 

[MrGuvernment]

So he is taking bribes from both sides?

 

[TeeJayHoward]

LOL, does it strike anyone else as funny that a government agency is chastising the government for making it difficult or impossible for the government to compete in a business concern?

I find it ironic that a government entity is using it's power to interfere to mention that a government entity shouldn't have the power to interfere.

And irony's generally humorous, so... Yeah! Chalk one up in the funny column.

 

[TeeJayHoward]

it's

Damn the lack of edit. "its"!

 

[/usr/sbin]

In related news Democrats unveil legislation forcing the FCC to ban Internet fast lanes.

"Americans are speaking loud and clear," said Leahy, who is holding a hearing on net neutrality in Vermont this summer. "They want an Internet that is a platform for free expression and innovation, where the best ideas and services can reach consumers based on merit rather than based on a financial relationship with a broadband provider."