more on WI-FI RUN BY CITIES: YEA OR NAY?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Glenn Fleishman <glenn () glennf com>
Date: January 9, 2006 2:55:46 PM EST
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] more on WI-FI RUN BY CITIES: YEA OR NAY?

Bob Frankston wrote:

> Skimming the report it seems that Tom Lenard doesn’t understand the
> concept of the Internet and can only see connectivity packaged as
> services provided by omniscient telecom companies. He doesn't have
> the concept of people defining services at the edge. The very
> assumption that this is about telecom shows that he’s fifty years
> behind the times.

There's also a significant problem with the PFF report, even if you  
accepted
their logic and initial condition statements: they, like all anti- 
municipal
report authors since early 2004, make blanket statements on the  
financial
viability of municipal networks using inaccurate analysis of revenue,  
capital
expense, and net return on investment from 1998 to 2001. For  
instance, a number
cited in very early stages by Tacoma Power to build their Click!  
Network--before
a full analysis was performed--is cited as the initial cost of the  
network and
later real costs (that included replacing utility  Further, all the  
municipal
networks that are cited as "failures" were fiber rings or fiber/coax  
hybrid
systems--no wireless.

The Free Press wrote an extensive report tracking down the source of  
these bad
numbers from previous reports issued by similar organizations. I  
don't object to
analysis that finds that municipal networks aren't cost effective for
citizens--depsite the fact that taxpayer dollars are hardly or not  
involved in
most current RFPs--but I want to see rigorous information. There is  
little rigor
in any of the reports or white papers I've read on the con side of  
the issue.

<http://www.freepress.net/docs/mb_telco_lies.pdf>
--
Glenn Fleishman
seattle, washington
work and home: glennf.com
wireless data news: wifinetnews.com
email sent to me will not be quoted unless you allow me
email sent from me is intended to be private unless noted otherwise


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