Wed
Mar 25 2015
09:28 am
Tenn. sues to preserve monopolies, restrict citizens' internet access
By: Somebody

The FCC recently ruled that broadband internet is a public utility, and that municipalities may provide this public infrastructure to residents.

The Republican-controlled Tennessee government is now demonstrating that corporate money trumps citizens' needs and the supposed conservative value of government closest to the people being best at serving their interests.

In short, Tennessee is suing the FCC to seek to overturn the new ruling that would allow cities like Chattanooga to expand the coverage area of their extremely fast internet to bring broadband to nearby rural customers who have been ignored by the corporate internet monopolies. Tennessee says that the FCC is interfering with the state's ability to smack down meddling cities that would interfere with the plans of state politicians' favored corporate donors. Well, they probably don't word it quite that way, but that's the gist of it.

Topics:
politicalleverage's picture

Having actually covered this topic in detail

Submitted by politicalleverage on Wed, 2015/03/25 - 10:33am.

Th fear that companies have and it is a legit fear, take Farragut for example. TDS just spent a ton of money to install fiber optic high speed. Now, what if the Town of Farragut gives some new start up $10 million to compete. They cut their rate in half because the town is giving them so much money...

hypothetical observation only.

michael kaplan's picture

Correct. Read Gustavus Myers'

Submitted by michael kaplan on Thu, 2015/03/26 - 7:19am.
(in reply to metulj)

Correct. Read Gustavus Myers' 1909 classic "The History of the Great American Fortunes."

reform4's picture

Not a reasonable argument.

Submitted by reform4 on Wed, 2015/03/25 - 12:30pm.
(in reply to politicalleverage)

1. If TDS just improved service, why in the world would a municipality take $10M from taxpayers to put money into another venture?

2. Why in the world would a municipality provide $10M to a venture anyway, in an area with competition?

Totally unrealistic. The only cases where a municipality would fund a public internet is where the current monopoly provider is doing a piss-poor job.

zoomfactor's picture

Watch out, they may be shooting themselves in the foot again

Submitted by zoomfactor on Wed, 2015/03/25 - 12:26pm.

Promise to hook up enuf of those "rural customers" ignored by the monopolies, and maybe the political landscape won't be tilted so far toward Red if our stupidmajority threatens to quash it. TV is very important to many people.

jbr's picture

I didn't see any legislative

Submitted by jbr on Wed, 2015/03/25 - 2:45pm.

I didn't see any legislative and state government names listed as far as who is behind and pushing the lawsuit in Tennessee. Are those available?

Tamara Shepherd's picture

*

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Wed, 2015/03/25 - 4:14pm.
(in reply to jbr)

I didn't see any mention of what particular legislators think on this, either, but presumably Governor Haslam is "behind it."

It's Attorney General Slatery who's filed the Petition for Review, of course. Read it here.

Joe328's picture

Free Cable to Legislators?

Submitted by Joe328 on Thu, 2015/03/26 - 6:00am.

I canceled my cable service years ago after learning my councilman was receiving free home cable service. I have no knowledge of any state legislator receiving free or discounted internet service, but I would feel better if they were paying the same as citizens.

Factchecker's picture

There's a bit of hypocrisy

Submitted by Factchecker on Thu, 2015/03/26 - 7:13am.

There's a bit of hypocrisy here, since Nashville will join Chattanooga as a gigabit municipality. That leaves Knoxville out.

Never mind. Maybe not so relevant. But I would like to see Knoxville join Chatt and Nash. with gigabit service. We're at a disadvantage.

DowntownMan's picture

KUB

Submitted by DowntownMan (not verified) on Thu, 2015/03/26 - 7:12am.

Even if allowed by law, I seriously doubt KUB will ever provide Internet service. They're not exactly run by a bunch of forward thinkers.

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