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February 16, 2006
CTIA: Muni Wireless is No Big Deal
In what may be another watershed moment in the redefinition of municipal broadband, the wireless industry’s major trade group, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), has backed off active opposition of government wireless projects.
It could be because there is less and less municipal in municipal wireless. Even as more cities contemplate wide area wireless coverage, they are more reticent to fund it, turning instead to franchise-like agreements with major players with whom they once thought they could compete. Hence, we see companies like EarthLink reorganizing their entire business strategies around a burgeoning market for municipal outsourcing, and Cingular Wireless, the country’s largest wireless service provider, buzzing around San Francisco’s TechConnect project.
Meanwhile, CTIA has other pressing issues – including streamlining diverse state regulations, which micromanage carrier operations to the point of specifying fonts they must on their bills. CTIA also has an interest in furthering franchise fee reform.
Anyhow, from a competitive standpoint, the industry has technological leg up on anything municipalities can attempt. Verizon Wireless is offering video. Sprint Nextel is close to marketing a handset that can automatically switch between WiFi and cellular systems.
Municipal broadband is rapidly becoming a matter of semantics. Although there has been a lot more interest in the concept, since Philadelphia announced its deal with EarthLink last fall, every major project put forth since has explicitly called for no direct city funding. Some, like Milwaukee’s call for non-exclusive access to city right of way. The only exception might be New Orleans, where Mayor Ray Nagin called for upgrade and expansion of an existing city-owned low-speed wireless system. That project, like many others in the post-Katrina Crescent City, faces formidable hurdles.
The current focus on wireless also eclipses another fact: ever since Lafayette, La., voted to fund its own municipal fiber to the home system in July, there has been no municipal FTTH systems proposed anywhere. Portland, Ore., has come the closest, floating a $470 million plan for a citywide fiber optic backbone that would support retailer service providers, but from the news coverage, even city officials aren’t gung-ho about funding it and would rather see a private company take on the cost.
Posted by steve.titch at February 16, 2006 01:38 PM
Not much on my mind. I don't care. I've just been letting everything happen without me , but shrug. Whatever. I feel like a void.
Comment by: Sten26462 at January 27, 2007 06:40 PM
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I feel like an empty room, but eh. Nothing seems worth doing. I haven't gotten much done today.
Comment by: Sten30367 at January 27, 2007 11:32 PM
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I haven't been up to much lately. I've basically been doing nothing , but it's not important. I can't be bothered with anything recently. I've just been letting everything happen without me lately.
Comment by: Sten63171 at January 28, 2007 01:25 AM
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I haven't been up to anything today. I don't care. I've just been staying at home not getting anything done. Basically not much happening right now. Maybe tomorrow. I guess it doesn't bother me.
Comment by: Sten80745 at January 28, 2007 04:58 PM
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I haven't been up to anything recently, but so it goes. Such is life. What can I say? Pretty much not much exciting going on to speak of. I haven't gotten much done lately, but I don't care.
Comment by: Sten33516 at January 28, 2007 06:34 PM
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I just don't have much to say recently. Such is life. I've basically been doing nothing. Basically nothing seems worth bothering with. Oh well.
Comment by: Sten18436 at January 28, 2007 08:00 PM
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I haven't been up to anything today. I don't care. I've just been staying at home not getting anything done. Basically not much happening right now. Maybe tomorrow. I guess it doesn't bother me.
Comment by: Sten61642 at January 29, 2007 05:10 AM
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Basically nothing seems worth thinking about. I haven't been up to much these days. I just don't have much to say right now. I can't be bothered with anything , but whatever.
Comment by: Sten83789 at January 29, 2007 04:08 PM
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I haven't gotten anything done today. I feel like a fog, but what can I say? I've just been letting everything wash over me lately, not that it matters. Shrug.
Comment by: Sten17827 at January 30, 2007 07:43 AM
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I've just been staying at home not getting anything done. I've basically been doing nothing worth mentioning. My life's been pretty unremarkable these days. Eh.
Comment by: Sten76629 at January 31, 2007 09:44 AM
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I just don't have much to say these days, but so it goes. Today was a total loss. I guess it doesn't bother me.
Comment by: Sten65258 at February 1, 2007 12:20 AM
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I haven't been up to anything these days. So it goes. I can't be bothered with anything these days.
Comment by: Sten14314 at February 1, 2007 05:31 AM
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I feel like a complete blank, but I don't care. Pfft. I've pretty much been doing nothing worth mentioning.
Comment by: Sten10851 at February 1, 2007 12:28 PM
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I haven't gotten anything done recently. I've just been hanging out doing nothing. I haven't been up to anything these days, but it's not important. Today was a total loss.
Comment by: Sten38500 at February 1, 2007 04:01 PM
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I just don't have anything to say. Not that it matters. Eh. I've just been staying at home doing nothing, but I don't care. That's how it is.
Comment by: Sten11586 at February 1, 2007 09:44 PM
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Comment by: Sten52830 at February 1, 2007 10:31 PM
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I can't be bothered with anything these days, but such is life. I don't care. So it goes. More or less nothing seems worth thinking about. I've just been hanging out waiting for something to happen, but that's how it is.
Comment by: Sten7888 at February 2, 2007 07:20 AM
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Basically nothing noteworthy happening right now, but eh. Today was a complete loss. I haven't been up to much recently. I've pretty much been doing nothing worth mentioning.
Comment by: Sten43454 at February 3, 2007 05:44 AM
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I feel like a complete blank, but I don't care. Pfft. I've pretty much been doing nothing worth mentioning.
Comment by: Sten48447 at February 3, 2007 09:35 PM
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I just don't have much to say recently. Such is life. I've basically been doing nothing. Basically nothing seems worth bothering with. Oh well.
Comment by: Sten26240 at February 4, 2007 12:13 AM
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I feel like an empty room, but eh. Nothing seems worth doing. I haven't gotten much done today.
Comment by: Sten75014 at February 4, 2007 02:13 AM
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I just don't have much to say recently. Such is life. I've basically been doing nothing. Basically nothing seems worth bothering with. Oh well.
Comment by: Sten14784 at February 4, 2007 03:19 AM
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I haven't been up to much these days. Today was a loss. Nothing seems important. I've just been letting everything happen without me these days.
Comment by: Sten67323 at February 4, 2007 06:45 AM
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Not much on my mind lately. My life's been completely boring these days. I've just been hanging out not getting anything done. So it goes.
Comment by: Sten58313 at February 4, 2007 12:04 PM
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I just don't have anything to say right now. I haven't been up to anything recently, but it's not important. I've just been sitting around waiting for something to happen, but shrug.
Comment by: Sten46983 at February 4, 2007 04:48 PM
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I can't be bothered with anything these days, but such is life. I don't care. So it goes. More or less nothing seems worth thinking about. I've just been hanging out waiting for something to happen, but that's how it is.
Comment by: Sten42131 at February 4, 2007 08:37 PM
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I just don't have anything to say right now. I haven't been up to anything recently, but it's not important. I've just been sitting around waiting for something to happen, but shrug.
Comment by: Sten34746 at February 5, 2007 09:17 PM
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I haven't been up to anything today. I can't be bothered with anything recently. Nothing seems worth thinking about. I haven't gotten anything done recently, but oh well. Not much noteworthy going on worth mentioning.
Comment by: Sten49676 at February 5, 2007 10:43 PM
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I just don't have anything to say. Not that it matters. Eh. I've just been staying at home doing nothing, but I don't care. That's how it is.
Comment by: Sten44045 at February 6, 2007 03:28 AM
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