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A July 16, 2005, Associate Press article reports on Lafayette, LA, another city to offer high-speed Internet for less. The article begins, “Lafayette Utilities System, which provides water, sewer and electric service, wants to install fiber-optic cables on every city street for Internet, cable television and telephone services.

Voters approved the issue 12,481 to 7,621. The 62 percent yes vote allows the utility to issue up to $125 million in tax-exempt municipal bonds, paying them back over 25 years. Its power and water divisions would lend money to the communications division to pay the bonds at first, but the plan calls for the new communications business to repay that debt and take over payments.

Since the proposed bond issue was the only item on Lafayette's ballot, Registrar of Voters Charlene Menard had predicted a turnout as low as 15 to 20 percent. The city has about 112,000 residents and more than 74,000 registered voters.”

Groups across the area encouraged area residents, “[r]ed, white and blue billboards say, ‘For Fiber — For our Future — For our Children.’ Competing yellow yard signs read, ‘Vote No — It's NOT about Fiber. It's about Good Government.’

The Lafayette Utilities System would compete directly against BellSouth, Cox Communications and anyone else selling communications services in the city. The utility would need to become the town's most popular TV service for its plan to succeed.

Saturday's approval could encourage other Louisiana utilities to follow the same path, paved in part by new state legislation in the past year regulating how utilities can sell high-tech communications to consumers.”

Is there a future of community Internet in your town? Find out visit Free Press, they have a comprehensive web site on community Internet and information about similar measures in communities across the country.

Right now there are two bills moving thru the halls of Congress. The bi-partisan Community Broadband Act of 2005, sponsored by Sen. McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Lautenberg (D-NJ), which would protect community Internet across the country.  At the same time, phone and cable companies are seeking to make it illegal for communities to launch initiatives like Lafayette, House bill by Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX) would do just that.

Visit Consumers Union, and take action to protect community Internet.