[TriLUG] Time Warner price increase

[Cristóbal Palmer]

On Thu, Dec 3, 2009 at 2:14 PM, dsandif <dsandif at email.unc.edu> wrote:
> Why can't we do what the brilliant folks in Wilson NC did and start our own
> ISP?, why do we have to put up with this crap in the first place!?

Not only was it funded by bonds (as others have mentioned), but the
local power company is city owned:

http://www.wilsonnc.org/departments/wilsonenergy/electrichistory/

which means they already have skilled staff, trucks, easements, rights
of way, etc. etc. Not only that, but Wilson first went to TWC and
asked /them/ to build greelight, but TWC turned them down. It was only
after TWC refused to roll out fibre that Wilson stepped in. That was a
mistake TWC is unlikely to repeat, in the sense that they have now
repeatedly lobied for new state laws that would make it impossible for
other municipalities to do what Wilson did. I still think it's
possible to demand fibre in, say, Carrboro, and end up with a better
network, but having that network be owned by some entity other than an
existing cable or phone company is very, very unlikely.

If you're serious about working to push NC to have FTTH all over the
place, then I suggest you start by joining this group:

http://groups.google.com/group/nc-public-broadband?hl=en

And perhaps ping me off-list about this. That list has mostly been
about watching the moves of incumbents to try to prevent them from
getting bad law passed, but I think we could be more proactive. I
really hope you'll join me in that effort.

Cheers,
-- 
Cristóbal M. Palmer
"The fun thing is to try to persuade others to share your opinions
about what rules and what sucks. Nothing is more fun than evangelism."
  --Larry Wall