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Law Restricts Municipal Wi-Fi Networks
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Wed, 01 Dec 2004 11:48:33 -0500
Begin forwarded message: From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com> Date: December 1, 2004 3:52:15 AM EST To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net () warpspeed com> Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Law Restricts Municipal Wi-Fi Networks Reply-To: dewayne () warpspeed com Law Restricts Municipal Wi-Fi Networks By JESSE DRUCKER<http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB110185892280287396,00.html? mod=technology_main_whats_news>
Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell said late Tuesday night that he had signed into law a large telecommunications bill placing severe restrictions on the ability of cities and towns to offer telecommunications services, an item that heavily lobbied by Verizon Communications Inc. and other big telephone companies in similar legislation across the country. The governor's move was closely watched because it could hurt the burgeoning movement by municipalities around the U.S. to provide high-tech telecom services, such as wireless Internet access using the technology known as Wi-Fi. The legislation bars municipalities from offering paid telecom services. While that provision was originally inserted in response to a fiber network in the Boro of Kutztown, Pa., it was also a likely barrier to plans by the city of Philadelphia to offer low or no cost citywide wireless Internet access in low-income neighborhoods without high-speed web services. On Tuesday, Philadelphia and Verizon officials said they had reached a separate agreement to let the city proceed with its plans. However, the legislation signed by Gov. Rendell gives phone companies the right to deny municipalities the ability to deploy their own networks, which could hinder the deployment of Wi-Fi networks elsewhere. In a message to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Gov. Rendell said that the bill's provision limiting municipal competition was a "problem." However, he pointed to Verizon's agreement to waive its right to stop the Philadelphia Wi-Fi network, and said the state would "work with other municipalities on projects that they have established or propose to establish in order to ensure that, to the extent that they are now viable, they will also have the opportunity to succeed." The legislation also contains a potentially lucrative provision giving phone companies like Verizon large incentives to promise to modernize their networks. Some have criticized that provision since companies would be eligible for the incentives after filing the modernization plans, but before the upgrades have actually taken place. Write to Jesse Drucker at jesse.drucker () wsj com Archives at: <http://Wireless.Com/Dewayne-Net> Weblog at: <http://weblog.warpspeed.com> ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- Law Restricts Municipal Wi-Fi Networks David Farber (Dec 01)