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killing-competition-nc-cover
Article, ILSR Press Room, Resource filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | 4 Comments | Updated on Jan 3, 2013

The Empire Lobbies Back: How Big Cable Killed Competition in North Carolina

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/killing-competition-nc/

After a city in North Carolina built a Fiber-to-the-Home network competing with Time Warner Cable, the cable giant successfully lobbied to take that decision away from other cities. The city of Wilson’s decision and resulting network was recently examined in a case study by Todd O’Boyle and Christopher Mitchell titled Carolina’s Connected Community: Wilson Gives… Continue reading

public-service-commissioner-calls-mississippi-gov-coin-operated
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Aug 7, 2012

Public Service Commissioner Calls Mississippi Gov "Coin-Operated"

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/public-service-commissioner-calls-mississippi-gov-coin-operated

We have watched in growing horror as AT&T and other telco lobbyists have gone from state to state gutting telecommunications oversight. In several states, you no longer have an absolute right to a telephone – the companies can refuse to serve you if they so choose. We tip our hat to Phil Dampier at Stop… Continue reading

how-att-and-time-warner-cable-pass-anti-competition-broadband-bills
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Jul 28, 2012

How AT&T and Time Warner Cable Pass Anti-Competition Broadband Bills

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/how-att-and-time-warner-cable-pass-anti-competition-broadband-bills

In keeping with our coverage of states that revoke local authority to prevent AT&T, Time Warner Cable, and the like from having to deal with any actual competition, we want to highlight the video below that explains how a modern bill becomes a law. It ain’t like it used to be and it doesn’t have… Continue reading

south-carolina-legislature-puts-att-monopoly-above-own-infrastructure-needs
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | No Comments | Updated on Jul 12, 2012

South Carolina Legislature Puts AT&T Monopoly Above Own Infrastructure Needs

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/south-carolina-legislature-puts-att-monopoly-above-own-infrastructure-needs

Last week, South Carolina’s General Assembly passed H3508, the ALEC and AT&T bill we previously warned you about. AT&T, ALEC, and cable companies pushed this bill to limit broadband competition and revoke local authority to decide if public investments in broadband infrastructure are wise. H3508 is one of the worst pieces of legislation we have… Continue reading

state-by-state-campaign-to-gut-consumer-telecom-protections
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Apr 24, 2012

State by State Campaign to Gut Consumer Telecom Protections

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/state-state-campaign-gut-consumer-telecom-protections

In most states, telephone companies are required to serve everyone and when there are problems with the service, the state can mandate that the company fix them. But AT&T and ALEC are leading the charge to let these massive companies decide for themselves who should have access to a telephone, taking state regulators out of… Continue reading

logo-follow-the-money
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Mar 20, 2012

Big Bucks: Why North Carolina Outlawed Community Networks

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/big-bucks-why-north-carolina-outlawed-community-networks

Less than a year after North Carolina became the 19th state to create barriers to community networks, effectively outlawing them, the non-partisan organization Follow the Money has crunched the… Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Feb 15, 2012

AT&T Trying to Redefine Broadband in Georgia, South Carolina

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/att-trying-redefine-broadband-georgia-south-carolina

The absurdity of AT&T’s push to define broadband as 200kbps is so great, it boggles the imagination. We developed the graphic below to highlight just how slow 200kbps connections are.

Feel free to spread it around. Higher quality pdf below.
Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Feb 15, 2012

South Carolina Cable Association Also Wants to Limit Competition

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/south-carolina-cable-association-also-wants-limit-competition

Many complain about gridlock in Washington, DC, but I sometimes subscribe to the cynical counter-reaction that gridlock is great. It is when the Democrats and Republicans agree that Americans … Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Feb 13, 2012

Washington Legislation to Spur Rural Broadband Killed in Committee

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/washington-legislation-spur-rural-broadband-killed-committee

Lobbyists for major cable and DSL companies (Comcast, Frontier, and others) already earned their pay in Washington state this year by killing a bill that would have allowed some public utility … Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Feb 8, 2012

Pay Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain: Listen to AT&T’s CEO, not Lobbyists

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/pay-attention-man-behind-curtain-listen-atts-ceo-not-lobbyists

AT&T lobbyists in Georgia and South Carolina are arguing that local governments should not be allowed to build the networks that communities need, suggesting that the private sector is prim… Continue reading