FCC's Sohn: Forget Incumbents, Build Your Own Broadband Networks Don't wait for incumbent ISPs to build networks in uncompetitive areas, build your own networks. That was the message from FCC staffer Gigi Sohn at the NATOA Annual Conference in San Diego this week, ironically just days before Google announced that San Diego will likely be an upcoming Google Fiber launch market. According to Sohn cities tired about lackluster, uncompetitive service now have the power to do something about it.

"Rather than wait for incumbent ISPs to build the network your cities want and need, you can take control of your own broadband futures," Sohn told attendees. "Rather than thinking of yourselves as taxers and regulators, which has been the traditional role, you can think of yourselves as facilitators of the kind of services you’ve been begging the incumbents to provide for years," she said. Google Fiber, a surge in municipal deployments, and increased adoption of public/private partnerships have mainstreamed the conversation about eliminating the mono/duopoly logjam. Now, municipal broadband is on everyone's lips; a far cry from the days where this author rambled on about what at the time was a very niche subject -- one completely ignored by the mainstream media. Sohn was quick to highlight successes in places like Sandy, Oregon, and the surge in public/private partnerships like the one between Ting and Westminster, Maryland. Sohn also highlighted the important fact that after fifteen years of apathy, the FCC is finally taking aim at protectionist state laws written by incumbent ISP lawyers, which prohibit towns and cities from wiring themselves -- even in cases where nobody else wants to. As for ISPs that despise the idea of government getting into the broadband business, the solution is simple: provide better service. If customers weren't desperately dissatisfied with the price and customer service of the broadband they currently have, municipal broadband wouldn't even exist. As for ISPs that despise the idea of government getting into the broadband business, the solution is simple: provide better service. If customers weren't desperately dissatisfied with the price and customer service of the broadband they currently have, municipal broadband wouldn't even exist.







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Most recommended from 40 comments



battleop

join:2005-09-28

00000 10 recommendations battleop Member "Build Your Own Broadband Networks" Then make it easier for that to happen. ILECs, Cable, and some power companies have all kinds of tricks that make it damn near impossible to start a small provider and grow it into something big. Stop the simple things like the pole attachment games that LECs and Power Companies play and the hand outs that municipalities demand you put in place to help elected officials line their pockets.



If you are taking any form of government subsidy, tax break, grant, gift, or anything like it anywhere in your company or municipality (that even remotely touches your network) then you must open your network, period.



Empower small business so that you don't have to be a multi billion dollar company to deploy on a large scale. Remove the risk of being sued into oblivion just because you are a competitor.

NO to ESPN

@zscaler.com 6 recommendations NO to ESPN Anon Would You Rather Have Broadband or a New NFL or NBA Stadium? Figure out where you want to spend your taxes as it ain't being used for infrastructure such as roads, bridges and utilities.

Zenit

The system is the solution

Premium Member

join:2012-05-07

Purcellville, VA 4 recommendations Zenit Premium Member VA I am not happy with my states laws that were enacted under pressure from the ILEC & MSO lobbies. The rules for munis here make it de-facto impossible. No triple play, must make a profit in 1 year, must stay within incorporated area, cannot compete on price with incumbents...



The no price competition is the killer of munis in VA.

alchav

join:2002-05-17

Saint George, UT 2 recommendations alchav Member Build Your Own! I have been telling you guys this for Decades, if you want decent Bandwidth then unite your Community or City and Build it yourselves. Google woke people up to Fast Fiber Networks, but most just want it handed to them. An Internet connection was not at the top of the list for most people, now it is closer to the Top. The Average Person doesn't want to pay for a High Speed Connection, they are still looking for Deals and Competition. Those days are gone, now if you want a Fiber Network you have to Plan!