In a May/June 2005 Mother Jones article "GigiFight," reporter David Case details a battle for community control. Big phone and cable companies are working in cities and towns across the country to battle community internet.
"The term "broadband" refers to high-capacity data networks, often made up of fiber-optic cables that run through underground pipes. The central nervous system of today’s communications systems is built of these high-speed cables, which deliver everything from HBO and ESPN to phone calls, DSL, and cable Internet access. The core of that network has been in place for years, but many of the extremities extending to more distant communities have yet to be constructed. Companies that own the infrastructure have been making money in densely populated, upper-income areas where they can win lots of customers per mile of cable. But they’ve dragged their feet when it comes to reaching markets they consider less lucrative.
In the places they do serve, companies like BellSouth, Qwest, and the local phone companies are often essentially alone in the DSL or cable markets and charge fat, monopolistic fees. In Iowa, for instance, where Iowa Telecom has skimpy competition, users pay $169.95 for their monthly service, compared with a typical fee of $40 in New York City, where upward of six providers compete for high-speed customers. Half of rural households say they don’t have high-speed Internet access because it’s either unavailable or too expensive."
Read the article (use access code: MJZL6Y).
