The reason other broadband providers have balked is because of the large investment needed to offer a competitive broadband service. Your town is instead funding that investment with state and federal grants, which are pretty much the definition of a government handout.
However, there is an unspoken assumption here that broadband belongs to the private sector. That’s an assumption worth thinking carefully about.
Many of the types of arguments against muni broadband have also been raised against other government infrastructure programs like public roads, bus routes, subways, etc. Many of those programs compete directly with private companies and displaced private investment.
Yet we know now that government-funded or subsidized infrastructure, done right, becomes a common platform that the rest of the economy can grow on.
It seems increasingly likely that broadband falls into this category. We just had a national year-long demonstration of the critical importance of connectivity to our economy.
However, there is an unspoken assumption here that broadband belongs to the private sector. That’s an assumption worth thinking carefully about.
Many of the types of arguments against muni broadband have also been raised against other government infrastructure programs like public roads, bus routes, subways, etc. Many of those programs compete directly with private companies and displaced private investment.
Yet we know now that government-funded or subsidized infrastructure, done right, becomes a common platform that the rest of the economy can grow on.
It seems increasingly likely that broadband falls into this category. We just had a national year-long demonstration of the critical importance of connectivity to our economy.