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Reading the actual bill [0], this coverage seems slanted. The bill specifically allows rural electric and phone co-ops to offer broadband, and also says that t

by dtparr 10y ago

Reading the actual bill [0], this coverage seems slanted. The bill specifically allows rural electric and phone co-ops to offer broadband, and also says that they can provide it outside their service area as long as they get the permission of the municipal/co-op who does service that area. Also, the grants are not specifically to Comcast/AT&T, or even just to private businesses. From the text of the bill, the grants have to be able to go to: "political subdivisions or entities of political subdivisions, corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, or other business entities that provide broadband services; cooperatives organized under the Rural Electric and Community Services Cooperative Act or the Telephone Cooperative Act, and any other entity authorized by state law to provide broadband services." While I'm all for freeing EPB to do their thing wherever they can, this article seems to be slanting things more than a bit. [0]-http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0529 http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNu...

thomastjeffery 10y ago
While the law may allow for ISPs other than Comcast/AT&T, is that actually going to happen?
- dtparr 10y ago
  Actually, probably. My parents are in very rural TN, and they get their telephone and internet from a rural co-op [0]. A few years back, that co-op got a grant (though, federal I think) to roll out fiber, which blew everyone's mind. They can get up to a 100/100 internet package for $130/mo now after having been stuck on dial-up well into the 2010s. It's not going to do anything for cities, but there are alot of people who don't live in major cities. It's all the areas outside that that have no broadband of any sort that this bill is helping. Check out http://www.tnelectric.org/members/ http://www.tnelectric.org/members/ for a map showing all the land areas served by electric co-ops who would now be able to provide internet and apply for grants, and that's not including places that have telecom co-ops for their internet but get power via a city/county organization. [0] - http://wktelecom.coop/ http://wktelecom.coop/
flour_power 10y ago
It's vice. of course it's slanted.

by dtparr 10y ago

thomastjeffery 10y ago

While the law may allow for ISPs other than Comcast/AT&T, is that actually going to happen?

dtparr 10y ago
Actually, probably. My parents are in very rural TN, and they get their telephone and internet from a rural co-op [0]. A few years back, that co-op got a grant (though, federal I think) to roll out fiber, which blew everyone's mind. They can get up to a 100/100 internet package for $130/mo now after having been stuck on dial-up well into the 2010s. It's not going to do anything for cities, but there are alot of people who don't live in major cities. It's all the areas outside that that have no broadband of any sort that this bill is helping. Check out http://www.tnelectric.org/members/ http://www.tnelectric.org/members/ for a map showing all the land areas served by electric co-ops who would now be able to provide internet and apply for grants, and that's not including places that have telecom co-ops for their internet but get power via a city/county organization. [0] - http://wktelecom.coop/ http://wktelecom.coop/

flour_power 10y ago

It's vice. of course it's slanted.