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February 23, 2006
With Friends Like These…
The muni loonies in Minneapolis have succeeded where thousands of incumbent dollars and hundreds of hours of incumbent lobbying have failed. They’ve derailed a municipal wireless system just as it was getting set to award a contract.
Bowing to pressure from the misnamed Institute for Local Self-Reliance (Institute for Local Government Reliance is more appropriate), the Minneapolis City Council’s Ways and Means Committee voted to delay selection of a commercial wireless partner in order to reconsider whether the city itself should fund, operate and manage a citywide network. The motion is expected to go before the Council’s Committee of the Whole today.
ILSR is opposed to Minneapolis plan to contract with a commercial wireless service provider who would take responsibility for the estimated $25 million network in return for an end-user contract from the city as well as discounted access to city right-of-way. ILSR makes its case by claiming that Philadelphia is a municipal-owned system, when, in fact, it is not. EarthLink will own the network. Further clouding the issue, ILSR cites the example of Corpus Christi, Tex. While that city indeed plans to own its municipal wireless network, it is designed for city IT applications and will not support retail Internet access, as the Minneapolis and Philadelphia networks plan to.
Minneapolis has already gone through the lengthy RFP process, naming EarthLink and U.S. Internet, a Twin Cities-based service provider, as finalists. If ILSR gets its way, the project will likely return to square one.
As noted in earlier entries, the backlash from one-time supporters of muni broadband, just as they appear to have gained an upper hand at City Hall, demonstrates they are far more anti-business than pro-broadband. Indeed, in Minneapolis, their goal seems to be government-run broadband or no broadband at all.
It might just be the latter. In December, Bill Beck, Minneapolis’ deputy chief information officer told Minnesota Public Radio that the city opted for the public/private partnership because it had neither the money nor the core competency to attempt a city-owned system.
If ISR succeeds in scotching Minneapolis’ muni WiFi, their counterparts in San Francisco are bound to take note. This week San Francisco unveiled its bids from six companies or consortiums. Google and EarthLink filed a joint RFP. IBM, Cisco Systems have teamed with SeaKay, a management consulting firm specializing in nonprofits under the name SF Metro Connect. NextWLAN and MetroFi are among the smaller companies who have bid.
Despite no participation by incumbents, the bete noirs among municipal broadband proponents, San Francisco’s community technology organizations nonetheless have begun to rail against all would-be bidders, even local start-ups.
They miss the irony that commercial wireless broadband rollout is continuing without municipal help. Hot spots grow. 3G wireless expands. As the private sector seizes the broadband day, paying market rents for right of way and real estate, in as little as a few months it will be harder to justify granting special favors to a private city “partner.”
Moreover, give the political capital that’s being wagered on these systems, city governments want to see unity from community wireless interests. And while officials expect free marketers to be against this sort of thing, they will find any fracture among one-time municipal supporters disquieting.
In other words, for all their bluster about how the phone companies want to kill municipal wireless, the pro-muni set is doing a fine job by themselves. You go, guys!
Posted by steve.titch at February 23, 2006 10:10 AM
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: Sten17895 at January 26, 2007 07:52 AM
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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: Sten69627 at January 26, 2007 08:19 AM
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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: Sten7526 at January 26, 2007 07:47 PM
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Comment by: Sten38500 at January 27, 2007 06:35 AM
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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: Sten88379 at January 27, 2007 11:53 AM
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I've just been staying at home waiting for something to happen, but I don't care. Basically nothing seems worth thinking about. I can't be bothered with anything recently.
Comment by: Sten58367 at January 27, 2007 11:32 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: Sten75538 at January 28, 2007 01:25 AM
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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: Sten8163 at January 28, 2007 09:48 AM
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I've just been staying at home waiting for something to happen, but I don't care. Basically nothing seems worth thinking about. I can't be bothered with anything recently.
Comment by: Sten73200 at January 28, 2007 06:34 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: Sten92692 at January 28, 2007 07:58 PM
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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: Sten56601 at January 29, 2007 05:10 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: Sten54361 at January 29, 2007 12:36 PM
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My life's been basically bland today. More or less nothing seems worth thinking about. My mind is like an empty room. I've more or less been doing nothing to speak of. Not much on my mind recently.
Comment by: Sten96370 at January 29, 2007 03:32 PM
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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: Sten58002 at January 29, 2007 04:08 PM
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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: Sten64813 at January 29, 2007 06:43 PM
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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: Sten6160 at January 30, 2007 07:43 AM
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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: Sten74773 at January 31, 2007 09:36 AM
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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: Sten76011 at January 31, 2007 07:40 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: Sten18757 at February 1, 2007 12:19 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: Sten56186 at February 1, 2007 12:28 PM
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Not much on my mind right now, but it's not important. I've just been letting everything happen without me. I just don't have anything to say right now.
Comment by: Sten34542 at February 2, 2007 03:43 AM
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Not much on my mind right now, but it's not important. I've just been letting everything happen without me. I just don't have anything to say right now.
Comment by: Sten82740 at February 2, 2007 12:07 PM
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I can't be bothered with anything these days, but shrug. I just don't have anything to say recently. I haven't gotten much done recently. Nothing seems worth thinking about.
Comment by: Sten43608 at February 2, 2007 01:52 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: Sten27903 at February 2, 2007 02:47 PM
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retty much nothing seems worth thinking about. My life's been completely dull , not that it matters. I've just been staying at home waiting for something to happen.
Comment by: Sten72437 at February 2, 2007 04:45 PM
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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: Sten92346 at February 3, 2007 12:27 AM
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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: Sten52920 at February 3, 2007 05:44 AM
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I haven't been up to much today. I've just been letting everything happen without me. Basically nothing seems worth bothering with. I've just been hanging out doing nothing. I just don't have anything to say right now. More or less nothing happening.
Comment by: Sten96512 at February 3, 2007 05:01 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: Sten65296 at February 4, 2007 03:19 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: Sten15424 at February 4, 2007 12:04 PM
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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: Sten52967 at February 4, 2007 04:48 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: Sten89616 at February 4, 2007 10:58 PM
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Not much on my mind right now, but it's not important. I've just been letting everything happen without me. I just don't have anything to say right now.
Comment by: Sten13628 at February 5, 2007 09:16 PM
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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: Sten33844 at February 5, 2007 10:43 PM
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I've just been hanging out not getting anything done. What can I say? I've basically been doing nothing worth mentioning, but pfft. Not that it matters. Pretty much nothing exciting happening to speak of. I haven't been up to much these days.
Comment by: Sten83383 at February 6, 2007 03:28 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: Sten71120 at February 6, 2007 07:57 AM
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