Lobbyists are pressuring Congress to decide whether or not it is appropriate for local governments to become wireless Internet Service Providers. It would seem that some people just march blindly into socialism. Government controlled ISPs are not a solution for anything.
The only argument presented suggests that WiFi access is cost-prohibitive to low-income families. Unfortunately city-ISP proponents have completely failed to explain why low-income families, or anybody else for that matter, need WiFi access on a city-wide basis when high-speed Internet access is already being made available across the country. As News.com has reported more than once, the liberal activist chanting most loudly in favor of government-controlled Internet access is Dianah Neff, Philadelphia’s chief information officer.
If you ask me, Philadelphia needs to give Neff more work. She obviously has too much free time available if she can sit around proposing such atrociously destructive plans.
One News.com reader, Mark Leblanc, responds to the article by stating,
“You gotta be kidding me. Government should absolutely not get involved in this business.
- Creates a government monopoly (possibly).
- Slows technological improvements.
- Kills competition, drives prices up.
- Poor customer service
Internet access is not a life or death type of service. If you want lower costs and better access for everyone, keep this a free market enterprise where all fish are allowed to swim and compete for food.”
I agree 100%. Dial-up access has already fallen from $40 to $5 in most areas. DSL and cable prices have also dropped considerably in recent years. WiFi is not a revolutionary technology that everybody must have. Our tax money already pays for Internet access in government buildings, many parks, schools, public events, and libraries. Setting up WiFi access on a city-wide basis under the argument that it is cost prohibitive to low-income families also completely ignores the fact that wireless devices are also cost-prohibitive to low-income families. Let the private market do what it does best, and keep socialistic ventures out of our governments. Anything else would be the destruction of a profitable market in exchange for higher taxes.
News.com reports here, and here.
Tempe, Arizona has already launched its destructive plan.
W.S.