General Discussion

hlthe2b

(102,525 posts) Wed Nov 8, 2017, 08:02 AM Nov 2017

How a local bill for municipal broadband development beat back big Corporate Cable $$$ to pass (CO)

On this Democratic wave, here is an issue-related win where a local initiative with a mere $9,000 in funding beat back the Comcast-funded Cable Association's 24/7 near half MILLION $$$$ ad campaign to advance a PUBLIC option for cable in Fort Collins, CO. Anyone along the Front Range of CO saw these ads nonstop for more than six weeks and though they were incredibly deceptive, I thought they might fool a lot of people, but no. BIG CORPORATE forces LOST!

Fort Collins voters say yes to broadband
http://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2017/11/07/fort-collins-broadband-election-passes-results/840551001/

Fort Collins residents want access to super-fast internet service, and they want it sooner rather than later.

Voters on Tuesday approved a city proposal that would permit the City Council to establish a telecommunications utility to provide broadband services. Unofficial, partial returns as of 11:19 p.m. showed the measure passing with 56.77 percent of the vote.

Ballot Question 2B does not require the council to create the utility. It gives council flexibility in setting up a business model for providing high-speed internet, including entering into a partnership with a private company.

snip--
“I was very encouraged with the passage today, and particularly with the headwinds of incumbents trying to misinform the electorate,” he said. “And also, I was very disappointed in the (Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce) playing an active role in misinformation.

“I think there is some accountability that has to come out post-election.”

The proposal passed despite a well-financed advertising campaign to defeat it. The political issue group Priorities First Fort Collins reported spending $451,564 on its campaign through Nov. 1.

The grassroots group Fort Collins Citizens Broadband Committee, which supported 2B, reported spending $9,250 through Nov. 1.

Supporters actively campaigned for the measure through social media. They said the city could do a better job of delivering fast and affordable internet service than private service currently available in the city.

8 replies

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Highlight:

How a local bill for municipal broadband development beat back big Corporate Cable $$$ to pass (CO) (Original Post) hlthe2b Nov 2017 OP

This sounds great as long as the city doesnt get a monopoly Lee-Lee Nov 2017 #1

More than 60 locales in CO have voted to persue in past couple of years... Whether they do or not hlthe2b Nov 2017 #3

We had been paralysed by a screw up here in Ireland, OnDoutside Nov 2017 #4

the first front range community to do so has given a lot of lessons for others hlthe2b Nov 2017 #5

our community d_r Nov 2017 #6

This is our exact experience also here Cairycat Nov 2017 #7

Good to hear--Where do you live? hlthe2b Nov 2017 #8

Wow, well done to them ! That's an amazing win. OnDoutside Nov 2017 #2

Lee-Lee

(6,324 posts)

1. This sounds great as long as the city doesnt get a monopoly

Reply to hlthe2b (Original post)

Wed Nov 8, 2017, 08:05 AM

Nov 2017

If it is to just bring consumers a choice I am all for it. I would love to live in a place with more than one option for internet, but since the law gives one cable company a monopoly then it screws all of us here. I would love for my county to get into the business. Or anyone else to give me choice.

Charter sucks.

hlthe2b

(102,525 posts)

3. More than 60 locales in CO have voted to persue in past couple of years... Whether they do or not

Reply to Lee-Lee (Reply #1)

Wed Nov 8, 2017, 08:10 AM

Nov 2017

this is a big (encouraging sign) that voters can see through Corporate mega $$$ opposition on issues that matter to them.

That to me is the result most worth celebrating.

OnDoutside

(19,986 posts)

4. We had been paralysed by a screw up here in Ireland,

Reply to Lee-Lee (Reply #1)

Wed Nov 8, 2017, 08:17 AM

Nov 2017

back in at the start of the 2000s, the Government at the time privatised the state Post & Telegraph company (as it was at the time), Eircom, which was eventually bought by Vodafone. Unfortunately, they not only sold the business but the network as well. So when other internet companies came into the market, if Eircom laid new high speed lines, the other internet companies would have had the right to sell to customers over that network. So Eircom did nothing for years rather than have others benefit from their capital expenditure, and we lost as a country in the race to get high speed broadband.

Whatever this town does, keep the network in the town's control, then let private companies come in to sell the service.

hlthe2b

(102,525 posts)

5. the first front range community to do so has given a lot of lessons for others

Reply to OnDoutside (Reply #4)

Wed Nov 8, 2017, 08:28 AM

Nov 2017

which I find helpful

http://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2017/11/07/fort-collins-broadband-election-passes-results/840551001/

The road to municipal Internet: Boulder benefits from Longmont's journey
Longmont struggled for 18 years to provide high-speed, fiber-optic network

snip--
"The speed's amazing," Radliff said. "It's like 100 megabits per second more than we ever need. ... Playing movies on my TV is almost instantaneous."

After aiming to be among the first in the nation to do so, Longmont is now rounding out an 18-year journey into offering Internet service through its municipal utility.

It took two private-partnership busts, three elections, $45.3 million and a particularly divisive piece of state legislation, but Longmont is connecting the first customers to NextLight, its "fiber-to-the-home" service.

Meanwhile, the city of Boulder has been watching and learning from Longmont's failures and successes along the way.

d_r

(6,907 posts)

6. our community

Reply to Lee-Lee (Reply #1)

Wed Nov 8, 2017, 09:10 AM

Nov 2017

has this through our local electric company. We still have the big corporate options, but our fiber optic is amazing and preferred by everyone I know.