Interesting People mailing list archives
More on: Rendell caves and signs HB30 - Verizon can prevent municipal networks statewide
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Fri, 03 Dec 2004 19:05:52 -0500
Begin forwarded message: From: Gerry Faulhaber <gerry-faulhaber () mchsi com> Date: December 3, 2004 4:16:28 PM EST To: dave () farber netSubject: Re: [IP] More on: Rendell caves and signs HB30 - Verizon can prevent municipal networks statewide
Thanks, Jock, for your informative response. As I mentioned at the very front of my note, I really don't like this legislation. I think letting municipalities in otherwise unserved rural areas build their own BB is a great idea. I'm glad rural Washington has had this opportunity and I wish the rural areas of Pennsylvania eventually have the same choice.
But it is still true that many municipalities are not quite so enlightened. Certainly Philadelphia public monpolies pretty much suck: PGW, SEPTA, trash collection, PHS, ... Can't think of a single good one, except perhaps Fairmount Park Commission. They may end up supplying those areas that Verizon and/or Comcast will not serve, and that's a good thing which I support. But not all of us are fortunate enough to have such enlightened town fathers as Belmont, MA. In fact, I think most of us are not; there is an extensive economics literature on how anticompetitive public monopolies can be, even worse than private ones.
I am actually much closer to Bill St. Arnaud's position. What would be far preferable is a more competitive market for BB, which in fact municipalites can certainly help with. Public monopoly supply seems to me a last resort for the unserved, such as the TVA.
Professor Gerald R. Faulhaber Business and Public Policy Dept. Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104 ------------------------------------- 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/
Current thread:
- More on: Rendell caves and signs HB30 - Verizon can prevent municipal networks statewide David Farber (Dec 02)
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- More on: Rendell caves and signs HB30 - Verizon can prevent municipal networks statewide David Farber (Dec 02)
- More on: Rendell caves and signs HB30 - Verizon can prevent municipal networks statewide David Farber (Dec 02)
- More on: Rendell caves and signs HB30 - Verizon can prevent municipal networks statewide David Farber (Dec 03)
- More on: Rendell caves and signs HB30 - Verizon can prevent municipal networks statewide David Farber (Dec 03)
- More on: Rendell caves and signs HB30 - Verizon can prevent municipal networks statewide David Farber (Dec 04)