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Local governments across the U.S. are taking it upon themselves to bring the advantages of broadband internet to those who don’t have it. Other countries may be used to the government providing internet access, but will Americans be able to change big business?
Having no intention of waiting for big businesses that hadn’t yet gotten around to wiring Lafeyette, Louisiana for high speed internet, the city has chosen to build their own fiber optic infrastructure. The city has had a do-it-yourself attitude about most of their development. In their history, the city voted on and constructed a number of projects: a public electric plant, railroad, university, and oil center. They’ve seen their city grow from it, and they believe high speed access to the internet is the next structure their community needs.
Backed by the local democratic party, republican party, and chamber of commerce, they have only one opponent: big business. The cable company in particular is trying to slow or prevent the city development even though the company is not providing the service. Forced through legislation, their second (and hopefully final) vote on the matter will be on July 16th.
More and more local governments are finding the broadband offers of cable and DSL providers unsuitable for their area, especially when there aren’t any available. Broadband access can pull businesses into regions, and lack of it keeps them away. Even smaller communities are afraid of being caught on the wrong side of the digital divide. Where there is access readily available, it’s not affordable to everyone. Customers pay premiums to get broadband access, and those who can’t fit it into their budget are left out.
But what exactly are they left out of? Has the internet become so fundamental that it can now be considered a public utility? Most people with a working knowledge of the internet say, “Yes, it is.”
The very fact that broadband access draws businesses attests to its necessity. Fax machines are history, mostly replaced and surpassed by email. Just as electricity and phones are necessities to most enterprises, so is fast internet. Among other things, it aids internal communication, research, relations with other companies like suppliers, and reaches out to customers through email, ads, websites, etc.
The internet is not only a business necessity. As a dominant form of communication and information for everyone, it performs some of the same functions as other things the government has a hand in, like mail service, libraries, education, telephone service, and even public roads. Who needs to drive to rent a movie when they have Netflix? Who needs to drive to the post office to overnight an urgent document when they have a scanner and email?
Next: When Government Gets Involved >>
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