Can’t speak to Comcast’s evils, but I call my ISP once a year to ask about my speeds and bill. Just got bumped from 200/20 to 1000/?, with a $10 discount. I’m on the edge of town, not technically rural, but close enough.
Not sure the answer to the monopoly thing, but I used to be an internet cable guy, so I can speak to the complexity of having 2 providers where there was only one. The costs are staggering.
make it a publicly owned and operated municipal utility
make the “last mile” publicly owned infrastructure and private service providers can connect to the data center that connects the last mile
require that the company who owns and maintains the last mile can not also be a service provider over that last mile infrastructure
The last one is how Texas handles the power grid, so it would need a real regulatory body making sure the private last mile infrastructure is actually maintained, unlike the Texas power grid.
Currently in Utah with a city that offers municipal fiber. 1gb up, 1gb down for $60 per month. Luckily my city does that and many things right, I wish others would follow. My buddy who lives 10 min away in another city has comcast and whatever century link calls themselves these days.
That’s so unfortunate! If you scroll down and read about Utah, it talks a little bit about the formation of Utopia fiber. That’s what I have and it’s great. It’s kind of interesting because I pay 2 places for my internet service. $30 per month to Utopia Fiber, and then $30 to an isp (I utilize xmission). Not sure if situations like that are normal for municipal internet service or if it’s a loophole to get around the restrictions somehow? No idea.
Can’t speak to Comcast’s evils, but I call my ISP once a year to ask about my speeds and bill. Just got bumped from 200/20 to 1000/?, with a $10 discount. I’m on the edge of town, not technically rural, but close enough.
Not sure the answer to the monopoly thing, but I used to be an internet cable guy, so I can speak to the complexity of having 2 providers where there was only one. The costs are staggering.
The last one is how Texas handles the power grid, so it would need a real regulatory body making sure the private last mile infrastructure is actually maintained, unlike the Texas power grid.
Currently in Utah with a city that offers municipal fiber. 1gb up, 1gb down for $60 per month. Luckily my city does that and many things right, I wish others would follow. My buddy who lives 10 min away in another city has comcast and whatever century link calls themselves these days.
Looks like over a dozen states ban municipal ISP in some form or another.
That’s so unfortunate! If you scroll down and read about Utah, it talks a little bit about the formation of Utopia fiber. That’s what I have and it’s great. It’s kind of interesting because I pay 2 places for my internet service. $30 per month to Utopia Fiber, and then $30 to an isp (I utilize xmission). Not sure if situations like that are normal for municipal internet service or if it’s a loophole to get around the restrictions somehow? No idea.