Government-owned Broadband Networks EXPLAINED: Part 4 – Rapid Pace of Technology
Chip Baltimore of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance in Part 4 of his series “Government-owned Broadband Networks EXPLAINED”
In this video, Chip Baltimore talks about the rapid pace of technology change and the difficulty of delivering on the promises of faster, better and cheaper internet service than the current providers.
Below the video is a summary of Chip’s points.
Chip’s points:
- To sell muni broadband projects, consultants frequently provide misinformation and hard to keep promises that municipal broadband can deliver faster, cheaper and more reliable service than what the community already has or will have.
- The rapid pace of technology changes means that fiber in the ground will not be cutting edge in 15-20 years. This will put pressure on municipalities trying to pay their debt when they can’t maintain their market share (take-rate).
- Frequently problems of slow or unreliable connectivity are due to causes actually inside the home. The consultants recommend offering additional equipment with additional monthly fees, increasing overall costs to subscribers.
More about Chip Baltimore and the TPA (https://www.protectingtaxpayers.org/about/):
Chip Baltimore is a Senior Fellow at the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, a former 4 term state legislator for Iowa. He is also an attorney having spent the 13 years as General Counsel and Trust Officer of Boone Bank & Trust Co., and 10 years in private legal practice in Boone, Iowa.
The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) TPA is a rapid response non-profit, non-partisan taxpayer group dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy. TPA will hold government officials accountable at all levels of government.
Other videos in this series:
Government-owned Broadband Networks EXPLAINED: Part 1
Government-owned Broadband Networks EXPLAINED: Part 2 – A Consultant Driven Business
Additional Resources
For additional information on PROP B and risks Lucas taxpayers need to know, see the article:
“Risks Lucas Taxpayers Need To Know About Prop B: The Vanity Internet Project”
For a 3rd part independent review of the Magellan Feasibility study which is the foundation of PROP B, see the article:
Taxpayers Protection Alliance Weighs in with Negative Review of Magellan’s Study