Corante Posting about this Blog

Dominic Basulto has posted about this blog on Corante. He comments:

While most people agree that broadband Internet access is turning into a “basic human right” – just like electricity – the debate over wireless Internet access gets nuanced really fast. For example, it appears that NYCwireless is interested in “improving broadband accessibility and affordability, but not making it a public utility.” In other words, muni wireless is not the same thing as community wireless, and government involvement in the build-out of a wireless network might do more harm than good if it is not handled properly. Yet, that doesn’t mean that government shouldn’t be in the business of providing a public good if private sector providers fail to step up to the plate. Singapore, for example, offers an “effective model for how government could get involved,” according to muni wireless proponents.

He’s right when he says that muni-wireless is a nuanced subject. NYCwireless supports free choice for communities. This means that if your town or city wants to undertake the creation of a municipal wireless network, we think you should have that option. Our position against a public utility is really just specific to New York City, where we feel that a citywide network run by city government isn’t the best use of resources, especially when you have lots of non-profits working to address the situation.

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